Two exhibitions opening to celebrate 80 years of radio

This Friday, two new exhibitions open at the National Museum that celebrate the 80th anniversary of the oldest broadcast medium in Singapore — radio.

Titled Celebrating Radio: Sounds From The Past and In Tune With The Times, the exhibitions look at how the introduction of radio broadcasting in the early 20th century changed Singapore and marked its milestones here — from its experimental beginnings and influence as a wartime medium, to how it changed and shaped the entertainment scene as well as the local communities. There will be a mock-up of a studio as well as displays and notes about the history of radio in Singapore, as well as a “Hall of Fame” featuring popular radio personalities.

Back in the 1950s for example, plays would often be broadcast on the radio, which helped literature students, said former principal of Hwa Chong Junior College Bernard Fong. “We were doing the play Macbeth and the text was dramatised over the radio. It was quite helpful because that helped us recall the scenes much more vividly than by just reading the text. That was quite valuable,” he said in an oral history interview with National Archives of Singapore.

During the 1960s, Radio Singapore started the Talentime competitions which were a platform for young musicians here to showcase their stuff. Bands, such as The Crescendos and The Quests, became popular by participating in these competitions.

“I remember every week we would listen to the Talentime to hear the bands play,” said retiree Richard Goh. “That was our entertainment back then.”

“These exhibitions aren’t just about celebrating radio, but also radio’s role in building community and bringing people together,” said Debra Soon, chairperson of the Radio 80 committee and head of the Family (English) and Premier segments at Mediacorp.

Not surprisingly, many of the radio DJs today were big fans of radio when they were growing up. “Radio has always been a part of my life, much like … air! It’s there every day. I liken it to my pillow: It’s always there for me, any time I need it and it gives me support and comfort and makes me feel at ease as a listener,” said DJ Lin Peifen, a DJ with Chinese radio station YES 933.

Her first solo stint at the station was hosting a night-time song dedication programme when she was in her final year at the Nanyang Technological University. “I had to juggle studies, school projects and being on radio. It was probably one of the craziest times of my life. Because I was staying in the hall at NTU, I had to travel all the way from Boon Lay to Caldecott and then back after 11pm to Boon Lay. It was tiring but very exciting. But I did it (because) I loved the job.”

CLASS 95 DJ Jean Danker had a similar experience. “I was a true radio nerd. I would sit in front of the radio and have it on all the time. I didn’t think about getting another job. I was going to be a radio jock,” she said.

Her most memorable moments are those that involve her listeners, said Danker, who has kept letters sent in by listeners from the 1990s, a couple of which will be on display at the exhibition. “It’s moments like when a listener thanks you for being on air. When I go out, listeners always come up and say hi, and they talk to you like you’re an old friend — even if I’ve never met them before,” she said. “These moments remind me that I’m connecting with my listeners. It’s a great compliment.”

Veteran radio DJ Brian Richmond also said his memorable experiences on radio were due to the rapport with listeners. “I remember one time, when I was doing the night shows, a lady phoned in, and she had lost her dog and was bawling. So I made an appeal as a favour over the air, you know, gave the contact and all that. I had my doubts about her finding her puppy but, believe it or not, someone contacted her and said ‘we found your dog’ because they heard my appeal,” he recalled.

“People love radio for its personal and portable nature. Our radio stations have thrived by focusing on listeners, and remaining informative and entertaining,” said Soon.

But while detractors may say that radio may go the way of the dinosaur, there are those who disagree. Undergraduate Wincie Tan, for example, said she tunes in to 987 because she not only likes the music they play, but also likes to listen to the DJs’ banter; whereas marketing executive Desmond Chee said he likes to listen to Lush 99.5FM because it plays “stuff that’s not mainstream” and “takes away some of the effort and time of trying to find new things on Spotify”.

That, said Lush 99.5FM DJ Elias Soh, is why radio makes a good complement to the new media. “I think more than anything, radio provides a more curatorial role. You can do a playlist on Spotify that sounds like Class 95, but you’re not going to get what The Muttons or Tim Oh can give you.”

“Radio is as relevant if not more. It is the only media that is still growing new audiences,” said Soon. “But it doesn’t mean that radio stays the same — it needs to innovate and engage the public. We will continue to adapt, so look forward to more innovations from us to take radio beyond 80 years.”

But despite being mass media, people say radio is also very “personal”. According to Danker, radio offers a certain intimate connection with people that she hasn’t always found elsewhere.

Her fellow DJ Yasminne Cheng, for example, recounted how she played counsellor and confidante to a divorcee who wrote letters to his ex-wife via her song dedication show. “After a few times, they finally got back together.” she said.

“Radio is a very personal medium, that’s probably why it’s still growing,” said Soon.

Richmond agreed: “It is a very personal and intimate medium (between the DJ and the audience). The reason why I’m still on radio is because of this relationship with the listeners.”

Celebrating Radio: Sounds From The Past runs from April 22 to July 17 at The Salon. In Tune With The Times runs from April 22 to May 15 at The Concourse, Level 1 and the Glass Atrium on Level 2. Both events are at the National Museum. Admission is free. For more details visit http://heritagefest.sg/events/celebrating-radio-sounds-from-the-past.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the Nanyang Technological University. We are sorry for the error.