VALVE. Invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming in 1904 and patented the following year, the two-electrode radio rectifier, also known as the thermionic valve, vacuum diode, kenetron, Fleming valve, and, in the United States, the vacuum tube, was to be of crucial significance in the development of radio and the amplification of received signals within sets. The term “valve” was used by Fleming because the device allows electrical current to pass in one direction only. This piece of technology enabled electrons to flow from the negatively charged cathode to the positively charged anode; as the current within the tube is moving from negative to positive, incoming signals’ oscillations are rectified into a detectable direct current. Although Fleming’s invention predated the creation of wireless networks by almost two decades, the valve was initially neglected due to its cost and the development of the cruder but cheaper cat’s whisker. By the 1950s, the large, fragile valve was giving way to the new technology of the transistor, although while it ceased to be a part of radio receivers, it continued to be used in transmitters.
VARIETY BANDBOX. This weekly Sunday evening show, devised by Cecil Madden, was originally designed for the armed forces, beginning in December 1942 on the Overseas Programme and transferring in February 1944 to the Forces Programme, where demand soared for its star-studded entertainment. Sunday variety on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio was, until World War II, a rare thing, and British audiences had had to turn to the commercial stations, such as Radio Luxembourg and Radio Normandy for such fare. Once established in the public consciousness, Variety Bandbox achieved numerous seasons over several years. The final edition was broadcast on 28 September 1952, by which time it had moved to a Monday evening slot on the Light Programme. Among stars who took part over the 10 years of its existence were Issy Bonn, Reg Dixon, Arthur English, FRANKIE HOWERD, Margaret Lockwood, Al Read, Max Wall, and Bernard Miles. In its final series, the resident orchestra was that of Cyril Stapleton.
VARIETY DEPARTMENT. Originally, Variety provision within the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) came under the same heading as drama. This was, however, changed in 1933, when a specific Variety Department was created under the directorship of Eric Maschwitz, then editor of Radio Times. The role of the department was to fill BBC airtime with just under 18 hours of vaudeville, operetta, light music, dance music, and comedy. The first series to come out of the new department was In Town Tonight. The department grew quickly, and during its existence it was housed in a number of BBC premises, including Broadcasting House, St. George’s Hall, and Aeolian Hall. Many major popular shows originated in this department, including legends such as It’s That Man Again (ITMA), Variety Bandbox, Band Waggon, Ack-Ack, Beer-Beer, and Garrison Theatre.
VARIETY FANFARE. Billed as “heralding variety in the North,” the series ran for a time as Fanfare, changing its name in July 1949, after which it ran for several more months, featuring comedians such as Cyril Fletcher and Frankie Howerd, and musical acts, including the harmonica player Tommy Reilly and the singer Betty Driver.
VARIETY PLAYHOUSE. This major Saturday evening series began May 1953, hosted initially by Vic Oliver on the Home Service. It ran until 1963, and during its life many of the top names in British light entertainment appeared on the program. The mix was varied; the first show featured—among others—Jean Sablon and Benny Hill, and subsequent programs saw appearances by such artists as the violinist Campoli, the singer Billy Eckstine, and the actor Sir Donald Wolfit. Its content over 10 years reflected changes in entertainment trends during the era.
VAUGHAN-THOMAS, WYNFORD (1908–1987). A friend of Dylan Thomas, he shared the poet’s delight in words and applied it to the art of the radio commentator, giving his work a Celtic lyrical quality in which his Welshness was always a factor. Among many famous broadcasts, his commentary from a Lancaster bomber over Berlin in 1943 became famous, as did his other war-reports such as describing General Bernard Montgomery crossing the Rhine and a transmission from the Hamburg studio used by William Joyce shortly after Joyce had made his final broadcast. Later, he was a familiar voice at state and royal occasions and was one of the radio commentary team at the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. A man who loved the landscape of Britain, he presented the monthly program The Countryside in . . . until his death at the age of 79.
VIC SAMSON, SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR. Broadcast in a short-lived series on Radio Luxembourg from mid-August 1939, this was the first daily adventure serial aimed at children, and preempted the BBC’s Dick Barton, Special Agent by seven years. The eponymous hero worked for Scotland Yard and was assisted by his schoolboy brother, Bob. The series disappeared at the closure of Luxembourg when war broke out and was never revived subsequently.
VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF). See FREQUENCY MODULATION (FM).
VIKING RADIO. This commercial station based in Hull commenced broadcasting in 1984, and was notable for being the first to divide its frequency modulation (FM) and mediumwave (MW) services, providing alternative services for its listeners, a trend that was later to become common practice on Independent Local Radio (ILR) stations. This was, however, at this time only on weekends, to provide an alternative service for sports fans. The station split its frequencies completely in 1989, with the launch of its Classic Gold service. See also COUNTY SOUND.
VIRGIN RADIO. Originally owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, Virgin Radio became the UK’s first national pop music station when it began broadcasting on 30 April 1993 as Virgin 1215. Its policy was that of playing quality rock, featuring a high proportion of album tracks, and this has remained the backbone of its output.
In 1997, Capital Radio, exploiting the climate of radio deregulation that permitted groups to consolidate into multistation ownership, attempted to buy Virgin Radio from Richard Branson. In the event, the issue was referred to the UK Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Before a ruling on the purchase could be reached, the Ginger Media Group, owned by Chris Evans, stepped in and bought the station. Subsequently purchased by Scottish Media Holdings in 2005, the station became the subject of considerable renewed speculation regarding its ownership.
Broadcasting to most of Great Britain was via mediumwave (MW), and the development of digital radio was clearly significant for a station such as Virgin; accordingly, it was a part of the multiplex launched by Digital One in the spring of 1999. Technical innovation—an issue of considerable interest to the station’s core audience—has always been part of Virgin Radio’s policy; its web presence is extremely sophisticated, and it was one of the early sites to experiment with online broadcasting. It has also used satellite platforms to reach an increasingly global audience. In March, 2005, it was the first UK commercial radio station to offer a “podcasting” of a daily show.
VOCALION CONCERT. This half-hour record program was significant in that it was the first commercial radio series to be advertised (Sunday Referee). Featuring records on the Broadcast label, it ran from October 1931–January 1932, initially on Radio Toulouse, and subsequently on Radio Paris. There is, however, evidence that versions of the program were broadcast earlier than that, with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reception reports dating from 1929.
VOICE OF AMERICA (VOA). Funded by the United States government, this service began in 1942, initially broadcasting only in German. It was, however, later to grow to 44 languages, including English, and had a not inconsiderable listenership in Britain immediately after the war and during the 1950s. One reason for its popularity in the United Kingdom—apart from its commentary in the postwar age of uncertainty brought about by the Cold War—was the fact that British audiences had developed a taste for the more relaxed style and accents of U.S. presenters during the war. The service itself grew out of a perceived need, in that in 1939, the United States was the only world power without a government-sponsored international radio service. Today, VOA is a multimedia service claiming to reach 100 million listeners globally.
VOICE OF THE LISTENER AND VIEWER. This pressure group was founded as Voice of the Listener in 1983 by Jocelyn Hay to campaign for the preservation of Reithian (see REITH, JOHN) standards in radio broadcasting. It was initially created in opposition to a proposal to transform Radio 4 into a rolling news format network. Once established, it became clear that other issues in broadcasting required a consumer organization to act and speak on behalf of listeners. Formed as it was in a period when radio was moving into a period of deregulation, it was a strong lobbyist of Parliament during the passage of the 1990 Broadcasting Act. The following year, broadening the brief to television, the word “Viewer” was added to the title.
VOIGT, PAUL (1901–1981). One of the leading inventors of sound equipment, Paul Voigt was born on 9 December 1901, just three days before the first transatlantic signal by Guglielmo Marconi. Born in London of German parents, Voigt was educated at Dulwich College, and even as a child he was fascinated by the mechanics of wireless. He joined the southeast London electronics firm of J. E. Hough, manufacturing gramophone records and machines, later moving into radio set manufacture.
Voigt became a specialist in microphones, amplifiers, and above all, loudspeakers. After his employers went out of business in 1933, Voigt formed Voigt Patents, and concentrated on manufacturing loudspeakers for public arenas such as cinemas and dance halls. He was among the pioneers who predicted the later growth of music radio and recordings in the home. Near the end of World War II, he suffered a breakdown and decided to move to Canada to continue his work on loudspeakers. Emigrating in April 1950, he found work with the Canadian Radio Authority. In his last years he almost completely neglected audio, becoming involved in the theory of electromagnetic induction, some of Albert Einstein’s work, and whether the speed of light was an invariable constant or slowed toward the extremes of the universe. However, it is for his technical work in the areas of sound production and reception that he is best remembered.