Launch of Red Rose 999 in Preston, Lancashire - Part 1. From 20/01/1997

Launch of Magic 999 in Preston Lancashire, replacing Red Rose 999/Red Rose Gold from 15/02/1999

As Norway prepares (Jan 2017) to turn off its FM and be the first country to go digital in quite that way, Ford Ennals, Chief Executive Officer Digital Radio UK, spoke to John Humphrys on the Radio 4 Today Programme

Great broadcasters can speak volumes without saying a word. After a truly awful 2016 for Tony Blackburn, he returned to the BBC on 31st December 2016 in this special new year’s eve programme.

One can imagine him smiling quietly in Wogan House as he returned to the BBC that evening and spun his beloved Motown.

Nicely in the seat ready for the 50th anniversary celebrations for Radio 1. Welcome back, Tony, we missed you.

Radio lost some of its favourites this year. In this piece, we pay tribute to just some of them.

Dave Cash - The pirates, ‘Kenny & Cash’, Capital, BBC Local

Cliff Michelmore - Hamburg end of ‘Two Way Family Favourites’, later much TV

Ted Gundry - BBC Cornwall

Ed Stewart - The pirates, BBC Radio 2, commercial radio and TV

Tony Cozier - Cricket journalist and commentator

Jimmy Young - BBC Light, Radio 1 and 2

Ian Rufus - Commercial radio founder, LBC, Hallam, Viking, Mercia

Keith Belcher - LBC founding programmer

Joyce Frost - ‘Old Woman’ on Steve Wright show

Paddy O Flaherty - BBC Radio Ulster

Dave Gregory - BBC Radio 1 and commercial radio inc Metro

Tony Beard - BBC Devon

Alan Devereux - The Archers (Sid Perks) and accomplished VO

Ali Brownlee - BBC Tees commentator

Joe Fish - BBC Lancashire

Steve Becker - BBC Lancashire

Terry Wogan - RTE, BBC Light, Radio 1 and 2

Dave Barrett - BBC Radio Bristol, GWR, Brunel FM, GLR, talkRADIO

Simon Bates in the eighties on Radio 1- chatting casually to a 28 year old Madonna. Some pretty good insight too!

Thanks to Richard White offering me the audio.