The people of Anguilla, across the 35-square-mile territory, should no longer experience difficulty in tuning in to Radio Anguilla to hear its much-improved information and progamme broadcasts.
The Government-owned station, formally known as the Department of Information and Broadcasting, has now commissioned a brand new state-of-the-art transmitter at the island’s historic Crocus Hill. The equipment is housed in a section of a small concrete building which also accommodates, in the other section, equipment operated by the Department of Information Technology & E-Government Services (DITES) on behalf of itself and several other Government departments and offices.
Both Radio Anguilla’s and DITES’ transmitters are linked to the nearby communications large tower taking their signals across the island. Three circular antennas, on the southern side of the tower, are owned by Radio Anguilla. The station’s transmitter was purchased by the Government of Anguilla at an affordable cost of US$11,000 from its manufacturers in the United States.
The FM transmitter has an output capacity of 3,000 kilowatts. However, it is presently operating at 1,700 kilowatts, making the station more powerful than the other FM stations on the island, except the Caribbean Beacon.
Meanwhile, substantial renovation work is in progress at the studios of Radio Anguilla and other sections of its broadcasting house. The work is being funded under the UK Anguilla Programme.
Following that, new equipment, purchased by the Government of Anguilla, will be installed in the studios to enhance the production of the station’s news and current affairs programmes.
All of this is a most welcome improvement as Radio Anguilla celebrates its Fiftieth Anniversary.