Explore every episode of the podcast Radio Moments - Clips

A BBC Radio Scotland educational broadcast for primary school children - on producing the Radio 1 breakfast show in the days of Simon Mayo. 

In the most expected move in UK radio, Simon  Mayo transfers from Scala weekdays to Greatest Hits Radio. He calls upon the decent 'new term' analogy - just as he did when beginning  Radio 1  breakfast.

As Global Radio continued to focus each of its national brands on a single programming stream where possible, Friday 31st May 2019 saw the final batch of local Heart breakfast shows across the UK say their farewells.  Some had waved goodbye the week before, with cover presenters for the final week of the localised frequencies.   Some of the hosts shifted to drive-time (and several drive presenters had their farewell shows that day too) – but for some breakfast presenters, this was the last day doing what they loved - and the station owners allowed them an on-air farewell. This time, the list included some of the most established presenters – with Ed James having been on air in the West Midlands for well over a decade; the legendary Martin Day in Essex after 25 years on-air on the frequencies; and Jagger and Woody (Heart Wales). Enjoy here a few snippets.   The London breakfast show goes nationwide with Jamie Theakston and newly appointed Amanda Holden on June 3rd 2019. The Heart network audience share at breakfast across the UK (without pan UK FM coverage) is currently equal to Radio 1 - and third to Radio 2 and 4.

After almost 50 years of broadcasting from New York, this was the end of an era for 95.5 WPLJ. The station which had served pop and rock hits across the Hudson River and broadcast throughout North and Central New Jersey closed on May 31 2019. The Cumulus Media station was sold to Christian broadcaster Educational Media Foundation in February, and the new Christian contemporary station K-Love (WKLV) took over on 95.5.

Enjoy here a telescoped hour from its final week on-air. Some fond IDs and imaging (mind you, the words 'New York' can never sound anything other than wonderful); some cross trailing for WABC breakfast; a rainy weather forecast; the promise of some farewell merchandising; and a puzzling mic sound.

As Global Radio continued to focus each of its national brands on a single programming stream where possible, Friday 24th May 2019 saw the regular presenters of many local Heart breakfast shows across the UK say their farewells. Some of the presenters shifted to drive-time (and several drive presenters had their farewell shows that day too) – but for some breakfast presenters, this was the last day doing what they loved. 

Enjoy here a few snippets from across the UK – and prepare yourself for the one at the end. "I am an accidental presenter. I used to be a carer. I was never supposed to be a radio presenter...I don't want it to be over but it is". 

The London breakfast show goes nationwide with Jamie Theakston and newly appointed Amanda Holden on June 3rd 2019.

Roger Blyth entertains in the afternoon with ‘City Extra’ on Liverpool’s Radio City in Summer 1978. As with so many of the early stations, it spread its geographic wings as much as it dare – serving ‘the North West and North Wales’. The City Show-mobile was on the road too. More station IDs than earlier generations, at a time when the industry was just getting accustomed to audience research. The ad breaks illustrate how varied and competitive the local retail world was – and listen out for a Kenny voice-over.

Comprehensive news too, featuring a posh Roy Hattersley - and talk of inflation lying at 7 or 8% - with the prospect of it even remaining in single figures. A bit of speech for no apparent reason in the form of an interview down a bad phone line – as was often the case back then - and a more useful public service campaign to persuade parents to immunise their children. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

No segues – but alongside the hits of the day, enjoy Les Reed and the Pop Proms Orchestra.

Roger died in 1997.

The unmistakeable Beacon sound powers through, from the chap who’d started it off from Wolverhampton three years before. In this excerpt from a Beacon Top 40 in November 1979, Mike Baker does the business, with that slick sound he’d honed – as had many others - at UBN, the United Biscuits Network. Witness how Beacon claimed ‘The West Midlands’ rather than its licensed area (then Wolverhampton and the Black Country) - then in separate ownerships the station battled over the significant BRMB overlap.

Hear the ads and lengthy news (5 minutes) typical of the time too, a Terry Wogan voiceover – a fireworks PSA – nodding to the meaningful speech required - and the Toby jugs thing…

Mike Baker died in 2013.

Feelgood radio from Birmingham's king of breakfast radio, Les Ross on BRMB in October 1979. Tighter than earlier ILR years, but replete with smiles from the off-the-cuff humour and the general energy, sound and feel.  

Enjoy here too the ad breaks, with so many famous singalong ads. and an interesting music policy.

UK radio stations came together on 13th May 2019 for the second time for the Mental Health Minute.

(montage from David Salt)

"Re-group tomorrow, if spared.", suggested Sarah Kennedy as she ended what would be her last Radio 2 show on 13th August 2010.

Simon Mayo's last words on Radio 1 after fifteen years, as he prepared for a future on BBC 5 Live.

Adam Brown presented his first breakfast show on XS Manchester on Tuesday 23rd April. He had been on Capital Manchester drive, also Key 103 and BBC Radio Manchester.

The pirate who took Caroline proudly into illegality joined the BBC at last - 50 years ago this week.  "The Saturday afternoon listening revolution with music and happiness for all to share.

As Jonathan Dimbleby took over from John Timpson and  hosted his first Any Questions, heard here on 4th September 1987, little did he know he'd be there for 32 years until his departure in 2019. 

The panel included Conservative MP Norman Tebbit and Labour's Roy Hattersley and questions included: the trial of Mathias Rust, the young German amateur aviator who landed his light aircraft in then-communist Moscow's Red Square; gun control and the future of the SDP-Liberal Alliance.

Any Questions? was first broadcast in October 1948 in the West of England and began national broadcasts in 1950. It has aired on BBC Radio 4 since 10 April 1970.

As the  Capitals come together for breakfast on April 8th 2019, hear  Roman Kemp - and some localised clips from Liverpool, Scotland, East Mids and Manchester.

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Light relief on the Radio 4 Today  programme from 6th April 2019 with John Humphrys and Justin Webb when the line went down and filling ensued... 

After sixteen feel-good years, Toby Anstis, who epitomised the Heart brand for a generation, vacates the chair.

When Simon arrived at Bauer-owned Scala Radio, a few of us stroked our chins and thought he'd turn up on Greatest Hits Radio before too long. On the 1st February 2021, he announced just that.

True professionalism as Capital breakfast show presenters move on from the gigs they love.  Some prepare for a new drive show, some prepare for other shows, some prepare for a new future. All listener-focused ends and generous in spirit. And I have to smile at Capital East Mids where they said so little about the end during the show, it was business as excellently usual  - but there was a nod to the wise with a mention of the very first breakfast incumbent on their Nottingham 96.2 transmitter 44 years prior.

Sarah Montague interviews Dan Taylor-Watt about the new BBC Sounds app and listens to listener concerns. As heard on the World at One on Radio 4 on 6th March 2019.

As Capital prepared to take advantage of latest deregulation, Radio executives and commentators gave their two penn'orth on the Media Show from Radio 4

On 19th February 1975, Margaret Thatcher gave her first interview as party leader – and she gave it to Jimmy Young on Radio 2. In this fascinating telescoped 50’ – she assures Jimmy that he is fine to call her Margaret – despite what listeners say. She also suggests that when her time comes to leave office – she will go with good grace. And – most tellingly - on the issue of Europe – given the decision to confirm entry to the common market loomed – she suggested (33’ in) that a referendum was simply inappropriate as the issue is not ‘clear-cut’ enough. She sees why referenda work on clear cut issues but “….about a common market treaty and its negotiations that’s a very very different thing“.

How many true radio greats are on air in a generation? A dozen? Jane Garvey is high on my version of that list.  And if the list is a chart, she's still on the way up. She leaves Woman's Hour at just the right time to carve out a Jane-shaped future - where she can own the next decade in UK radio and beyond.

Like most greats, her brilliance sounds effortless - and, frankly, I doubt she does have to put in the effort many would have to when seeking anything like the standards she does. Authentic, irreverent, intelligent, honest. All the traits which show radio at its best.

A baby boomer - just - inspired by the likes of Janice Long - and the poetic Ray Moore, she arrived at Radio 4's Woman's Hour via Radio Wyvern in Worcester, BBC Hereford and Worcester and the launch of BBC Five Live. 

Thirteen years later, she left the programme  - and this clip is from the final edition of Woman's Hour on 31st December 2019.

She's joined by the wonderful Elizabeth Day - who will also be a big part of radio's next era - and I've gone to pains to add on Jane's intro to the drama at the programme's end...

In March 2017, Tony Blackburn succeeded Brian Matthew as presenter of Radio 2's 'Sounds of the 60s'. The two-hour show also moved to the earlier time of 6 am.

In Feb 2000, PM Tony Blair began a weekly audio broadcast - a little like the familiar Presidential radio broadcasts in the UK. The eight minute piece was available 'only on the Internet' (accessed either as a streamed file, a downloadable MP3 version or as a transcript). After the tentative introduction - and a what his producer likely suggested was a clever bit of linking - the first edition focused on education.

By the end of the first five months (and 14 editions), the streamed versions of the broadcasts has been requested nearly 37,000 times, an average of 254 requests per day (plus MP3  downloads and hits on the transcript page).

A sniff that just possibly John Humphrys may leave the Today programme some time in 2019 merited a sizeable chunk of the World at One on Radio 4 on 6th Feb – and prefaced the item on the North Korea nuclear summit. And so it should have. Here, he talks to former dawn colleague, Sarah Montague on the World at One on the day the story appeared on the front page of the Daily Mail.

Chris carries off his first show with aplomb. The sense of presence which he effortlessly routinely delivers – and the sense of occasion of a special first show but where the listeners feel part of it – rather than distant. A feat not carried off by all.

“BBC Radio 2”…he finds himself saying - before the hesitant “….is where we used to be’. And he warns Auntie Ethel who’s flicked over that the ‘golden oldies’ are ‘a little more contemporary than they were before’. He’s at Virgin ‘for as long as they’ll let us’ -and talks of his boss Scott. Not ‘one of the really big cheeses…but certainly on the cheese counter’.

The marketing is there, he is the biggest name in radio. The only impediment to success is platform and audience intransigence – and they have wisely recognised that. Good luck to radio’s second Ev.

On 6th Jan 2019 at 18:00, Free Radio 80s closed. On 1152am, 990am and 1017am it became Absolute Classic Rock.

On 17th December 2018, Absolute Radio was replaced by Greatest Hits Christmas on 105.2 FM in the West Midlands - ahead of the launch of Greatest Hits Radio on Jan 7th 2019.