LBC – Where News Comes First

This Sunday commercial radio will mark its 50^th anniversary on the day that LBC launched in London, with Capital Radio coming along eight days later.

Courtesy of Joseph McTaggart here are some signed LBC presenter photo cards dating from the late 1980s (based on the logo) plus this mid-80s card featuring Brian Hayes. 

Brian moved from Capital, where he’d been producing Capital Open Line and their General election coverage, in 1976 to host LBC’s mid-morning phone-in. He left for BBC Radio 2 in 1990 but was back on London News Talk in 1994.  

In the 1970s Douglas Cameron’s voice was one of the most recognised and most frequently heard across the ILR stations reading the morning IRN bulletins. Cameron had moved to IRN from Radio 4’s Today programme in 1974. Mainly associated with breakfast shows, including the AM Programme with Bob Holness, but from 1996 on drive and then lunchtime before retiring in 2003.  

In 8 October 2013 Douglas Cameron made a one-off return to read the 8am news during Nick Ferrari’s show.

Clive Bull is the only broadcaster in this card collection still on LBC after over 30 years. Clive will be on air this anniversary weekend at 1am.

After previous radio work at Clyde and Radio 2 Steve Jones joined LBC in the late 80s.

Therese Birch was with LBC from the mid-70s initially presenting Jellybone for younger listeners. She was on London News Radio and the revived LBC in 1996.  

After a long radio career at Radio Luxembourg and BBC Radio 2 Pete Murray joined LBC in 1984, continuing to appear on the station until 2002.   

Henry Kelly had two stints at LBC either side of his time at Classic FM (1992-2003).

Mike Allen joined LBC from Capital in 1987. Left in 1994 and was later on Talk Radio and Talk Sport. Died in 2015.

Sue Jameson joined LBC from Radio City. She was LBC’s Arts Editor and heard on LBC Reports. Moscow correspondent for LBC 1989-96 before joining ITV at GMTV, later Daybreak and GMB.

Staying with ILR, from 1992 comes this interview with John Whitney about how he co-founded the Local Radio Association and became the first MD of Capital Radio. John is talking to Sunday Times radio critic Paul Donovan for the Radio 2 Arts Programme on 2 February 1992.

This Sunday Boom Radio will be celebrating the anniversary with some voices from the early days of ILR: Dave Jamieson, Phil Fothergill, Dave Marshall, Michael Aspel and Graham Dene, Les Ross, John Peters, Mike Read, Roger Day, Susie Mathis, Len Groat, John Rosborough, Keith Skues, Gillian Reynolds and Bill Bingham.