The History of Victory
About Victory
The Radio Victory Story Timeline
1975 - The Legend begins! (14th October)
Tuesday, 14th October 1975, radio history crackled to life in the South of England as Glenn Richards took to the airwaves for the very first broadcast of Radio Victory on 257 MW from Portsmouth. The station opened with a touch of California sunshine — Everything That Touches You (1968) by the LA folk band, The Association — setting the perfect mood for a new era in local radio. From then on, listeners could catch The Glenn Richards Show every weekday at 1:15 PM, tuning in to a fresh, friendly voice that helped define the sound of the region.
1975 - Fort Widley (14th October)
Our Stereo transmitter was situated at Fort Widley and could be heard on 95.0Mhz. Our AM transmitter was based at Farlington Marshes and could be heard on 257M, which originally was 1169kHz, but later changed to 1170 kHz.
1982 - War & Victory 24/7 (2nd April)
The Falklands War started in this year and with a nation at war, Victory kept the music alive along with regular updates as the event unfolded with 24/7 broadcasting.
1986 - Radio Victory Ceased (28th June)
In 1985, the Independent Broadcasting Authority failed to renew the station’s licence and it ceased broadcasting in June 1986, despite a local campaign to save it.
The final programme was presented by Chris Carnegy, and the last song played was Neil Sedaka’s “Our Last Song Together” (1973) — a fitting choice for the station’s farewell. As the song ended, the chimes of Portsmouth Guildhall clock rang out a 12-bell salute at midday, marking the final moments of broadcasting. The closing words also came from Chris Carnegy, “…for 10 years, 257 days this has been Radio Victory”.
The station then formally signed off with words from Joe Case of “Television Parlour”, bringing an emotional close to a decade of local radio in Portsmouth.
Fratton Road in Portsmouth was jammed solid with traffic, drivers blaring their horns in tribute as the airwaves fell silent.
Victory was the first ILR station to lose its franchise.
1994 - Victory FM & Portsmouth 800 (18th May) - 1st RSL
Victory FM launched in 1994. It was the 1st RSL from the Guildhall at 101.1Mhz. To coincide with the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth’s special project and to mark the 800th birthday of the City of Portsmouth and the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Radio Victory was given a new lease of life. For 28 days, we broadcast from our studios in the ‘Heart of the City’ as Victory FM. The radio station was a unique service providing the city with its own voice during this amazing event.
Later that year, a second 28-day broadcast aired from the former Bradford & Bingley building on Kingston Crescent, leading up to Christmas 1994 on 105.4FM.
1995 - Easter and the May Bank Holiday (18th April - 16th May) - 2nd RSL
In 1995, a second 28-day RSL station broadcast from Kingston Crescent over Easter and the May Bank Holiday. It marked the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and gave Portsmouth its own radio station during April and May.
1995 (14th November) - 3rd RSL
Radio Victory returned as a full-time cable radio service on 95.6MHz and Channel 42 on Nynex TV, broadcasting 24 hours a day from Media House, Twyford Avenue. The first voice heard was Carolyne Jayne Munroe (CJ), just as it had been at the station’s original launch in 1975, under the leadership of Managing Director, Mark Samways and Programming Director, CJ Munroe.
1996 - 4th RSL (27th November)
To compliment our cable service, our 4th RSL and the first, Radio Victory, came from Media House, Twyford Avenue. It was on 106.6Mhz. Radio Victory expanded through further RSLs to complement the cable service. The fourth RSL (and first using the Radio Victory name) aired from 27th November to 25th December 1996 on 106.6 FM.
1997 - 5th RSL
Portsmouth held the Special Olympics from the 28th June until 5th July. Over 2,000 athletes were competing. During this time, we broadcasted our 5th RSL and our 2nd as Radio Victory from Media House.
1999 - Full-time FM Licence Awarded (19th September)
This progress resulted in Radio Victory successfully being awarded a full-time FM licence, and on 19th September 1999 the station launched permanently on 107.4FM, marking its return to the Portsmouth airwaves. Shortly after securing its FM position, the station was acquired by TLRC (The Local Radio Company).
2021 - Victory Online Launched (18th February)
On 18th February, the Victory name triumphantly returned with the launch of Victory Online — a brand-new station built for the digital age. Founded by radio veterans including Bob Bruce and Phil Reed, and inspired by the late Mark Samways, the new station set out to recapture the warmth, humour, and community focus that had defined the original.
Beginning with Neil Crespin - the last show presenter of Radio Victory before it closed in 1986 - announcing the rebirth of Victory as a new modern online service able to reach people around the world!
Broadcasting online, on smart speakers, and through apps, Victory Online quickly attracted a loyal audience — many of whom had grown up with the original. It mixed classic hits with local features, news, and interviews, proving that community-driven radio still had a place in the modern media landscape.
2022 - DAB+ & Digital revolution! (1st April)
On 1st April 2022, Victory Online expanded onto DAB+ digital radio in Portsmouth through the Solent Wireless multiplex — marking its first true broadcast presence in decades.
The Solent Wireless multiplex had been broadcasting for over 5 years and Victory became an OFCOM licensed station, adding to the choice of stations.
Gary Champion got things underway from 7AM that morning.
2023 - Reaching out even further
By 2023, the station had extended coverage further via a second multiplex in Winchester, strengthening its reach across the South.
2025 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! (14th October)
50 years ago to this very day, the legend was born and is STILL going strong. The star-studded gala celebration took place at The Gaiety Bar on the seafront at Southsea. With a variety of music from some of our own current presenters, including Bob Bruce and Shep Wooley and former presenter and TV music sensation Amba Tremain. A wonderful time was had by all who attended.
Whatever the future brings, Victory will be there bringing all the news, views, reviews and banging tunes!
Here's to the next 50 years at Radio Victory!
From FM transmitters to online streams, from 1975 to 2025, Radio Victory’s story is one of resilience. It’s proof that while radio waves may fade, a city’s love for its local station never truly dies.
Interesting Facts!
From early 2000 the ‘Radio’ in Radio Victory 107.4 was dropped and the new name of Victory 107.4 was what we became known for. Various incantations of this iconic radio station soon came to light. From being renamed ‘The Quay’ and with Portsmouth Football Club taking full ownership from TLRC in 2009, the station closed down in 2010 when the the club went into administration. Celador Radio soon bought the station in July 2010 becoming ‘The Breeze’. In 2019 Bauer acquired ‘The Breeze’ becoming part of the ‘Greatest Hits Network’.
 | Radio Victory Logo 1975 rv2logo.jpg | image/jpeg | 17 KBytes |
 | Fort Widley FortWidley.jpg | image/jpeg | 5 MBytes |
 | Falklands Falkands.jpg | image/jpeg | 53 KBytes |
 | Radio Victory & Portsmouth 800 Portsmouth800.png | image/png | 340 KBytes |
 | Victory FM cable Logo VictoryFM_Logo.png | image/png | 923 KBytes |