The program "Revolutionary Broadcasts," broadcast on "Kol Hai" radio, tells the historical and documentary story of the Haredi pirate radio stations - starting with the first Haredi pirate radio station, "Channel 2000" by Rabbi Moshe Ben Lulu, passing through "Channel Ten" by Rabbi Elbaz, and then the radio stations "Kol HaNeshma" and "Kol HaAmet" by Shmuel Ben Atar.
The last program, the video clips and photos from which are attached here, focused on the Haredi radio station 'Kol Simcha', the station managed and directed by Rabbi Nathan Burstein and Daniel Ben Eliezer-Yom Tov, which was established in Jerusalem to provide a radio solution that would appeal only to a Haredi audience.
During the broadcasts on Kol Hai radio, exactly at the point where the interviewees were repeating stories about the boycott of transmitters on other stations, the power went out in the studio and the broadcast was cut off for several minutes. The event is documented in the attached video clip.
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The radio station 'Kol Simcha' played Hasidic music most of the day, and during the morning hours the radio broadcast Halacha and moral programs. Over the years the station was upgraded, and current affairs programs were also introduced.
The station was established in the city gates buildings in Jerusalem. Ulpania was the flagship of the Haredi radio studios. The studios were built by Guy Tobul and Ben-Ari Boaz. It was the first station to have a broadcast room with a separation window in the middle and a technician for the entire broadcast process. The station, which engraved quality on its banner, broadcast from the first day it went on the air in 'stereo' quality, compared to all the pirate stations that broadcast in mono.
Over the years, with the upgrade, after it was established and broadcast on frequency 103.5 in the Jerusalem area and surrounding areas only, the station expanded and began broadcasting to the entire central region and to the Haredi concentrations in Safed, on additional frequencies.
Despite the station's activities, it was never exposed by the Ministry of Communications, and no transmitters were ever confiscated or broadcasters were ever caught while working.
All employees at the station worked all their years of work as volunteers without pay, and all donations that came to the radio station were dedicated to improving and expanding the quality of the broadcast and the station's content.
Many of today's Haredi radio broadcasters were among the graduates of this station: among the employees at the station, I will list here the names that I remember today.
Meni Gira (Kav HaChashipot), Israel Berger (Radio Geula), Daniel Ben Eliezer, Nathan Bornstein, Rabbi Aleichem Dvoraks, David Stitzer, Guy Tovol, Ben Ari Boaz, Moti Lavie, Yossi Weiner Vilnai, Israel Black, Ariel Berman, Avi Blumenthal, Zvika Salomon (the graphic designer), Shlomo Rosenstein, member of the Jerusalem City Council, Yeshurun Turgeman, Ronen Turgeman, Rabbi Aharon Yirchi, Rabbi Schlesinger, rabbi of the Gilo neighborhood in Jerusalem, Gvirtz, Yaakov Grossbard, Tapiro, Sava Michael, David Ben Reuven, Shraga Hoffman, VP of the Ihuha, and many more.
