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Daventry Transmitter opens providing national radio coverage

27 July 1925

The Daventry Transmitter, which opened on 27 July 1925, was the world's first Long Wave transmitting station. The transmitter, known as 5XX, was positioned on Borough Hill near Daventry, Northamptonshire, to cover the maximum land area. It brought the total audience within listening distance to 94% of the population, and made the idea of a nationwide radio service a reality.

Radio was still new enough to be a source of wonder, and the opening was a big event. Alfred Noyes began with a poem, "Daventry calling..." This was followed by speeches from the Postmaster-General and the Mayor of Daventry, introduced by Lord Gainford, 大象传媒 Chairman. The Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin sent a message which was published in the Radio Times:

the opening of the Wireless Broadcasting Station at Daventry... will give no less than 20 million people the opportunity to receive both education and entertainment by means of cheap and simple apparatus; and I look upon Daventry as another milestone on the road to the social betterment of our people.

The success of Daventry proved the benefit of using high powered transmitters over many small ones. Daventry saw continuous use until 1992, but is now being pressed into service as part of the 大象传媒 National DAB network.

A montage of some of the BBC's technical advances in broadcasting.

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