DJ – Steve Taylor, “Stevie T”, “Jolly Orange”
| Audio: Show 1967 |
| Years of involvement: 1967 – 1973 |
Alias: Jolly Orange, Stevie T  |
| Home Location: Hadleigh & Southend-on-Sea, Essex |
| Types of involvement: Founder of Radio Kaleidoscope |
| Comment / History: |
| Steve was the founder of Radio Kaleidoscope he began broadcasting in 1967 at the age of 15yrs using home made equipment built by Reg Brand G2ANB. Steve converted the 10Watt top band transmitter for use on the Medium Wave band as Radio Free London.
When Radio Kaleidoscope was born Steve used a converted 50W 19-Set to start the station, his original DJ name was Stevie Tee however, due to his red hair and jovial mannerisms the other Disc Jockeys, namely “DJ Mr H” decided during broadcasts to call him”The Jolly Orange”, the name stuck despite Steve’s attempts to change the name fan mail and the press articles just kept rolling in always referring to him as the Jolly Orange.
Today using Barry’s assessments Steve’s DJ name would be “The Jolly Baldy”
From a very young age both Steve and Chris McCarthy had been keen radio enthusiasts they shared ideas and knowledge about how to repair old domestic radios and 405 television sets, they regularly visited Bill Fleming’s Radio Constructors center and Schoffrons Radio shop seeking advice and parts for their latest projects as well as regular cycle trips to the Southend radio club located at the EKCO Radio works, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea. In 1970 Steve formed the Pirates Protest League (PPL) in a bid to counter the Jamming of the offshore pirate stations. When Ted Heath was elected as Prime Minister in 1970 we all sent telegrams to him saying “Congrats Ted what about the jammer”. the Jamming stations were soon switched off. |
| Stations & Other Involvements: |
| Radio Caroline – Mi amigo Parts
Radio Free London (RFL) – DJ Name Stevie T. Radio Kaleidoscope – DJ Name Jolly Orange. Radio Universe – DJ Name Stevie T. Radio Kaleidoscope Road Show – Discophonic Discotheques. Radio Strass (Mayrhofen Austria) – DJ Name Stevie T. Essex Radio Road shows (Southend-on-Sea) – DJ Name Stevie T Essex Radio Engineering – Helped set-up / install the original outside-broadcast sites around the county and installed the antenna’s at the top of the lattice mast located on the roof of the original Essex Radio Clifftown Rd studios, Southend-on-Sea |
| Pictures & Documents: |
 DJ “Steve T” ” Jolly orange” age 15yrs – Founder of Radio Kaleidoscope 1967  Extract from Free Radio News 1969
Radio Kaleidoscope’s first transmitter a trusty 19-Set Model M408, SNo 65332 built at the EKCO radio works, Southend-on-Sea and heavily modified for use on MW by Steve in 1967
|
