Special MRD station – Portishead Radio c/s GKA

Photo above source: www.coastalradio.org.uk

Dear Sparks,

thanks to our colleague Radio Officer Tony Butler-Roskilly we will have on the air during the coming MRD the special c/s GB0GKA

Portishead Radio (callsign GKA) was a radio station in England that provided worldwide maritime communications and long-range aeronautical communications from 1928 until 2000. It was the world’s largest and busiest radiotelephony station. In 1974, there were 154 radio operators who handled over 20 million words per year.

In 1998, British Telecom Maritime Radio Services announced its planned closure of Portishead Radio. The long-range services (HF bands 3-30 MHz) ceased at midnight on 31 August 1999. The short-range VHF maritime band (156-174 MHz) services closed at 12:00 on Sunday 30 April 2000, and the medium-range services (MF maritime band 1.6-3.0 MHz) services at 12:00 on Friday 30 June. The station closed in April 2000.

In September 2004, Sedgemoor District Council adopted a local development plan that included the site of Portishead Radio for future housing development. In October 2007, planning permission for a development of 190 houses and flats on the site was granted, and shortly afterwards the old radio station buildings were demolished There is no commemoration of the vital work which was carried out by this radio station in difficult times for the worlds maritime community. A small memorial was promised by the developers but has never been provided. A sad and anonymous end to a vital communications asset, now gone and so easily forgotten.

Thanks to Tony we can celebrate the Great work done by GKA in the Golden Age of Maritime Radiocommunications awaiting for the memorial…

73’s

MRD crew