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{{Short description|English radio station}}
'''6BM''' was a local [[radio station]] broadcast by the [[British Broadcasting Company]] (later the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]]). The station transmitted from its studio in [[Bournemouth]] above a pram and cycle shop at 72 Holdenhurst Road. It could be heard up to about 25 miles (40&nbsp;km) away.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2022-10-17 |title=Plaque commemorates site of Bournemouth's first BBC radio station |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-63281861 |access-date=2023-01-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Seán |title=The Scent of Pines on the Air |url=https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/celebrating-centenary-bbc-our-work-creative-industries/question-of-anniversaries |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.bournemouth.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>
It was launched on 17 October 1923 and its first programme, at 8 pm, was the Bournemouth Municipal Military Band conducted by Captain W. Featherston.
Addresses were given by the mayor of Bournemouth, C H Cartwright (introduced by [[John Reith, 1st Baron Reith|John Reith]], General Manager of the BBC) and [[Harry Levy-Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham|Viscount Burnham]] (introduced by [[Jack Pease, 1st Baron Gainford|Lord Gainford]], chairman of the BBC).<ref>{{Cite web |title=6BM Schedule, 17 October 1923 - BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_rt_6bm/1923-10-17 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
It was the last of the 8 original stations set up by the BBC, other stations included [[2BE Belfast|2BE]] and [[2LO]].
The phrase 'We do hope you can smell the pines', referring to the well known pine trees of the resort of Bournemouth, was the original call sign of the station. It was described by Lord Reith as 'the jewel in the crown of the BBC.'<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 February 2007 |title=6BM Calling - 'We Do Hope You Can Smell the Pines' |url=https://assets.bournemouth.ac.uk/news-archive/newsandevents/Events/janfebmar07/6bm_calling.html |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=assets.bournemouth.ac.uk}}</ref>
The station closed in June 1939 and two months later, with the outbreak of [[World War II]], all local stations were consolidated into the [[BBC Home Service|Home Service]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=6BM Schedule, 13 June 1939 - BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_rt_6bm/1939-06-13 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
A [[blue plaque]] was unveiled on the site of the former studio in 2022 to mark 99 years since the station began.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Matt |date=21 October 2022 |title=Why there is a new blue plaque in Bournemouth - and what it's commemorating |url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/23060439.blue-plaque-unveiled-bournemouth-celebrating-bbc-radio/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=Bournemouth Echo |language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{BBC Radio|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Radio stations in England]]