Radio Moments - Clips

Each week, the fine Radio Academy podcast features interviews and content from the world of radio at http://www.radioacademy.org/podcasts/.

The Academy podcast concludes with a slice of audio memories from the radio week in history, as they invite me to assemble a weekly compendium of my daily #radiomoments tweets @davidlloydradio, with audio and narrative.

Here's just that #radiomoments weekly review on its own, for the week ending 28th February 2014, without the sensible interviews and discussion.

This audio is now also heard at the end of the excellent weekly @radiotoday podcast http://audioboo.fm/channel/radiotoday

Tuesday lunchtime on Radio 1 was something special. Back in the day, it was the moment when the fresh new chart was unveiled; the delivery of which was of crucial importance to long-haired teenagers gathered round their trannies in playgrounds across the UK. So not really a great show on which to make one's national debut.

Simon Mayo managed it. Hear here as he delivers his first link on Britain's Favourite; hotfoot from BBC local radio - a transition made by few. Hear him recently relate his feelings of that moment too, to his former colleague, John Holmes, back on BBC Radio Nottingham.

Each week, the fine Radio Academy podcast features interviews and content from the world of radio at http://www.radioacademy.org/podcasts/.

The Academy podcast concludes with a slice of audio memories from the radio week in history, as they invite me to assemble a weekly compendium of my daily #radiomoments tweets @davidlloydradio, with audio and narrative.

Here's just that #radiomoments weekly review on its own, for the week ending 21st February 2014, without the sensible interviews and discussion.

This audio is now also heard at the end of the excellent weekly @radiotoday podcast http://audioboo.fm/channel/radiotoday

On the 40th anniversary of commercial radio in the Midlands, Free Radio (Birmingham) celebrated by inviting Les Ross, one of BRMB’s biggest stars onto the Foxy & Giuliano breakfast show. One listener seized the opportunity to call in to claim a prize she’s won in 1975 – and never received.

As ILR grew, hospital radio was a key training ground. Many shy young things joined up so they might acquire a little of the skills for grown up radio, and hopefully do a bit of good too.

Hear here the 1977 Station Controller of NHR, Nottingham Hospitals Radio, Barrie 'James' talk of the service on its third birthday. The piece is peppered with some of the presentation from back then. The interviewers are Pete Wagstaff and John Peters from Trent, a reminder that ILR once was happy to carry lengthy interview material.

Each week, the fine Radio Academy podcast features interviews and content from the world of radio at http://www.radioacademy.org/podcasts/.

The Academy podcast concludes with a slice of audio memories from the radio week in history, as they invite me to assemble a weekly compendium of my daily #radiomoments tweets @davidlloydradio, with audio and narrative.

Here's just that #radiomoments weekly review on its own, for the week ending 14th February 2014, without the sensible interviews and discussion.

This audio is now also heard at the end of the excellent weekly @radiotoday podcast http://audioboo.fm/channel/radiotoday

Talk is tougher than it sounds. For commercial radio to achieve any audience up against an established hugely well-resourced BBC is quite a feat, not least with the costs of delivering the format well.

LBC has, at last, mastered it again in London, with a distinctive mix of personality-led news-based conversation.

After having appeared on some regional digital multiplexes outside London, which it relinquished, 11th February 2014 saw it once again grow, as it took its place on the commercial National digital multiplex.

With a truly stunning new David Arnold theme, and the positioning statement changing from 'London's Biggest Conversation' to the clever 'Leading Britain's Conversation', the service bounded into the Nation's homes on the wettest of mornings. It joins TalkSPORT as being a real, welcome alternative to the BBC approach to talk. And how great to see Eddie Mair saying generously much the same in the Radio Times. This station is riddled with talent.

Each week, the fine Radio Academy podcast features interviews and content from the world of radio at http://www.radioacademy.org/podcasts/.

The Academy podcast concludes with a slice of audio memories from the radio week in history, as they invite me to assemble a weekly compendium of my daily #radiomoments tweets @davidlloydradio, with audio and narrative.

Here's just that #radiomoments weekly review on its own, for the week ending 7th February 2014, without the sensible interviews and discussion.

This audio is now also heard at the end of the excellent weekly @radiotoday podcast http://audioboo.fm/channel/radiotoday

In the 60s, a flotilla of pirate radio ships floated out to the North Sea to bring pop music to a 60s Britain. Some stations, though, hopped onto things other than ships. Screaming Lord Sutch alighted on Shivering Sands Towers to create, maybe predictably, Radio Sutch. The towers were seven miles off the Kent coast and had been built for Forces' use in World War II. Radio Sutch became Radio City, following acquisition and re-brand, which had a severely troubled existence resulting in the death in a scuffle of owner Reg Calvert.

The Government was delighted when it realised it could suggest the towers were in territorial waters after all, and the station closed at midnight on 8 February 1967. Hear again, here, the anger and frustration - and then the sadness - of the last few minutes.

Radio stations moved quickly from being untradeable independent local companies, owing to strict regulation, to hot commodities. Realising that a more cohesive network would facilitate real progress in national airtime sales and significant operational efficiencies was a real driver to speedy consolidation once the rules were lessened.

By the late 80s, stations were beginning to cluster locally before reaching out to grow their Empires. Midlands Radio (Trent/Leicester Sound/BRMB/Mercia/GEM AM/Xtra AM) was poised to come together with Piccadilly Group, but in came TransWorld (Red Rose Group) which claimed the Manchester crown on condition that Piccadilly’s shareholders rejected the bid for the Midlands.

This 1989 news clip tells of that decisive moment when the foundations for the Northern commercial empire, which later became EMAP/Bauer, were laid.

In those heady days, the Piccadilly Group price-tag was £39m, whilst Manchester United sold that same year for £20m.