Boom Radio’s celebration of 50 years of Commercial Radio
The arrival of commercial radio in towns and cities across the UK was a bright spot for listeners in the 1970s.
Capital Radio launched in October 1973, just a week after London’s LBC – the first in the chain of nineteen local stations launched across the UK through the decade.
On Sunday October 8th, we’ll be marking the anniversary with a day of special programmes featuring many of the voices you may have heard all those years ago. (Times BST)
6.00 Dave Jamieson – from the early days of Radio Clyde (Glasgow), BRMB (Birmingham) and Mercia (Coventry).
7.00 Phil Fothergill – from early Swansea Sound and Radio Orwell (Ipswich).
8.00 Dave Marshall – part of the launch team at Radio Clyde (Glasgow) and long-time breakfast presenter.
9.00 Michael Aspel OBE and Graham Dene are reunited (Capital Radio, London). Michael was Capital’s big name morning show host 1974-1984, whilst Graham Dene hosted the breakfast show.
10.00 Les Ross MBE – first voice on Radio Tees (Stockton-on-Tees) and 27 breakfast years on BRMB in Birmingham.
12.00 The Vintage Charts with John Peters – playing the countdown from this week in the commercial radio launch year of ’73 – plus ’75, the year he launched Radio Trent (Nottingham).
2.00 Mike Read – early voice from Radio 210 (Reading), later BBC Radio 1.
3.00 Three O’Clock Thrill. From the archive, the voice of Capital’s late, great Roger Scott.
3.20 Roger Day – first voice on Piccadilly Radio (Manchester) in ’74.
4.00 Susie Mathis – early voice from Piccadilly Radio (Manchester) and lead singer with the Paper Dolls (Something Here in My Heart).
5.00 Nicky Horne – early voice from Your Mother Wouldn’t Like It on Capital Radio (London).
6.00 Len Groat – early voice from Swansea Sound, Metro Radio (Newcastle), Piccadilly Radio (Manchester) and Radio Trent (Nottingham).
7.00 John Rosborough – early voice from Downtown Radio (Belfast).
8.00 Keith Skues – first programme controller at Radio Hallam (Sheffield), having been the second ever presenter heard on BBC Radio 1.
9.00 Gillian Reynolds – first programme controller at Radio City (Liverpool) in conversation with Phil Riley (BRMB).
10.00 Bill Bingham – early voice from Radio City (Liverpool), Radio Trent (Nottingham) and LBC (London).
https://www.boomradiouk.com/fifty-years-of-commercial-radio/
Mike Terry (2023-10-06)