These pages contain fascinating transcripts from Chairman’s Annual Reports from publicly available DevonAir Radio archive held at Companies House.

Here you can read the incredibly interesting picture of the rise and fall of this small, yet adventurous radio company.

As the years pass you can see how decisions were made and how, even through the company’s darker years, the Chairman of the day paints a relatively optimistic yet quite real picture.

Compare the genuine feeling of hope and optimism in 1980:

“There has been an immediate acceptance of our programmes which is clearly evidenced by the excellent survey statistics recently produced by Research Survey Great Britain (RSGB).   The audience penetration reach is 54% which compares favourably with the estimated 40% on which our rate-card was based. Our ever-growing reputation as a professional station is well deserved.   In an impressive opening phase a number of meritorious programmes were produced.”

Now in 1987 as Capital Radio move in:

“When I last wrote to the shareholders I reported that Capital Radio PLC had made an offer to acquire the authorised share capital of our company. I am pleased to report that the transition took place smoothly and consequently DevonAir is now wholly owned subsidiary of Capital.”

Then forward to 1993:

“It was with the total shock and disbelief that we learnt that The Radio Authority had purposely decided to ignore expressed local wishes and proven record and were offering the service to a company primarily supported by another station, which we believed to be, in all respects, much less successful than ourselves.”

October 2005 – Companies House states:

Name & Registered Office:
DEVONAIR RADIO LIMITED
30 LEICESTER SQUARE
LONDON
WC2H 7LA
Company No. 01417361

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 28/02/1979
Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
7499 – Non-trading company