Radio Moments - Conversations

He was the boarding school boy who lied about his age and was to emerge as one of the leading programmers of his generation.

Giles Squire joined a new United Biscuits Network which was to become renowned as a training ground for the new commercial radio network as it made its debut in the early seventies. It was to that network that Giles was appointed as Metro Radio went on-air.

He was to remain within its growing group for 22 changing years, before leaving to play a key role in other companies as they acquired stations. Now semi-retired and relaxing in France, Giles reflects in this hour of 'Conversations' about his successes and heartaches. The bosses who terrified him, the lessons he learned and many pearls of simple programming wisdom along the way.

In his own words, this is the Giles Squire story.

Music by Larry Bryant. The whole 'Conversations' series can be enjoyed here.

His calm, firm hand was on the tiller of the radio industry for decades, from both port and starboard. 

A military career seemed less appetising once his booming voice was heard behind the BFBS microphone, and he soon returned home to debut on the UK’s fledgling commercial radio stations, progressing from Radio 210 in Reading to BRMB and then to the senior programming role at Radio Victory.

Paul switched to regulation at a time when his industry understanding and intellect were invaluable to a cautious regulator. He identified a route to allow for sponsorship and to license more stations in each market. He then crossed the floor to head the radio industry’s trade body, then AIRC, now Radio Centre, where this Titled gentleman fought to equip this commercial medium to win good business and compete with the BBC in ever-changing times.

In his own words, this is the Paul Brown story.

See the whole Conversations series here. Music by Larry Bryant. 

His clear tones epitomised a calm era of Radio 2. Armed with some TV experience and a spell with the pirate Radio Caroline, Colin Berry joined the BBC’s new 'Light Programme' in the seventies. 

He was to host all of its major dayparts, from time to time, and was said to be the station’s longest continuous-serving news reader until his final bulletin in 2012. Famously too, for 25 years, we heard him deliver the UK’s voting in the Eurovision song contest.

In his own words, this is the Colin Berry story.

Music by Larry Bryant. Enjoy the whole Conversations series here.

Mark Goodier spent 15 years at BBC Radio 1, hosting shows across the schedule and famously presenting ‘The Evening Session’ and the Top 40 as the station evolved with speed through the 80s and 90s. 

In this hour of Conversations, Mark tells of his early days at Forth, Tay and Clyde before his transfer to 'Britain's Favourite’, where he was to learn from the greats. He reflects honestly on his life and shares thoughts on the differences between being a DJ and an authentic broadcaster; and both the pride and challenges in running his successful production company, Wise Buddah.

In his own words, this is the Mark Goodier story.

Enjoy the whole Conversations series here. Music by Larry Bryant.

Forever the rebel. 

In this edition of #Radiomoments ‘Conversations’, enjoy a full hour with Johnnie Walker. Hear how his early love for radio led to a surprise appointment to the pirate Radio England, and then on to Caroline, where he achieved huge popularity and famously was one of very few who stayed on board as the station went from illegitimacy to illegality. Johnnie opens up about his Radio 1 days where, like all so many greats, he was to come into conflict with management about music policy. America beckoned, before he returned, eventually to spend some time in commercial radio, before returning to Radio 1, and subsequently to Radio 2.

Hear too of Johnnie’s illness – and of the happiness he’s now found.

In his own words, this is the Johnnie Walker story.

The whole 'Conversations' series can be previewed at https://audioboom.com/playlists/1307245-conversations

From her modest beginnings in a complex home, Helen Boaden rose to the top offices of the BBC; and emerged as a much respected and loved figure in a changing industry. 

In this edition of #Radiomoments ‘Conversations’ she tells of her early days in commercial radio at Tees and Aire, and her first impressions of the Corporation in Leeds. Rising quickly through the male-led ranks, she quickly carved out a reputation for herself in management.

Helen was to earn the prize of Controllership of Radio 4, where she also led the creation of what was Radio 7, before being appointed Head of BBC News. Here, she oversaw the coverage of the 2008 economic crash, and the creation of the BBC multi-media newsroom. Famously, that appointment was to end in controversy, before Helen returned home to rule BBC radio for four years before retiring from the BBC.

In her own words, this is the Helen Boaden story.

He was the former ballet dancer who went on to run the engineering department at one of the nation’s biggest radio groups. In this edition of #radiomoments ‘Conversations’, Quentin Howard shares stories of his early days at BRMB and Severn Sound, the expansion of GWR and the creation of the first UK national commercial FM network. Hear too the story of how DAB began - and how close it came to not beginning - and a taste of his current role distributing content around the World at BFBS. 

In his own words, this is the Quentin Howard story.

From a small town radio station in Tasmania, he crossed the World to emerge as one of the UK's most powerful programmers. 

In this hour of #radiomoments conversations, Dirk Anthony tells of his decades in radio, from reading out the trade-its in Australia, to a programmer role in Ireland before being appointed to a key role in growing the GWR business - and then onto the complex times following the Capital merger. He opens up about his feelings through his career, and about where he might now think differently. 

In his own words, this is the Dirk Anthony story.

See the whole Conversations series here. Music by Larry Bryant.

Podcast the series too!

For a generation, his was the daring voice of an initially cautious Capital Radio, as the host of ‘Your Mother Wouldn’t Like it’. In this edition of Conversations, enjoy an hour with Nicky Horne. 

Nicky speaks of his early days in the discos and on biscuit factory radio at UBN, before opening up about his break at Capital where he was to work alongside those he’d admired in their pirate beginnings. Hear too of his encounters with some of the World’s most famous musicians’; and his days at Virgin and the BBC.

In his own words, this is the Nicky Horne story.

Radio and music were his first loves. Now, having become a familiar face on TV, he’s settled on his hugely successful Radio 2 afternoon programme. 

In this edition of #Radiomoments ‘Conversations’, Jeremy Vine tells with good humour of his early days in journalism; his progression through the BBC newsroom ranks from trainee to reporter to political and, later, foreign correspondent; before becoming ‘the other Jeremy’ on Newsnight.

When Radio 2 sought to refresh its schedules, he took over The Jimmy Young ‘prog’, but not without incident, as Jeremy shares with due respect here.

This is the story of someone who grew up loving Everett and who has turned into a radio great himself.

In his own words, this is the Jeremy Vine story.

(Jeremy's excellent biography is called 'It's All News to Me')