6BM was a localradio station broadcast by theBritish Broadcasting Company (later theBritish Broadcasting Corporation). The station transmitted from its studio inBournemouth above a pram and cycle shop at 72 Holdenhurst Road. It could be heard up to about 25 miles (40 km) away.[1][2]
It was launched on 17 October 1923 and its first programme, at 8 pm, was the Bournemouth Municipal Military Band conducted by Captain W. Featherston.
Addresses were given by the mayor of Bournemouth, C H Cartwright (introduced byJohn Reith, General Manager of the BBC) andViscount Burnham (introduced byLord Gainford, chairman of the BBC).[3]
It was the last of the 8 original stations set up by the BBC, other stations included2BE and2LO.
The phrase 'We do hope you can smell the pines', referring to the well known pine trees of the resort of Bournemouth, was the original call sign of the station. It was described by Lord Reith as 'the jewel in the crown of the BBC.'[4]
The station closed in June 1939 and two months later, with the outbreak ofWorld War II, all local stations were consolidated into theHome Service.[1][5]
Ablue plaque was unveiled on the site of the former studio in 2022 to mark 99 years since the station began.[6]
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