I think it’s about 8 years in the making. And really, many more years before that.
I remember at the age of 3 or 4, sitting behind a table with my head sticking up, and holding up a badminton racket in front of my face pretending it was a radio speaker. I’d ‘report the news’, sing a song etc. Hearing others tell me of those days, I would often sing Winchester Cathedral. I only knew the chorus, and would make up verses as I went. So yeah, I guess it really began back then.
My first radio transmissions were when I was about 8. My older brother had a friend interested in electronics, and was probably a genius. He built a small radio transmitter that seemed quite powerful and was likely illegal. We never really knew. After they had their fun with it, I got my hands on it. Lots of fun trying to fake out Mom into thinking I was in the kitchen, and that I needed her, when I wasn’t even in the house. Good times! 🙂
In my teens, I was building my own transmitters, or buying the odd inexpensive one. And even as an adult, I’ve gathered a little collection of wireless mics and the like. Most recently, I’ve run a high quality though low power fm station I can hear around my house. Couple the love for the technology with a love for Beausejour, and it’s a no-brainer. Promote and grow the town through radio!
For the last 8 years or so, I’ve been looking for sources of funding and working out technical details. I’ve reworked the business plan countless times, trying to figure out a way to make radio in a small town pay for itself. I’m at the point most people would have long given up. Rather than give up, I decided to radically shift my thinking. I’m going to accept that it will likely cost me money to do it. I’d rather it didn’t, but I’m prepared to take it on even though it likely will. So here I am. Just ironing out some final details, and getting ready to announce to the world (well, announce to Beausejour) that Town Radio Beausejour is here.