FIFTY 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 marked the anniversary with a day of special programmes featuring many of the voices you may have heard all those years ago.

You can catch up on these programmes here until next Sunday October 15th

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).