History of Radio Ability

The idea of Radio Ability was formed in late 1992 - a community radio station for disabled people, promoting disability issues and a positive image of disabled people among non-disabled listeners. 25% of the station's playlist was to be music by disabled recording artists, to represent the 25% of the population who are in some way affected by disability.

The original idea was to broadcast via the Northern Ireland Relay Service, a short-wave pirate station. Unfortunately, the NIRS closed down in early 1993, before Radio Ability had a studio set up properly.

Undeterred, Tony Page - Radio Ability's founder - sent a demo tape to Chris England of Euronet. Euronet received the idea warmly, and Tony Page was even interviewed live on-air by Chris England. Unfortunately, Euronet closed down soon afterwards due to internal difficulties.

So for a few months, Radio Ability programmes were distributed to interested listeners on cassette tape (the 1990s equivalent of podcasting, perhaps? lol). This led to interest among a number of broadcasters, both legal and pirate, of airing Radio Ability's programmes over the airwaves.

Probably the first was Radio Atlantis, a West Midlands based short wave pirate. As well as Tony Page's programmes, Radio Ability (Short Wave) programmes were also broadcast by a number of Radio Atlantis DJs such as Sid Morris and Edward Teach. Unfortunately, this project only lasted about a month before Radio Atlantis was closed down by the DTI.

Nottingham-based Breeze FM 106.2 then showed an interest in the project, and programmes recorded specially for the station - with info specific to the East Midlands - were broadcast for several months before Breeze FM merged with another station.

Also, in mid 1993, Tony Page got involved with Tamworth-based RSL Palace FM. (Some of the people on this are now understood to be heavily involved with Lichfield-based ILR Centre FM). Over Xmas 1993, Radio Ability was broadcast on Palace FM, on Friday nights from 10pm to midnight, for 4 weeks. The programmes are understood to have been well-received.

At the same time, several programmes were recorded on tape for Radio Cracker (Nottingham), and Tony Page was interviewed live by the station operator, Chris Kerry.

Meanwhile, more and more disabled recoding artists were found. Some of these were famous artists or band members who had disabilities. In addition, Stream Records - a record label for disabled recording artists - had started in London. Tony Page was interviewed with
Genie Cosmas, the founder of Stream Records, and Simon Smith of Simon Smith and the Useless Eaters, a prominant artist of Stream Records.

In late spring 1994, Tony Page was on work attachment away from his (then) home in Birmingham - so Radio Ability's broadcasts were suspended for a long time.

In summer 1995 Tony Page lost his job with BBC Transmission due to compulsory redundancy, and returned to his home village of Clowne, in north-east Derbyshire. He had by then bought a 12W transmitter from Veronica Electronics, and used it to start a project called Community Net. Based on the satellite station Euronet, this was to be a mix of various programmes serving different listeners; including KING Radio (oldies), Angel FM (pop and humour), Phase 42 (dance music) and, last but not least, Radio Ability.

The Radio Ability programmes were at first fortnightly, and included about 50% music by disabled artists, along with disability issues, the Stream Records interviews, and extracts from Pat Stack's talk at the SWP's Marxism 95 on The Politics Of Disability.

Over the next 2 years, Community Net became Phase 42 FM, and then Starforce FM. Finally the raid on Starforce FM, on 14/11/1997, put an end to Starforce FM, and, it seemed, Radio Ability, and Tony Page's days as a broadcaster.

From 1998 onwards, plans were often made for a return of Radio Ability - now possible via the internet. 

To listen to some sample programmes from Radio Ability, click here

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