How Did We Get Here?

The Media Zoo evolved from a show called the Satellite Surgery that Eric Wiltsher presented, and Dave joined in the early 90's (supposedly to answer the phones and be quiet in the background) sadly the quiet bit didn't last long and he was soon mixing the audio, creating the idents and being dragged into conversations! 

The "Surgery" was predominantly a talk show about the growing world of Satellite TV in the UK and Europe and gave techie advice to consumers.

With new technology at it’s heart, and there being no mistake of the teams fondness for off-shore watery wireless, it was inevitable Eric would be labelled an Anorak, It became even more so when the show was invaded by Colin Dale, Warren Street and Russell Square also known as the band The Anoraks! The show turned into chaos but it was great fun! - you can see some photos from the night right here!

As the time went on and with the increased interest in the internet, DAB and other technology, the name of the show really didn't do what it said on the tin, so it was time for a re-brand and The Media Zoo was born!

Media Zoo was a weekly satellite radio show hosted by Eric Wiltsher and Dave Rhodes, it was broadcast during the mid to late 90's to the whole of Europe via the Astra Satellite on CMR (Country Music Radio for Europe) and later on MNO (Merlin Network One). Eric was the main host, and Dave was the studio engineer/co-host/producer/tea maker etc etc (he was pushing all the buttons for the want of a better way of putting it!) and trying desperately to keep Eric in line (and usually failing!) there were lots of other contributors as well dropping in including Christopher, Laura, Jody, Dr Ray, Lee and Jennifer to name a few. We would love to say that the show was organised chaos, however there was little organisation and total chaos!

There were guests every week, fitted around regular features that included Howard Rose from the Radio Magazine with weekly updates on what was happening in the radio world, as well as In Orbit News (an Audio version of a Teletext news service available on UK Gold TV) and the Media Zoo Powerplay - A track that Eric or Dave liked that week!

The photos of Eric and Dave on this page were the ones that appeared on the Media Zoo website back in the 90's - Don't they both look young! - Sadly time has not done either of them any favours!

After the weekend in Holland, before we flew back to the UK, Dave was taken to see the The MV Communicator (The old Laser 558 Ship) in Holland. Here are his photos that he took on that visit.

At the time the ship was owned by Veronica Hit Radio in Holland, but will always be known to me and a whole lot of other people as the home of 'All Europe Radio' - Laser 558.

But enough of the reading, it was radio, so below are a couple of promos, and Ident's from the Media Zoo that we have found lying around from about 1998, and below that we delve further back with a couple of bits from The Satellite Surgery from 1995!

Over the years Eric and Dave have got up to a whole lot of adventures, probably enough to write a book! - one of which was the infrequent appearance of “TESUG TV” and “Satellite Festival”

Satellite Festival or TESUG TV was an opportunity for Satellite Surgery / Media Zoo to become a TV Channel for a day or two! - The first time from the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station - a radio communications site on Goonhilly Downs near the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. Other shows followed over the years, from The British Telecom satellite earth station, in London Docklands, The Satellite Shop TSS in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands, and at Molinare TV Studios and Post Production in London.

All of these specials were created with the help of a huge group of people, and to every single one of those people we say a HUGE THANK YOU!

Here are some photos from our time at The Satellite Shop TSS in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands.

ID: 1st Media Zoo Intro (Played only on 1st Media Zoo)

ID: Intro Mix

ID: Smell The Wildlife

ID: Show with Attitude - I Don't Think!

ID: Eric The Engineer

ID: My Dish Has Fallen Off!

ID: Eric & Dave - Gimmie a Break!

Promo: Various Long

Promo: Topless Wireless

Promo: Dr Ray

Promo: Dave Come Back

ID Montage featuring Eric's Daughter Caroline.

Satellite Surgery Theme: Kick Start Full Version

ID: The Anoraks

ID: Your In Orbit with...

ID: Surgery Trek

ID: Wilties World Of Wireless

ID: Spoof Birthday News Headlines

Filmed in the Summer of ‘97, Eric & Dave visit the Radio Caroline Ship The Ross Revenge and Meet up with Peter Moore.

Eric learns to line dance with Stella Wilden in the Sat Fest 98 studio... What could possibly go wrong??

To close Satellite Festival 1998, on the Sunday evening, We showed the top 3 Video highlights of the weekend (They are cut out of this video but will be coming soon!)

Some of the 4:3 Graphics from Sat Fest 98, & Media Zoo. These are the Original files from 1998 that were made slowly on a home PC!

Back in 1993, to promote Cartoon Network, Eric Interviewed Joseph Barbera of Hanna Barbera fame on the Satellite Surgery! – Sit back and listen to Joe and Eric as he talks about how he got into animation as well as how Tom and Jerry came about! Sadly Joe passed away in December 2006.

Back in 1993 Eric Interviewed Jean Vander Pyl on the Satellite Surgery, you would know Jean better as the voice of Wilma Flintstone, as well as many other voices from Hanna Barbera cartoons, sit back and listen to some behind the scenes secrets including how Fred’s “Yabba Dabba Do!” came about! . Sadly Jean passed away in April 1999