And Now on Radio 4 - Part 1

They are the voice of the station. Seamlessly linking the programmes, providing the programme trails and reading the news bulletins and shipping forecasts.  Ever present since the start of Radio 4 in 1967 I'm celebrating the voices -some familiar, some now long-forgotten - of the team of announcers that have graced the airwaves in the intervening fifty years.

Before introducing you to the just shy of 200 men and women who've appeared on Radio 4 - the split, incidentally, is about 63% male, 37% female - time for a little history.

When Radio 4 replaced the Home Service on 30 September 1967 it was pretty much business as usual. "This is Radio 4, the Home Service" would be the opening announcement at the start of the day's broadcasting for many years. When David Dunhill famously closed down the Home Service on the Friday evening - "so goodbye Home Service, two of the best words in the British language" - it was also his voice that woke listeners to the new service the following morning, though sadly no recording exists of that piece of broadcasting history. So a good few of the names on this list would have been heard on the Home Service, and indeed the Light and Third Programme, as announcers were not tied to any particular network. For instance, on that opening morning Bruce Wyndham was reading the news, someone more likely to have been heard over on the Light and then Radio 2 as the regular host of Saturday's Breakfast Special.

Continuity studio desk (Thanks to Steve Bowbrick for the photo)

At the time of the network changeover the announcers on all the national stations reported to the Head of Presentation, David Lloyd-James. His Deputy was the rather better known Andrew Timothy; he'd announced on The Goon Show before Wallace Greenslade took over and was the father of actor Christopher Timothy. These posts ceased to exist from 1972 when the team was carved up between three Presentation Editors: Jimmy Kingsbury for Radios 1 & 2, Cormac Rigby on Radio 3 and Jim Black on Radio 4. (Although Radios 1 & 2 had employed James Fisher as a Presentation Editor from 1969, it was he who took on a young Noel Edmonds to join the promotions team presenting trailers and on-air competitions). The result of all this is that from the early 70s onwards we see an increase in the dedicated team of staff on Radio 4; familiar voices such as Peter Donaldson, Peter Jefferson, Edward Cole, John Marsh, Laurie MacMillan and Pauline Bushnell all joined at that time.  

It was Jim Black who introduced Sailing By as the buffer before the Shipping Forecast and engaged Fritz Spiegl, whom he'd worked with at BBC Radio Merseyside, to compose the short-lived Radio 4 jingles and the rather longer-lived Radio 4 Theme.

In the mid-70s the Announcers' Common Room (Room 2091 in the Broadcasting House Extension) was located immediately above the Control Room where the Continuity Suites were located, and one floor below the Newsroom where the bulletins came from in Studios 3A, 3B and 3C. Broadcaster Tony Barnfield, who was working for radio 3 Presentation at the time, told me that there was some confusion over the announcer's in-trays when both Tom Edwards (over on Radio 2) and weather forecaster Barbara Edwards were temporarily working on Radio 4, and that famously some wag had scrawled 'Master' over Simon Bates's name.

Recalling his early days as a BBC announcer, Peter Donaldson, speaking to Simon Elmes in 2007, seemed to suggest that high jinks in and out the studio was not uncommon. "There was ... fun and games and a certain degree of irresponsibility which you probably wouldn't get away with now! Several of us would be in the BBC Club and one of us was supposed to be on duty, but there were coins tossed to see who would go on and read the next summary ... and the one after that and possibly the one after that!"

Ray Moore, also an announcer for a while (and featuring on this list), wrote about the variety of roles that were undertaken. "I took ownership of my pigeon hole in the Broadcasting House common room, my name sandwiched between Roger Moffat and Alexander Moyes, and got down to work. It was a varied life, reading the news and Today in Parliament on Radio 4, occasionally introducing a symphony concert from the old Farringdon hall, and even hosting a talent show on Radio 1 on Sunday afternoons."

In compiling this list, just to complicate matters, alongside the staff announcers there were a host of people on secondment, freelancers or folk just getting a try-out. Hopefully I've captured most of their names. In more recent years the situation has become a little more fluid again, announcers just as likely to be heard reading the news over on Radio 3 or the World Service and, of course, providing the pre-recorded links on Radio 4 Extra. 

Chris Aldridge (Photo by Steve Bowbrick)

So how do you become an announcer and what do they actually do. To kick things off here's what Radio 4's Senior Announcer Chris Aldridge had to tell me:

In my view the role of the Radio 4 announcer is that of a trusted guide and companion to the listener; he or she is there to lead the listener through our schedule and experience the programmes with them. When seeking new announcers I look for several qualities in a person:

• a love of Radio 4 and a passion to share it with others
• a clear broadcasting voice and demonstrable experience at local or national level
• the ability to write good promotional links, often under time pressure
• considerable technical experience.

Since I joined the Radio 4 team in the mid-1990s there have been significant changes to the job brought on by the emergence of digital technology, the expansion of the Radio 4 schedule and the need for the BBC to operate as efficiently as possible. The biggest change came in 2006 when the Radio 4 Continuity studio became self-operational, and the announcers took over all technical responsibilities.

Another significant event came in 2012 when the BBC newsroom in London moved from TV Centre in Wood Lane to New Broadcasting House in Portland Place; this meant that the Continuity and news studios were now in the same building and allowed us to make more effective use of announcers on duty. If you’re a keen listener you’ll spot that – at certain times of the day – the newsreader pops up in Continuity to read some links as well as the news summary; this means their Continuity colleague is most likely heading for the staff restaurant or taking the air in W1A!

Both the above changes have meant that we’ve been able reduce our costs whilst maintaining live Continuity throughout the Radio 4 schedule. Whilst the work involves shifts starting as early as 0430 or finishing as late as 0100 and, of course, includes weekends, it still feels a great privilege to be at the helm of the best speech station in the world.

Chris's mention of the move from TV Centre back to the newly expanded Broadcasting House is interesting as it marks one of the changes in recent years in the way the presentation team covers the day on Radio 4. It was in 1998 under John Birt's plans for bi-media working that radio's news and current affairs teams found themselves camped out in TV Centre. Consequently all the Radio 4 bulletins were read from TVC with the sole exception of the 12 noon news on long wave which was read at Broadcasting House. As the announcer went on to read the 12.01 Shipping Forecast he/she would undertake the network split from a self-op studio.

4th floor for Radio 4 Presentation
at Broadcasting House

The controversial axing of the UK Theme in April 2006 and the introduction of News Briefing dispensed with the need for a separate announcer to open up the station. Instead whoever was on the morning newsreading shift faded out the World Service, handed over to a Met Office forecaster for the Shipping Forecast, read the News Briefing and then covered the Today news bulletins. A separate continuity shift didn't start until 9 am.

Announcers like Charlotte Green missed the old station start-up: "For me there was a sense of excitement, if that doesn't sound too stupid. You were right there at the beginning with these very tried-and-trusted formulas, the Shipping Forecast and the Radio 4 theme tune. I really remember the sense of excitement - the day starting afresh, the Today programme was coming up..."

At the opposite end of the day Diana Speed, writing in 2009 explained how the evening shifts work: "Two of us work the late shift up until midnight. During that time we provide cover and most importantly support for each other, because now that we are self operating we put the programmes to air on our own. If for any reason something were to go wrong, one of us would be telling you - whilst the other announcer would be fielding phone calls or sourcing a different piece of audio to play - should a programme have to be abandoned for technical reasons. By midnight though, we call time on one announcer, and the other is left to manage the network alone until one o'clock".

When the newsroom moved back to central London in 2012 the presentation team was slimmed down and two of the network's best-known voices, Harriet Cass and Charlotte Green, took voluntary redundancy. Around the same time two other long-serving announcers, Peter Donaldson and Alice Arnold, left the station.

Here are three audio perspectives on the art  of announcing, accurately reading a bulletin and not crashing the pips. First, from 21 June 1992, comes this report from The Radio Programme taking you through a typical day with Jenny Lane, Brian Perkins, Peter Donaldson and Mairead Devlin.

Feedback's Roger Bolton went behind the scenes of Radio 4 continuity and spoke to Operations Assistant Caroline Adams (now Scheduling Co-ordinator, Transmission and Delivery) and announcer Corrie Corfield in this edition from 15 June 2012.

The perils of the technology failing and getting the pronunciation right are dealt with by Zeb Soanes in another edition of Feedback from 7 February 2014.  

Technical Information

This list couldn't have been compiled without the help of David Mitchell. David first contacted me back in 2012 telling me that he'd started noting the names of Home Service newsreaders in 1964. Over the last couple of years we've gradually built up a picture of who's appeared on-air over the Radio 4's five decades.   Armed with David's information plus my own notes we've come up with 199 names. The only possible gap in our combined knowledge is the early 1980s (roughly mid-1981 to April 1985). So if we've missed you out I apologise. If you want to be added, or you know of a missing name, please email me.

I've only included announcers working 'normal' shifts. So, for example, I don't list the one-off re-appearance of John Snagge and Frank Phillips on Christmas Eve 1972 as part of the BBC's 50th, nor the guest announcers as part of recent Comic and Sports Relief days. Nor indeed John Finnemore who invaded the continuity studio as the Lord of Misrule earlier this year, although he does pop up in a couple of the audio extracts alongside the regular team. Also excluded are the PM announcer competition winners from this summer.

Most of the audio comes from my own off-air recordings and downloads. If you love listening to the Shipping Forecast then these audio clips should more than satisfy your needs. Where I've been unable to trace any recordings from Radio 4 I've used that person's appearances on other stations, mainly Radio 2, Radio 3 and the World Service. Again if you have audio please contact me.  

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to David Mitchell for all his patient replies to my emails about who was on when and attempting to identify mystery voices I've found on the end of tapes.

I am also extremely grateful to Radio 4's Senior Announcer, Chris Aldridge, for taking the time to answer my queries and for providing an insight as to how he and his team keep the station on the air. 

A number of current and former announcers kindly got back to me. Thank you to Sean Maffett, Sarah MacDonald, Jamie Owen, Christopher Slade, Geoff Oxley, Marshall Corwin, Jonathan Staples, Jonny Gould, Simon Vance, Annie McKie, Alice Arnold, Kathy Clugston, Patrick Muirhead, Steve Urquhart, Andrew Peach, Carolyn Brown, Andrew Crawford, Jonathan Lampon, Charles Carroll and Corrie Corfield.  

The List A to I

Here's the first part of the list covering surnames starting A through to I. The second part for letters J to Y can be found here.

Chris Aldridge
Now the senior announcer on Radio 4 Chris joined the BBC in  October 1985 as a studio manager. From 1990 he was an announcer/newsreader on Radio 5 before joining Radio 4 in 1995.

Viji Alles
Freelance writer and broadcaster. Editor-in-chief of UKAsian.com. Previously worked for MBC Networks in Sri Lanka, Metro FM in South Africa, Arabian Media Group in Dubai, NPR in the States and Sunshine Radio. Radio 4 announcer from 2015.

Ruth Anders
Worked with ENO and RSC before moving to LWT in 1983 as newsreader/announcer until 1998. Also at Radio 4 as announcer 1988-90. Worked for the Bell Shakespeare Co in Australia 2001-12. Now Shows Development Executive for the RHS.


David Anderson
Joined the BBC in 1979. Newsreader and continuity announcer from November 1991 to July 1998. Later becoming Radio 4's Presentation Editor.

Alice Arnold
Training as a actress Alice joined the BBC Drama rep in 1988 and appeared in numerous productions on Radio 3 and Radio 4, including the part of Mary in the soap Citizens. Joined the continuity team on a freelance basis in 1994 initially under the name Katie Arnold as she was still appearing in dramas. Read the overnight news on Radio 2. Joined the staff in 2006 as newsreader and announcer. Appeared alongside Jon Holmes in the comdey series Listen Against. Left the BBC in 2012 and now writes for national newspapers appears on Mellow Magic.


Hylda Bamber
Started broadcasting career with BFBS and then at BBC Radio Brighton from launch. Joined Radio 4 in September 1972 before moving to IRN as a newsreader.

Peter Barker
Trained at RADA and worked for several years as an actor. Joined the BBC in 1962 as announcer across all the radio services. Presenter on Morning Melody on Radio 4 in the late 60s. Moved to the Radio 3 team in February 1972 later presenter of Concert Hall. Reader on Quote…Unquote (Series 18). Retired in 1992. Died in 2023.

Dilly Barlow
Initially with the BBC as a Studio Manager before joining Radio 4 Presentation as an announcer (later also newsreading) in March 1979. Turning freelance and working across the networks on Today, The Food Programme, Woman's Hour and Walter's Weekly. In the 90s produced a range of radio shows such as Loose Ends, Home Truths and The Food Programme. Presenter of World Service's Write On. Also worked on TV and does voiceover work and documentary narration (e.g. Horizon).


      

Tony Barnfield

First BBC job as a temprary Presentation Assistant for Radios 1 & 2 in July 1969. After working as a club DJ and at HMV he joined the Radio 3 Presentation team 1973-78 with a spell (Nov 1975-May 1976) seconded to Radio 4 as an announcer. Freelance worked for You and Yours, as relief duty officer, writing trails, BBC travel centre and contributor to Round Midnight.Most recently on Cambridge 105. (Pictured in 2017)  

   

Simon Bates
Joined Radio 4 in 1971 as a newsreader before moving across to Radio 2 in 1972 as announcer/newsreader and later presenter of The Early Show. Moved over to Radio 1 from 1976 until 1993. Then at Atlantic 252, Talk Radio, Liberty, Classic FM, LBC, Smooth and Radio Devon. Currently on Boom Radio.

Kelsey Bennett

On Radio 4 from February 2024. Announcer on Channel 4, E4 and UKTV

Chris Berrow

Hosts Naked Gaming and Work Wife Balance podcasts with his wife, tv news presenter Leigh Milner. After student radio Cam FM worked as broadcast assistant at Radio 2 then BBC locals in Cambridgeshire, Northampton, Essex and Lincolnshire. Radio 3 announcer from 2017 and on Radio 4 2019-2022. Also newsreader on the World Service and provides Radio 4 Extra continuity.  

Bill Bingham
Was at BBC Birmingham, Radio City, Radio Trent and BBC Nottingham before joining Radio 1 as newsreader and then at IRN/LBC. Freelance at Radio 4 in the early 1990s. Also on Jazz FM. BFBS, Saga, Liver FM, Smooth Radio, Sky News radio bulletins and Monocle 24. Currently on Boom Radio.

Carol Bolt
Newsreader and announcer on Radio 4 (from April 1986 to January 1987) and then World Service. Worked on Channel 4 1988-95  and subsquently on UKTV, Disney Channel and Discovery as announcer and promos writer.

Robert Booth
Newsreader and announcer 1983-86. Presenter of Looking Forward to the Past, Could Do Better and Just Three Wishes on Radio 4. Classic FM presenter mid-90s. Now a food writer and author.

Julia Booth
Brief spell on Radio 4 as an announcer July to December 1980. Later on BBC East and BBC local radio in London, Essex, Cambridge, Leeds and York. Left the BBC in 2014.

Robin Boyle
Though mainly associated with Radio 2, Robin did occasional shifts on Radio 4 in the early days including a number of overnight newsreading shifts. His broadcasting career started in 1945 on BFN in Hamburg as announcer then Head of Presentation. Joined BBC in 1947 occasionally presenting Family Favourites from Hamburg than announcer on all networks but mainly on the Light. Best known for presenting Friday Night is Music Night, but also worked on Today (where he was one of the first presenters), Sunday Special, Hancock’s Half Hour, The Navy Lark, Those Were the Day, The Musical World of…, Night Ride, Marching and Waltzing, Band Parade,and Glamorous Nights. Retired in 1987 but continued presenting as freelance. Died in 2003. (Photo from Paul R. Jackson)

Jon Briggs
Reporter on Radio 4’s The Chip Shop. Host of Morning Edition on BBC Radio 5 (1990-92). Announcer on Radio 4 1992-93, Radio 2 1992-97 and read the news overnight on Radio 1 1993-95. Later on LBC and Radio 5 Live. Announcer on Channel 4, Sky Movies. Until Dec 2012 on BBC Radio Oxford. His voice was also heard on BBC TV’s The Weakest Link (2000-12) and on Apple’s Siri app.


Jane Brinsmead
Actress who did some announcing shifts in 1981.

Tim Brinton
Broadcaster turned politician had started his radio career as a BBC announcer in 1951. In 1955 he worked for Radio Hong Kong for a couple of years before becoming an ITN newscaster. A regular presenter on the Light Programme (1959-1967) where he was one of the regular hosts on Roundabout. He was still doing occasional announcing shifts on Radio 4 until September 1971. In 1974 he became a county councillor and an MP from 1979 to 1987. Died in 2009.

David Broomfield
An announcer and newsreader on the Home Service and then Radio 4. Last newsreading shift in July 1970, thereafter only continuity duty until  March 1972. Joined BBC Radio Carlisle (later Radio Cumbria).

Carolyn Brown
Began as a journalist in local radio (Radio City) and regional TV. A "premature midlife crisis" saw Carolyn travelling round India before coming back to the UK and working as a news editor in Bristol. Joined Radio 4 in 1991, retiring in 2015. Has since contributed a number of items to From Our Own Correspondent and is a freelance features writer.


David Brown
On Radio 4 December 1985 to March 1986

Louise Bruce
Started as a studio manager. Announcer and newsreader on Radio 4 (January 1992 to November 1995 and again briefly in 1996) and newsreader on Radio 2 where she presented a handful of editions of Night Ride in 1991.

Martin Buchanan
Newsreader and announcer on Radio 4 (briefly at the end of 1993) and on the World Service 1993-97. Briefly freelanced on Radio 4 in the summer of 2012. Extensive media career includes Music Box, Radio Luxembourg, Capital Radio, Channel 4,  Discovery, Magic 105.4, GMTV and Radio Kent. Now runs production company PIBE Ltd. In 2016 he appeared on Thames Radio.


Angela Buckland
Announcer, mainly on the Home Service, where she presented Home to Music,  but also on Light and Third. On Radio 4, until early 1968,  and also the announcer on Petticoat Line. Worked for BBC TV production

Piers Burton-Page
Joined the BBC in 1971 as a studio manager before becoming announcer on Radio 4 (1975-77) and then Radio 3 in 1977. Music Organiser for the World Service until 1985 when he was back at Radio as Presentation Editor. Became one of the presenter-producers from the early 1990s. First presenter of On Air. Continued as a producer for Radio 3 from 1998  to 2000 and appeared on the station occasionally thereafter.

Pauline Bushnell
Joined the BBC in 1973 writing trails for Radio 4. A year later became an announcer. Presenter of In Britain Now. Left the station in August 1988. In 1990s a presenter on Central News.



Gigi Callander
Emma Callander, nick-named Gigi, joined the BBC as a studio manager in 1982 before working on Radio 4 as an announcer and the World Service as a producer. Left the BBC in 1991 and formed Callander Communications. Now, as Gigi Salomon pursues a career as a sculpter.

Gavin Campbell
Former actor (including The New Avengers, Softly Softly and a number of radio productions) before a short spell as a Radio 4 announcer between December 1978 and February 1979. Moved over to Radio 2 as newsreader and announcer until 1982. Then on BBC1's That’s Life! from 1982 to 1994. Later worked on LBC and Radio 5.

Charles Carroll
Started on hospital radio before moving into BBC local radio and then BFBS. Also reads the news on BBC World Service and worked on Radio 2 1997-2012. Briefly on Radio 4 in October/November 2004 and has appeared regularly as an announcer since December 2005.


Avril Carson
For many years an announcer on ATV and then Central TV. Was also head of ATV in-house training. Some announcing shifts on Radio 4 in 1980 and a short spell reading the news on Radio 2 (Nov 1981-Jan 1982)

Jilly Carter
Briefly on Radio 4 in October and November 1980 and again in 1991/2. A newsreader on TSW, BBC Breakfast Time, ITN and Channel 4 Daily. Now runs Carter Communications Ltd

Andy Cartledge
Joined the BBC as a studio manager in the early 1960s. Was a continuity announcer on both Radio 3 and Radio 4 from October 1968 to April 1969 before moving over to TV Centre and becoming a familiar voice on BBC1 and BBC2 for the next 32 years. Also on BBC World Service TV in 1992. Briefly back on the radio in 1977 when he was given a try-out on both Europe 77 and European Pop Jury following the departure of regular host David Gell. He retired from the BBC in 2001 and died of a heart attack in December 2008 aged 67.

Harriet Cass
Joined the BBC in 1972 as a secretary before becoming a studio manager. Her first broadcast was in 1974, reading letters on You and Yours before joining the Radio 4 presentation team. In the 80s Harriet left the network to join the radio newsroom and to work in various capacities in TV news and at the BBC’s Westminster offices. She returned to Radio 4, her “spiritual home” in 1996. Took voluntary redundancy in 2013.

Jean Challis
Started on BFBS in Cyprus in June 1962 as announcer and occasional presenter of Two-Way Family Favourites. Joined Radio 4 in June 1973 and the following year moved to the Radios 1 & 2 announcing team. Final presenter of Family Favourites 1975 to 1980, also on Music Through Midnight, Music to Midnight, The Late Show, Radio Orchestra shows, String Sound, You and the Night and the Music and Nightride. Also an actress appearing in minor roles often in sitcoms

Kathy Clugston
Began her broadcasting career with the BBC in Northern Ireland as an announcer and transmission director 1996-2003. Also presented on former channel BBC Choice. Moved to Amsterdam as reporter/presenter on Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Joined Radio 4 in 2006 as an announcer. Was the 'Posh Radio 4 Lady' reading letters on Scott Mills Radio 1 show. Co-wrote the musical But First This, a musical homage to Radio 4. Along with Corrie Corfield she was the instigator of The Slanket of Con. Also works regularly on Radio 3, 4 Extra and the World Service.

Edward Cole
Broadcasting career started in 1965 on pirate radio station Radio 390. TV announcer on HTV and BBC South. Joined Radio 4 in January 1974. Also presented the music programme The Unforgettables and devised the music quiz Counterpoint. Left the BBC in April 1991. Died in 2003. (Photo from Paul R. Jackson)

Charles Colville
Now best known as a cricket commentator for Sky he joined Radio 4 as newsreader and announcer in April 1978 but by 1985 was a sports reporter for BBC radio. Later on Radio 2's Sport on 2 and Sunday Sport on 2 and Sunday Sport on Radio 5. Not to be confused with the TV director/producer of the same name.


Ros Copland
Radio 4 announcer from December 1990 until September 1992. Now, under the name Ros Wingerter, an announcer on WWNO New Orleans Public Radio.

(Original artist unknown)

Corrie Corfield
Joined the BBC as a studio manager at BBC World Service. In 1987 on the trilingual station BBC 648 and then as newsreader on the World Service. Joined Radio 4 in 1988. Between 1991 and 1995 in South Africa on Radio 702. Rejoined Radio 4 in 1995. Retired in 2021.


Marshall Corwin
Television producer and director was a Radio 4 announcer from August 1985 to March 1986.

Peter Crabtree
A familiar voice on BBC Radio Sheffield for over 20 years he briefly appeared as a newsreader on Radio 2 and Radio 4 between February and April 1973.

Andrew Crawford
Studio Manager on BBC World Service 1985-88 with periods as an announcer at the launch of BBC 648 and on the World Service. Radio 4 announcer and newsreader 1988-1999. Announced the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Moved onto BBC projects in 1999 (some standby announcing shifts in 2004) and then into management where he became Head of Production Delivery and then Head of Business, BBC News. Returned to announcing duties as a freelance from November 2021 to February 2024. He's been the voice of the announcements and credits on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue for many years.

Vivien Creegor
Former BBC secretary and Production Assistant before joining Radio 4. Later newsreader on BBC TV then with Sky News (1988-2006).


John Crosse
Best known as Yorkshire Television announcer from 1973 to 1998. First broadcast on the pirate station Radio London, then moved into selling airtime at RadioVision followed by work as presenter and producer at BFBS Cyprus. After working on Radio 4 in the early 70s he moved to Southern TV and then YTV.

Tom Crowe
Best known as a Radio 3 announcer Tom appeared on Radio 4 in the early days of the station as an announcer and newsreader until 1971. First an announcer on the Third Programme in 1952. Left the BBC in 1960 but returned for occasional shifts from late 1964 and regularly from 1967. Retired from the BBC in 1982. Died in 2011.


Frank Crozier
Worked in advertising before joining the BBC in Nairobi in the mid-60s. Then wrote for and sub-edited the Radio Times. Short spell as Radio 4 announcer  in 1975 & 1976 before moving within the Corporation to Appointments and finally International Relations. Died in  2002 aged 78.

Jon Curle
Another familiar voice over on Radio 3 Jon also appeared regularly on Radio 4 in the early days of the station. A former actor he joined the BBC as an announcer in 1959 working across all networks. Presented music shows on the Light Programme and was the regular announcer on later series of The Men from the Ministry.  Presented Night Ride on Radio 2. Worked exclusively on Radio 3 from 1972 until early 1990s. Died in 2012.


Angela Davis
On Radio 4 in 1994

Nicola Davies
A broadcast journalist for 15 years with occasional shifts on Radio 4 in 1987. Now runs a consultancy in Organisational Development and is a Programme Director at the London Business School.

Michael De Morgan
Former actor. Worked on BBC Radio 1959-73 mainly Home Service/Radio 4. Regular host of the Sports Service in 60s. Read the news on Town and Around on BBC1 in the South East and presented BBC2 tv News Review. Moved to South Africa in 1974 as newsreader on SABC TV1. In 1987 joined the Department of Foreign Affairs until 1992 when he worked for Bop TV. Retired in 1995 moving to Cape Town. Died in 1999.


Elizabeth De'Ath
BBC World Service newsreader in the 1990s. Appeared on Radio 4 April to July 1995.


Abigail Dennis
On Radio 4 in 1995

Susan Denny
Westward TV announcer. Presented Play School in 1971. Newsreader on LBC. Joined Radio 4 1975 as newsreader until March 1981 then moving into production on the network. (Photo from Paul R. Jackson)

Mairead Devlin
On Radio 4 since 1988 as reporter and presenter. Two stints as an announcer: from April 1992 to 1997 and again from 2012 to 2022. Runs a media production company.

Zoe Diamond
Freelance announcer was on Radio 1 Newsbeat and regularly heard on BBC World Service. Radio 4 announcer in 2012 & 2013.

Peter Donaldson
For many years one of the best known and longest-serving  members of Radio 4's presentation team. After an early career as an actor he applied for a job as an announcer with the BFBS. Joined Radio 2 on 6 April 1970 and was presenter of Night Ride, Breakfast Special and The Early Show. On Radio 4 from 1973 apart from a short break when he joined Radio Hallam for its launch. Chief Announcer 1988-2003. Retired from the staff in 2005 but continued as a freelance until December 2012. Died in 2015.


Pat Doody
Long time TV announcer at Border but also Tyne-Tees and LWT. Broadcasting career started at BFBS in Cyprus before joining BBC radio in 1967 as announcer and newsreader. Also presented Night Ride on Radio 1 & Radio 2, plus Strings by Starlight and Sunday Morning with Pat Doody on Radio 2. Left in 1971. Some occasional announcing shifts on Radio 4. Died in 1990.

Colin Doran
Radio announcer on Home, Light & Third from 1947. Born in India then in the UK won scholarships to Eton and Oxford, specialising in French and German. War service in counter-espionage in France and then Burma. Worked for the Foreign Office until one day he heard Alvar Lidell reading the news and decided he'd like to have a go. "So I wrote to John Snagge and got an audition." Presenter of Midday Miscellany and The Golden Treasury of Music and Song on Home Service, Parents and Children on Network Three, Then and Now and Melody Hour on Light Programme. Later newsreader and announcer on Radio 4. Also presented Music to Remember, All Kinds of Music and In Britain Now. Retired in 1982. BBC TV newsreader 1954-56


Michael Dorman
Announcer March to June 1968. No other information.

David Dunhill
Joined the BBC after working for the British Forces Network in Cairo. Initially on Light Programme then mainly Home and Third. Had a spell working in the BBC's personnel department. Duty announcer who closed down the Home Service in Sept 1967 and opened up Radio 4 the following morning. Later as a freelance he would audition and train radio presenters and reporters. Died in 2005.

John Dunn
BBC career started as a studio manager in the late 1950s for the General Overseas Service. Moved into announcing across all networks by the early 60s and presented many music shows mainly on the Light Programme. A regular presenter of Breakfast Special 1966-72 but still reading the news and working continuity shifts. He made occasional appearances on Radio 4 in 1968 and 1969. Presented weekly children's programme 4th Dimension on Radio 4 (1972-75). Daily afternoon show on Radio 2 (1972-74) then long-running teatime show (1976-98). Presenter of Friday Night is Music Night (1999-2003). Died in 2004.

Barbara Edwards
During the 1970s Barbara was a familiar face on BBC TV as a weather forecaster but she appeared on Radio 4 as an announcer for a few months from September 1972.  She'd joined the Met Office in 1957. From 1970 to 1979 she worked at the Londion Weather Centre providing forecasts for both TV and radio. Back at the Met Office in Bracknell from 1978 until retiring in 1980.

Brian Empringham
Joined the BBC in the late 60s as a studio manager. Announcer & newsreader on Radios 1, 2 & 4 from Feb 1971. Presented All Kinds of Music on Radio 4 in 1973. Left BBC in  Feb 1974 to work at the Atlantic Relay Station on Ascension Island. Returned to the BBC World Service in 1978 where he later read the news on the BBC World Service Television News (later BBC World). Made further appearances on Radio 4 between Jan and July 1990. Retired to North Devon in Sept 1998 but still undertook newsreader training until at least 2004.


Matthew Exell
Worked for the BBC 1997-2012 mainly on the World Service first as a studio manager then as a Broadcast Journalist. Announcer on Radio 4 2007-10. From 2016 back at the BBC as a newsreader on Radio 5 live.

Rob Finighan
Newsreader on commercial radio, announcer for the BBC in Wales and on BBC World Service Television. Worked as a freelance announcer on Radio 4 in 1995. Became a multi-camera director and documentary maker. Provides voiceovers for Al Jazeera.

Arlene Fleming
Trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and a qualified voice coach. Continuity announcer on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Scotland TV, Channel 4, Radio 4 then BBC TV. After a career break returned to Radio 4.

Ronald Fletcher
Became something of a radio personality following his appearances on Breakfast with Braden and Bedtime with Braden. He'd joined the BBC in the 1940s as an announcer and newsreader. Went freelance in the late 60s but continued to appear on Radio 4 until the end of 1970. On BBC TV in Braden's Week and from 1976 to 1994 was the reader on Quote...Unquote. Died in 1996.


Cathy Flower
No information other than some continuity shifts around 1999.

Stuart Forsyth
Started in radio with British Forces Network before joining the BBC as a studio manager in 1954. Later an announcer and producer. Announcer on Radio 4 and also presented All Kinds of Music. Left the BBC in 1975 to work in PR but returned to work at Bush House as a news sub-editor plus some freelance music presenting. Retired in 1988. Died in 2008.

Eugene Fraser
Born in Fiji and educated in New Zealand where he worked on radio and television. He came to Britain in 1967 and joined the BBC as announcer and newsreader. Initially on Radios 1 and 2 he presented such shows as Night Ride, Friday Night is Music Night and Brass and Strings. In 1975 he moved to Radio Victory in Portsmouth. By August 1977 he was back at the BBC, this time as announcer on Radio 4. From late  1989 to early 1992 he was back in New Zealand producing TV programmes for a Polynesian audience. Rejoined Radio 4 in April 1992 and left in 1993. (Photo from Paul R. Jackson)

Fennella Fudge
Joined the BBC as a trainee secretary and then various TV production posts. Freelance as announcer on Radio 4  from April 1988 to 1996 (as Fenella Haddingham) before moving over to Radio 2 as a newsreader 1996-2012. Voiceover actor and trainer. More recently on LBC and Head of News at Share Radio.


Andrew Gemmill
Mainly appearing on the Third Programme then Radio 3 Andrew also announced on Radio 4. In the 1960s presented on all networks: the mid-week edition of Family Favourites, Today, Sports Service and On Stage..

Jonathan Gould
Better known as Jonny Gould he appeared briefly in November 1993 doing some holiday cover. He'd previously worked on the BBC World Service and IRN on their sports coverage. Subsequently worked on TV for Channel 5, ITV, Al Jazeera and regularly reviews the papers on Sky News. Radio work includes talkSPORT, talkRADIO and Smooth Radio. 

But First This ran at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury in 2014

Martin Granger
Joined the BBC's Overseas Service in 1959 where he worked as studio manager, presenter, announcer and producer of English by Radio. On Radio 4 from July to the end of 1975.

Charlotte Green
Joined the BBC as studio manager News & Current Affairs (Radio) in 1979. Moved to Radio presentation in March 1985. Presented Morning Has Broken and a regular reader on The News Quiz. Left Radio 4 in January 2013. Presented on Classic FM and, between 2013 and 2022 read the classified football results on Radio 5 Live.



Jane Hall
On Radio 4 in January 1987

Victor Hallam
BBC staff announcer from the late 1950s across all networks who later worked exclusively on Radio 3.


Paul Harris
On Radio 4 1972-75. Later a TV announcer for BBC South.

Peter Harris
On Radio 4 between September 1987 and July 1988.

Barri Haynes
Worked on Radio 4 from August 1971 to January 1972 before joining Radio 2 as newsreader and announcer. Was the first presenter of The Early Show and also presented Night Ride on Radio 2. Reporter on ATV Today in late 60s. Continuity announcer at LWT. Commentator on Come Dancing 1972-8. Also on BBC Radio Wales.

John  Hedges
Started his broadcasting career as a BBC studio manager before working for the BFBS in Cyprus, Tobruk & Berlin. Occasionally co-presented Family Favourites 1967-72. Returining to the UK he joined Radio 4 as a staff announcer before going freelance. Presented In Britain Now and Up to the Hour, he was on the first ever edition in May 1977. He narrated The World About Us on BBC2 and many of the Survival documentaries for Anglia TV. Presented In the News for BBC Schools 1984-5. He continued to provide voice overs and narrations until his death in 2012.

Anna Hill
Journalist on BBC local radio in Solent, Sussex, Kent, Oxford and Surrey. Radio 4 announcer 1990-95. Presenter on Farming Today since 1995


Emma Hill
Presenter/reporter on BBC East Midlands Today who did a couple of Sunday newsreading shifts on Radio 4 in Sept/Oct 1998.


David Hitchinson
Directed many BBC Radio 4 dramas including Citizens. Editor of World Service drama Westway. Newsreader and announcer on Radio 4 1983-85.

Robin Holmes
Worked for the BBC from the late 1940s as announcer. Regular reader on John Arlott's Book of Verse. Presenter of The World of Books on Network Three and Home Service 1957-65, Can I Help You? on Home Service/Radio 4 1963-70 and Playbill and Rural Rhymes (1977-84) on Radio 3. A newsreader on Radio 4 until 1972 and then on Radio 3 until 1976.

Brian Hudson
New Zealand actor and broadcaster who worked on television and Radio New Zealand's Morning Reports. Moved to London in 1966 and joined the BBC as a newsreader on the Home Service/Radio 4 . Also occasionally on the Light Programme where he presented Sound of Strings in 1967 and some shifts on Radio 1 and 2. On returning to his home country he continued to broadcast on Radio New Zealand. Died in 2010 aged 72.


Roger Hudson
Broadcasting career started in New Zealand. Returned to UK in the early 70s working freelance for Radio 4, World Service and COI. Joined BFBS radio where he eventually became station manager in Germany. Retired in late 1990s initially to Spain, where he helped set up Exite Fm before moving to France. Died in 2009.

Patricia Hughes
Joined the BBC as a secretary in 1944 before becoming an announcer on the General Overseas Service in 1946. Later on the Home Service, Light Programme and Third Programme. Left the BBC in 1962 to look after her family, returning in 1969 initially freelance and then back on the staff in 1970. Allocated to the Radio 3 team where she stayed until retiring in 1983. One of the readers on Quote...Unquote from 1994. Died in 2013

Alasdair Hutton
Brief appearance on the network in 1968. He'd originally started his broadcasting career on 4BH in Brisbane, Australia. He was a journalist in Melbourne before returing to his native Scotland first as a journalist then as announcer first in Scotland then Northern Ireland as a TV announcer. Newsreader and announcer on Radio 4 (February & March 1968) and TV continuity announcer for BBC Scotland. Was a producer at BBC Radio Shetland in 1978 . Moved into politics as MEP, local councillor and Convenor. Also an author and the presenter of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo since 1992.

Philip Hyman
Radio 4 announcer July - December 1986 and also producer/presenter for World Service English teaching programmes. More recently in Radio 3's Presentation team as a scheduler.

Morag Irvine
Joined BBC Radio Scotland in 1987 as a part-time researcher in current affairs. Worked as a freelance announcer before joining Radio 4 in January 1990 on a one year attachment. TV announcer on BBC Scotland

From Birdsong to Bach

Classic FM has been bringing you "the world's greatest music" for a quarter of a century. It launched on 7 September 1992, the first of the national radio services licensed under the long-awaited 1990 Broadcasting Act. I've been digging through my press cuttings to trace the pre-launch timeline.

The station's journey to air was a long and sometimes difficult one. As early as December 1987 The Independent was reporting that "the Red Rose-Really Useful consortium has outlined plans for a classical music station. David Maker, managing director of Red Rose Radio, claims that Radio 3 is failing to serve its audience".

The 1990 act had also established the new regulatory body of the Radio Authority (RA) and top of its agenda was the new Independent National Radio (INR) licences. In October 1990 it announced that, much to the relief of the existing ILR stations, the sole FM licence would be a "non-pop music service".  The licence was advertised in January 1991 and straight away the Golden Rose consortium, headed by David Astor with David Maker as CEO, was identified as a key player. But actual bids were not forthcoming so the RA extended the deadline. By June they did receive three valid applications: Classic FM, First National Radio with their general show-business themed Showtime proposal and UKFM promising easy listening and light classical music from a group pulling together the resources of Radio Clyde, Lord Hanson, French radio group NRJ, Scottish Television and investment company Trevor Clark.

Heath cartoon from The Sunday Times 25 August 1991

Behind the scenes there had been some frantic negotiations to pull the Classic FM bid together. Independently Ralph Bernard had been putting together a bid for the licence on behalf of the GWR Group under the name Gem FM; this had followed a successful classic music programme on Brunel Radio devised by Michael Bukht. When it seemed that the Golden Rose group was getting cold feet  Bernard proposed that the two groups join forces and the completed bid was delivered to the RA "with literally minutes to spare".  

Showtime bid £1.75m for the eight-year licence compared to £670,000 by Classic FM. It would then have to pay the Radio Authority £980,000 a year and 4% of its advertising to the Treasury. UKFM had the lowest bid at £0.30m. The RA was not particularly happy with the winning bid and its 'songs from the shows' format but nonetheless it was provisionally awarded the licence on 4 July subject to it securing all the funding by 16 August. When Showtime failed to meet the deadline it was offered to Classic FM with the same proviso about proving they had the funds to proceed. 

Meanwhile the press was reporting on Classic FM's success. Maggie Brown writing in The Independent 20 August 1991 announced that the Radio Authority "yesterday awarded the coveted FM frequency to Classic FM, the runner-up in the original auction on 4 July. Authority members yesterday unanimously rejected a plea from Showtime Radio for extra time to raise money. Showtime, the original franchise winner and highest bidder, had promised to compete for Radio 2's greying listeners with theme tunes from film scores and musicals. David Maker, chief executive of Classic FM, said yesterday he was 'pleasantly surprised'. He promised a 'superb light classical service with a friendlier style of presentation from Radio 3', and added: 'We will unashamedly ride on the Pavarotti boom.' Mr Maker is aiming for an ambitious 10 per cent weekly share of the national radio audience."

However, the scrabble to secure funds was not straightforward and Golden Rose and GWR were split on how to proceed. Golden Rose were proposing a 'macro' deal with Jazz FM and Buzz FM in the mix whilst GWR managed to gain the backing of Time-Warner, DMGT and, at the eleventh hour, Sir Peter Michael. The financial documents were delivered to the RA on 30 September again with just minutes to spare.  

Thus Ralph Bernard and GWR were now the key players behind Classic FM with David Astor as chairman of the group, John Spearman was appointed chief executive, Michael Bukht as programme controller, performing a similar role he'd done for Capital Radio, and broadcaster Robin Ray as music consultant.

The battle between BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM
captured in this Chris Burke cartoon.

A year ahead of launch Paul Donovan of The Sunday Times was reporting how Classic FM's Chairman David Astor saw the station's position in the market: "It's not correct to portray us as a straight rival to Radio 3. We will be seeking Radio 2  and Radio 4 listeners as well. We want to achieve that essence of Radio 4, which is that you know what you're going to hear whatever time of day you tune in. Our target audience is 25-54, ABC1, with a slight male bias".

Radio 3 controller John Drummond was withering about the new station: "I don't see Classic FM as a rival to Radio 3. They won't be playing on the same ground. They're an alternative music channel and I think there's room for both of us. Certainly there is no question of Radio 3 going downmarket because of the advent of a light classical station. We will not be changing." In the event there were some changes. A year later, under incoming controller Nicholas Kenyon, Radio 3 re-jigged its schedule and launched a glossy classical music monthly, BBC Music Magazine.

Michael Bukht, aka Michael Barry 'The Crafty Cook', helped shape the on-air
sound and programme schedule  for Classic FM

A month before the launch Steve Clarke, writing for The Independent quoted Michael Bukht, the station's programme controller. "We will not provide 'Mozartsak' or wall-to-wall Vivaldi. The music will range from Palestrina to Walton. We're going to be playing the pop music of the past 300 years. You're as likely to hear Benjamin Britten at breakfast time as you are Mozart. There will be music full of emotional and intellectual complexity, but only if it has points of accessibility for people who are not specialists. Classic FM will be top quality, but it will not pretend to be elitist or exclusive."

Over the summer of 1992, ahead of the launch, listeners could hear test transmissions consisting of birdsong recorded in the back garden of the station's chief engineer Quentin Howard. Amazingly it became something of a broadcasting sensation and years later led to Radio Birdsong occupying a vacant slot on the Digital One network. Earlier this year Quentin spoke to Paddy O'Connell about the recording.

Classic FM's launch day was set as Monday 7 September 1992 broadcasting from studios in rented space at Academic House on Oval Road in Camden. The previous day Paul Donovan wrote about "the new chapter in British broadcasting" and how the new arrival was "keen to dispel sneers that it will be wall-to-wall Vivaldi". £12 million had been invested and 11 new transmitters imported from the US to reach 80% of the population. The prospects for the station augured well: "Classic is launching at a time when interest in, if not knowledge of, classical music has reached phenomenal levels. One in every five CDs sold is now classical. Fine music, particularly opera, has become aspirational, like fine wine or foreign travel."     

Nick Bailey's radio career started as a newsreader on Radio Caroline in 1966.
Subsequently in Australia, Hong Kong  and with BFBS and BBC Radio 5
before joining Classic FM. He left the station on 1 August 2017.

At 5.58 am the birdsong faded out and in came David Arnold's nine-note logo main theme. At 6.00 am the first voice on air is actually that of newsreader Sarah Sheppard but the station's first breakfast show presenter, Nick Bailey, cues in the first record, Handel's coronation anthem Zadok the Priest, some six minutes later: "Good morning and welcome to Britain's first national commercial radio station. This is Classic FM. I'm Nick Bailey and this is George Frederick Handel." For the record the first advert is for Barclays Bank voiced by Peter Barkworth and Peter Jones.  

Nick Bailey was, until he left last month, the only remaining presenter from the launch line-up. He returns this Thursday to read the news. From later on the first day of broadcasting here's Susannah Simons.

This is how the launch schedule looked:

Weekdays

6 am Nick Bailey

9 am Henry Kelly

12 noon Susannah Simons

1 pm Celebrity Choice (Friday's only)

2pm Lunchtime Concerto

3 pm Petroc Trelawny

6 pm Classic Reports with Margaret Howard

7pm (Mon) Close Encounters of a Musical Kind (Tues) Classic Opera Guide (Wed) Classic Bookshelf (Thurs) Classic Travel Guide (Fri) Classic Verdict

8 pm Classic FM Concert

10 pm Adrian Love

1 am Andre Leon (Mon-Tues) Robert Booth (Wed-Fri)

Saturdays

6 am Sarah Lucas

9 am Classic CD Countdown with Paul Gambaccini

12 noon Petroc Trelawny

3 pm Adrian Love

6 pm Classic America

7 pm Introduction to the Opera

10 pm Classic Quiz

12 midnight Andre Leon

Sundays

6 am Sarah Lucas

9 pm Classic Romance

12 noon CD Requests

2 pm Celebrity Choice

3 pm Robert Booth

7 pm Love Lives of the Great Composers

8 pm Classic FM Concert

10 pm Sunday Night Out

11 pm Contemporary Classics

12 midnight Andre Leon

Classic FM's launch was an unqualified success, despite the odd gaffe (see below). Paul Donovan wrote how "its presentation is characterised by the bounce and zap, and superficiality, of commercial radio stations. It is much less considered and high-minded, and much more informal and chatty, then Radio 3. It is a very different approach indeed, and Britain has never heard anything like it before. In aquatic terms, Classic is like a bath, a soft, warm wallow, while Radio 3 is more of a shower- astringent and stimulating". There were some irritations however; "Bach's double violin concerto followed by a snappy update on M4 contra-flows is exactly what is meant by the words sublime to the ridiculous."

Sunday Times 31 January 1993. Former Radio 3 announcer Tony Scotland
was drafted in to Classic FM to help with those tricky bits of
classical pronunciation

The station did tend to polarise opinion; it was either a great democratiser of classical music or it made classical music a disposable commodity. The Independent asked some not exactly typical listeners about what they'd heard. James Jolly editor of Gramophone liked the "strange sort of classlessness that's relaxing, there's something very direct about it." Pianist Peter Donohoe welcomed more exposure to classical music but added that "it is not being faithful to that art to let people just hear the nice bits only". Antony Hopkins, conductor and long-time BBC broadcaster decried the "mismash of music" adding that "the general assumption seemed to be that nobody could tolerate listening to anything for longer than five minutes." Composer and conductor Odaline de la Martinez thought "It's all very popular classical music; there's nothing wrong with that, but sometime you need meat, not just sugar." Composer Judith Weir started off with an open mind but was disappointed.     

For the wider listenership Classic FM hit the ground running and within 3 months was reporting figures of 4.5 million and a 9 to 10% audience share - making it the fourth most popular station after Radios 1, 2 and 4. Today it pulls in about 5.8 million listeners, around a 3.9% market share.

Radio 3's listening figures did take an initial dip but controller Nicholas Kenyon was undismayed. "Classic FM set out to be popular and it is not playing anything that anyone doesn't like. It has to deliver an audience to advertisers, while we are extending choice by the breadth of our repertory." And the money did roll in. In January 1993 Guy Lamming, media analyst, was quoted as saying "it is vital that the first national radio station funded by advertising does succeed. It needs £7m in advertising revenue in its first year and it looks as though it will pass that easily and become a significant profit-generator".

By the time its celebrated its second anniversary Classic FM had moved into profit for the first time, had 4.7m listeners, was extending the brand into Europe with an FM licence in the Netherlands, had a £2.2m educational sponsorship with Nestlé and had sparked a trend for CDs offering "essential" classics.  

The story of the launch of Classic FM  is told this Tuesday at 8 pm in The Pazza Factor, a music-based play written by Sean Grundy and Cara Jennings starring Jon Culshaw, Duncan Wisbey and Kate O'Sullivan. (Edit: the programme is no longer available on the Classic FM website but I've uploaded it to YouTube).  

You can hear more from Ralph Bernard in this edition of Conversations from David Lloyd.

You can hear more Quentin Howard in the Conversations series.

Reference: Sounds of Your Life by Tony Stoller (John Libbey Publishing, 2010)

Death of a Princess

My abiding memory of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales twenty years ago this Thursday, is the almost surreal way the country was in limbo for a week following the tragic events in Paris. Half the country was in mourning for a woman they'd never met while the other half were bemused by their reaction. Mind you that didn't stop cynical old me recording some of the radio output on that Sunday as broadcasters tried to come to terms with the news and how to handle the death of a royal for which there'd been no rehearsals.

I didn't start recording earlier enough on Sunday 31 August 1997 to hear how the news was broken to the waking nation. Here's what I did commit to tape. By 10 am Radio 1 was already using back-to-back ambient music - some of the tracks are listed below - interspersed with announcements from Mark Goodier and extended news reports here with Richard Evans. 

Many commercial radio stations came together to take IRN's bulletins and played instrumental tracks. I'm sure they featured more than just Kenny Gee's Songbird but that's all I recorded and have heard since on other recordings. This segment starts at 11.30 am and was taken from Viking Radio. 

Radio 2 dropped its morning schedule (Good Morning Sunday remained but shifted to 9 am) and under normal circumstances would have aired a pre-recorded Desmond Carrington show at 1 pm. Des and producer Dave Alyott convinced controller Jim Moir that they could handle a live show from their home studio with an appropriate playlist. This recording starts with an extended 12-minute news bulletin read by Paul Leighton.

At 39 minutes its back to Radio 1 and at 4 pm listeners would've expected to hear the UK Top 40 but both the BBC and the Network Chart from Capital were cancelled as a mark of respect. At the start of this recording Lisa I'Anson introduces Tina Ritchie with a 3-minute bulletin and then an announcement from Mark Goodier.   

Both Radio 4 and 5 live combined resources throughout the day. This news special with Charlie Lee Potter and Allan Robb was broadcast at 5 pm.

Following the week of almost suspended animation, that and the clamouring for a public display of grief from the royal family, the funeral occupied most of the airtime on Saturday 6 September from 8.30 am. This is part of the BBC coverage carried across all stations. The announcer is David Miles and commentating in this clip are James Naughtie and Chris Stuart.   

There are other off-air recordings from 31 August 1997 available online. Radio Tapes has airchecks from CBS and ABC in the States plus the BBC World Service as relayed by Minnesota Public Radio KNGA.

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive has more BBC World Service coverage.

This webpage recreates the original MHP Pick of the Continuity Announcements page with reinstated audio and looks at the timeline mainly from a TV perspective.   

In this blog post Matthew Rudd recalls working overnight at Viking FM as the news broke.

Radio 1's playlist on 31 August 1997 included:

The Last Stand - Aloof

The Tones - Nova Nova

Culture Clash - Sacred Spirit

After Life - Blue Bar

Pressure Drop - Dusk

Pat Metheny - Sueno Con Mexico

Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence

Apollo 440 - Stealth Mass in FM

Giorgio Moroder - Love's Theme from Midnight Express

Leftfield - Fanfare of Life

Nights Interlude - Nightmares on Wax. 

The Network That Never Was

There is an interesting sidebar to the history of BBC in its pre-local radio era when the corporation was still wedded to 'the Regions'. Tantalising glimpses of it are evident in back issues of the Midlands editions of the Radio Times showing programmes "for East Anglia". The story of this 'hidden' network is told in the BBC Radio Norfolk documentary The Network That Never Was to be broadcast on Bank Holiday Monday.  

The Network That Never Was is a companion piece to Radio in a Roundabout Way that aired in 2012. In that documentary Paul Hayes, who has produced both programmes, concentrated on the Radio 4 VHF morning opt-outs for listeners in East Anglia from the late 1960s until 1980 when Radio Norfolk came on-air. This new documentary rewinds the story to the late 1950s and early 60s when VHF broadcasting was still in its infancy and only one in five wireless sets had a VHF waveband.

First, a brief history lesson. Regional broadcasting had existed since the late 1920s but had been collapsed, together with the National Programme, into one Home Service during the war. Post-war the BBC offered a main Home Service schedule emanating from London but with programme contributions from the regional centres. If you lived in one of the regions your own regional Home Service carried its own alternative programmes at certain times of the day complete with its own announcers and news bulletins.

Map from the 1958 BBC Handbook shows how Norfolk, Suffolk , Peterborough
and Cambridge are part of the Midland region. Prior to the opening of the
Tacolneston transmitter mast  only Norfolk was part of the Midland region served
by the MW transmitter at Postwick,. The rest of the eastern counties  took the main
Home Service programmes from London.  

It was the introduction of VHF broadcasting in the mid 1950s that allowed for what the BBC termed "area broadcasting" as each of the new transmitters covered an area smaller than the existing regions. The idea seems to have brainwave of the forward-thinking Head of Programmes for the West Region, Frank Gillard (who would later be critical in the roll-out of BBC local radio) who proposed An Extension of Regional Broadcasting to his BBC bosses in February 1955. When the transmitter mast at Tacolneston, south-west of Norwich, was constructed in late 1956 it allowed that area to offer occasional opt-outs from the main Midland Home Service programmes, though usually only 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

By 1958 the BBC Handbook was reporting that "the Norwich transmitter, which comes under Midland Region, is putting out, in addition to news, talks and discussion of purely East Anglian interest, which will be heard only by listeners with VHF sets in East Anglia". This had followed a similar area split in the north-east when Pontop Pike came online and was also a service offered to listeners in Devon and Cornwall, part of the West of England region, when the transmitter mast at North Hessary Tor was brought into commission.  

Radio Times 25 March 1967
shows two programmes for East
Anglia 

VHF-only programmes aimed at the East Anglia audience started on Tuesday 5 February 1957 with an introductory 10 minutes linked by former talks producer David Bryson who'd been appointed as the BBC's 'East Anglia Representative'. Early programmes were either news bulletins, just one a day after the main six o'clock news for the first decade, a 5-minute Saturday teatime sports report with Ted Chamberlain, a programme for farmers with Gordon Moseley, a what's on guide, a topical magazine initially billed as East Anglian Highlights and a series of talks and stories under the title Through East Anglian Eyes, an early contributor being Eric Fowler.

The small team based at St Catherine's Close off All Saints Green in Norwich didn't just produce these VHF-only opt-outs but contributed programmes on behalf of the Midland region such as Signpost and Midlands Miscellany. Signpost was a 10-minute magazine programme alternating Monday to Thursday across the Midlands region with the West and South Midlands produced by the talks staff in Birmingham on Monday and Wednesday, the East Midland Representative based in Nottingham, Gerald Nethercot (later the first manager of BBC Radio Nottingham), looking after Tuesday and East Anglia featured on Thursday.  

The Norwich team also produced occasional editions of shows heard nationwide including Woman's Hour, Morning Story and a series called Down to the Sea. In 1959 the adjoining TV studio went into service to allow interview contributions to the network and a short regional nightly news bulletin.     

Part of the PasB record for the 4 March 1959 Norwich City replay
commentary (Document from BBC Written Archives as posted in the gallery
for The Network That Never Was).

All this seems rather low-key but the area broadcasting from Norwich did occasionally hit the jackpot. In 1959 Third Division Norwich City had an unexpected run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup that captured the nation's imagination. The VHF service was able to obtain agreement to broadcast full live commentaries of Norwich's midweek replays against Spurs, Sheffield United and Luton Town. This was something of a broadcasting coup as few full match commentaries were ever aired aside from the FA Cup Final itself. The commentary for the whole game was provided by team that would normally just do the second-half coverage for the Light Programme. BBC records for the 4 March replay against Sheffield, for instance, show that Allan Clarke and Emrys Walters commentated both for the East Anglian VHF service and the Light Programme with John Ecclestone, the regional programmes producer, introducing the coverage.

But perhaps the East Anglian VHF service's most interesting contribution, even if of dubious cultural value, to the national consciousness was the rise to (albeit brief) fame of Allan Smethurst, aka The Singing Postman (pictured above) who became something of a TV celebrity with the song Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy? An audition tape had been sent in to Ralph Tuck who, in 1965, was presenting the Wednesday morning opt-out called, somewhat unimaginatively, Wednesday Morning, billed as "notes on the people and happenings of the week". Smethurst became a regular guest on the programme with his Norfolk dialect songs. They were picked up nationally when Jack de Manio featured him on Today and an EP of his songs was released by Ralph Tuck's own Lowestoft-based record label. The story of The Singing Postman is told is this 1967 film held by the East Anglian Film Archive.    

Seemingly nothing of the East Anglia news bulletins has survived in the archives but listeners in that area may recall the name of the grandly titled Lieutenant-Colonel R. E. S. Ingram-Johnson who read the news between 1958 and 1967. Known to friends and colleagues as Inkie he'd served in the Dogra Regiment in India and on the North-West Frontier where he happened to gain experience as a sports commentator. With the BBC in Norwich he did occasional football and cricket reports as well as reading over 2,000 news bulletins.

Jean Goodman portrait
by Edward Seago

The other well-known voice from the VHF-only service is surely Jean Goodman. A Yorkshire-born print journalist she'd moved to Norfolk on her marriage and became a features writer for the Eastern Daily Press. With the arrival of the radio service from Norwich she became a regular correspondent and presented the What's On in East Anglia? slot until it ended with the close of the Home Service in 1967. From 1956 to 1978 Jean was a regular contributor to Woman's Hour and on several occasions would present the programme when it came from East Anglia. She briefly worked for Anglia TV and reported for BBC1's teatime news programmes East at Six-Ten (and later Look East) where in November 1963 she interviewed the Beatles. Disappointingly her 1973 autobiography Anything But Housework fails to virtually mention none of this with not a single specific reference to the BBC or Woman's Hour and of the meeting with Britain's top band she only writes "I had incurred the wrath of the Beatles' road manager, by offering one of the priceless quartet a powerful cold-cure tablet, just before a performance". Jean made regular appearances on the Radio 4 VHF opt-outs This is East Anglia and Roundabout East Anglia. She died in 2003.

The Network That Never Was also tells the story of the BBC radio station that never actually made a public broadcast, 'Radio Norwich'. This was one of a number of closed-circuit pilots organised by Frank Gillard as part of his plan to convince BBC management and ultimately the Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting of the corporation's case for providing what it called "the fourth service", i.e. the introduction of local radio. Again a plan that rested on the expansion of the VHF transmitter infrastructure.

Part of the draft programme schedule for  Radio Norwich  

(Document from BBC Written Archives as posted in the gallery

for The Network That Never Was).

The experimental station was a one-day affair, running from 6.28 am to 7.32 pm on Tuesday 20 June 1961, and followed earlier trails in Gillard's West region in Bristol and Portsmouth. Jack Johnston, the assistant news editor for the Midlands region in Birmingham came over to run it with producers Marigold Lawton, Michael Ford (later a Radio 2 Pebble Mill based producer) and Michael Gilliam.

Fortunately the radio correspondent of The Times provides plenty of evidence as to what was planned for 'Radio Norwich' and it does indeed sound like the blueprint for the local radio services that followed.

One of the features of this one-day experiment, which is under the aegis of the Midland Region, will be a radio-car touring the city and broadcasting direct into the programmes from various parts of the area.

The day's programmes ... will comprise news, talks, discussion, music, guides to shopping and general entertainment. A programme specially selected designed for Norwich schools, interviews with tourists and holiday visitors to the city, local politics and hints on food prices will be included. 

There will also be a request gramophone record programme entitled Your Street, in which people from a selected street will choose records for friends and neighbours; details of jobs available at the local labour exchange, and interviews with men serving in the 1st and 2nd East Anglian Regiments in Germany.

And the verdict the day after was a thumbs-up but with some salutary lessons learnt:

Today's programme was not a blueprint of the real thing. The plan was to try out as many ideas and features as could be conveniently fitted into the day's broadcast, so there was a much higher proportion of speech than would normally be the case. Secondly, the interviews were not all of the first rank and in one or two instances were unable to draw their subjects into the lively dialogue so vital for this type of service.

Nevertheless, it was clear that the framework of a worthwhile service was present and, as Mr David Porter, head of Midland Regional programmes, said, a selection and improvement would be based on today's performance. It was likely that a programme as presented today would in reality be stretched over several days. In fact, as everyone present realised, unless this was done it would be difficult if not impossible to find sufficient material to keep going.

An obvious fault, considering that much of the service will be a background to the housewife's daily chores, was the length of interviews with citizens of Norwich. Some of these extended to five minutes or more with one person.

The programmes that seemed to go well were a live broadcast from a local market telling listeners what was available and at what prices (the reporter for this piece just happened to be Jean Goodman) and one in which letters from local residents were read out and, in  the case of criticism, answered by the local council. "This roused some lively altercation" reported The Times.  

Of course as we now know the sixteen closed circuit experiments gave the green light to the roll-out of the BBC's local radio stations from 1967 onwards. But ironically Norfolk and surrounding areas weren't included in that first tranche and had to wait until 1980 for the launch of BBC Radio Norfolk  and a further ten years for BBC Radio Suffolk. That's why, to fill the gap, the BBC continued to provide a limited area service with Radio 4 opt-outs throughout the 70s. And that's the story previously told in Down Your Local - Roundabout East Anglia.

The Network That Never Was can be heard on BBC Radio Norfolk at 12 noon on Bank Holiday Monday. 

With thanks to Paul Hayes.