LM Radio

The first radio station in Mozambique began broadcasting on shortwave and AM on 18 March 1933, but suspended transmissions for a while in 1934 owing to a shortage of money. A South African, G. J. McHarry became involved, and in 1935 Rádio Clube de Moçambique was launched, broadcasting mostly in English. In 1947, Colonel Richard L. Meyer, who prior to World War II was General Manager of the International Broadcasting Company of London, together with John Davenport formed Davenport and Meyer and took over the management of Lourenço Marques Radio. The station recruited David Davies to run the station and he, together with another announcer, David Gordon, were the first two announcers on the new commercial station. David Gordon left in 1950 to join the staff of Springbok Radio. In 1948 LM Radio moved into a new purpose built 4-storey building which became known as the "Radio Palace". The station started producing variety shows in front of live audiences. "Anything Goes" hosted by Peter Merrill and recorded in 1948 at the 20th Century Theatre in Johannesburg was one of the first South African radio variety shows. In the late 1950s the station underwent a major format change to cater for the younger generation who were not being catered for in South Africa by the state owned SABC. LM Radio was renowned for its Top Twenty chart show, the LM Hit Parade, and played a major role in promoting South African artists and their music. LM Radio lost much of its sparkle when it was taken over by the SABC in 1972. On 7 September 1974 the station was occupied during a bloody uprising in Lourenço Marques and the administration of the station was taken over by the Frelimo army. On 12 October 1975, following Moçambican independence from Portugal in June of that year, LM Radio facilities were nationalised and the station closed down on 13 October 1975. It was replaced in South Africa by Radio 5, later known as 5FM.[2]

"And now, wherever you are, in the Transvaal, Natal, Orange Free State, the Cape, Southwest Africa or Rhodesia [...] greetings. And to you, to you, and especially to you, vaya con Dios", so went David Davies' farewell message at the end of a broadcast.

After an absence of more than 34 years, a new LM Radio, opened in Maputo. On Christmas Eve 2009, a voice that had last been heard on the airwaves three decades earlier returned with an emotion-filled announcement. "This is LM Radio, Mozambique’s English-language music station", it said. "We are back after a break of 34 years. I’m Peter de Nobrega. I made the closing announcement on LM Radio on 12 October 1975 and it gives me great pleasure to make the opening announcement on this historic day in 2009". The broadcast licence was granted on 20 September 2010. It is Mozambique's only English-language broadcaster.[3] The station's official name is "Lifetime Music Radio" and the slogan is "Happy Listening".[4] LM Radio broadcasts on 87.8 FM in Maputo and surrounding areas including Matola, on 87.8 FM in Ponta do Ouro, and on 702 kHz MW in Gauteng South Africa and on satellite in Southern Africa and webstreaming.[5]

In early 2014 LM Radio was granted a licence to broadcast in Gauteng on 702 kHz on AM.[6] This date has changed to the first 6 months of 2015 due to the company Sentech not being able to deliver the transmitters and towers on time and due to the shareholders of LM Radio not being able to get the necessary finances to pay for the transmitters and launch the station in SA. Test transmissions on 702 kHz from the Welgedacht transmitter site commenced during the first week of April 2017.

• Official website of the current station
• Historical website covering the pre-1975 era
• Original building in Maputo as it looked in 2011