DevonAir Radio had fantastic studios in Torquay at Harbour Point. Technically it was a copy of the Control One, Studio One facilities in Exeter. The Harbour Point studios were used mainly for programmes transmitted to Torbay and South Devon although they had the capacity to network live programmes across both areas as well as split and network advertising feeds (this page is being further researched and developed).
Output from DevonAir Radio in Torbay began on December 12th 1980 and marked the beginning of the world’s first twinned radio station.
Torbay Historian, Mike Holgate, looks at the history of the Harbour Point building:
“In 1919 Kelly’s Directory of Devonshire, the building was listed as a restaurant run by Haarer & Son.
By 1923 it was listed as the St James Hotel run by Mr C. E. Haarer. A ballroom was added which opened in November 1929.
It remained the St James Hotel until 1939 at which time it was owned by James Whitwell (Torquay Ltd) whose office shared the premises.
During the Second World War the premises were used as a billet for a RAF Air Sea Rescue unit, then sold in 1946.
By 1948 the building consisted of St James Chambers and seven flats.
The 400 Ballroom occupied at least part of the building by 1947.
In June 1975, the Herald Express reported that ‘the former 400 ballroom’ was being renovated after a year of dereliction, to form a luxury entertainments centre.
This continued with the same name until becoming the Ritzy night club in about 1987.
Sometime after the Millennium it became a club for teenagers still operating as Route 66.
The Sunday Independent 26 April 1981 reported that a fourth floor luxury harbour side flat had been converted into a studio by DevonAir who had taken it over on a 25 year lease. Managing Director Maurice Vass compared the magnificent view with three other radio stations in Las Vegas, Sydney and Monte Carlo (© Mike Holgate)”.
