Radio Moments - Clips

Calm, measured, looking around with care for the next word under the settee, James Naughtie has been part of Radio 4’s Today programme for 21years.

Enjoy here an unfairly telescoped edition of a programme which should never be thus edited. This last programme from Jim in December 2015 affords, nevertheless, a wonderful insight into the man referred to by BBC director general Tony Hall as "the emotional heart of Today for a generation".

All the usual features are in evidence, including a quote from the Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder; an errant timecheck; and the line going down as he chats with John Major. The former PM is summoned back by phone and one imagines the production staff insisting that he really must return lest he issue some much deserved words of thanks from the Nation to Mister Naughtie. He doesn't disappoint.

There’s mischief too: an interview about a favourite road; a few best bits; some delicious devil’s advocacy on James’s performance from John; and, well, in the words of John "on last programmes, all normal rules are suspended".

And a gulp at the end. Under the Alice Arnold rules, Radio 4 presenters are only ever allowed to show emotion in their last ever sentence. And he did. James, you served radio proud. We'll miss you in the mornings,

Not too many commercial jocks get a chance to appear on Radio 1 or 2, so when word got out that our boyish Wes Butters from Galaxy was to transfer to Britain’s Favourite, it was quite a coup.

He was maybe an unlikely choice for the straight chart format, I thought, given his entertaining intelligence, but what do I know. Having said that, he held fort for an impressive two years - and just revel in this incredible Christmas edition from 21st December 2003. Superbly produced and brilliantly delivered.

It’s good too that Wes has since been heard on 4 Extra, thanks to his fascination with some early radio character comedy, and on BBC Local Radio. Audio courtesy Richard White

Another fond look back to this week in radio history, for the week ending December 11th 2015, as heard at the end of the week's RadioTalk podcast from Radio Today