Hall of Fame
The Radio Academy Hall of Fame, sponsored PRS For Music, is the UK radio industry's tribute to those legendary voices who make and have made an outstanding contribution to the sound of British radio and to British cultural life.
ABC
1952-2001Douglas Adams' talent of combining fantasy with humanity resulted in him writing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; a radio comedy that spawned records, stage shows, films and a small library of books.
1930-1982 As compere of The Top Twenty Show Barry Alldis was the voice of Radio Luxembourg. He is credited with introducing the 'Power Play' to Britain in 1957, when he helped to choose a new release that would be featured on the station throughout each week.
b. 28 October 1944. Gerry has spent almost his entire broadcasting career as a speech broadcaster in Northern Ireland where he coined the term “Stroke City” as a way of dealing with the disputed name Derry/Londonderry.
1913-1999 Anderson maintained a sober, sincere and traditional approach without sounding patronising and endeared herself to listeners at a time when British broadcasting was primarily male dominated.
1922-1987 Although he hosted a number of popular shows on television, Andrew's work as a reporter, especially of boxing and rugby, helped to define sports broadcasting for a generation.
1914-1991 John Arlott, was a BBC radio cricket commentator whose poetic phraseology was once described as "the voice of an English summer." His final broadcast, received a standing ovation from the crowd and players.
1900-1982 The team of Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch, on the BBC comedy series Band Waggon, developed into a quick-fire style that moved radio comedy on from the rituals of the variety theatre.
b. 17 December 1947 Bates created a compulsive and often-mimicked mid-morning feature Our Tune on BBC Radio 1, in which he preceded a listener-chosen record with a poignant story.
b. 29 January 1943.Tony Blackburn was the first voice that launched BBC Radio 1. His breezy banter coupled with a readily identifiable choice of jokes quickly made him a listeners' favourite.
1916-1999Undeterred by being entertained a radio ventriloquist, the audience for Educating Archie, with Peter Brough and his dummy Archie, grew to 15 million listeners in the 1950s.
b. 2 February 1951 A presenter on BBC Radio 2 since 1982, Ken hosts the mid-morning slot, is a regular on Friday Night Is Music Night and comperes the station's broadcast of The Eurovision Song Contest.
b. 29 October 1933Cameron became known across the UK as the voice of Independent Radio News, while his authoritative and consummately professional microphone style entertained Londoners for over thirty years.
1948-2006“He was one of the BBC's finest broadcasters and a brilliant political interviewer, who was also a great listener. Nick's interviewing style was penetrating but unfailingly courteous."
1927-1973Jimmy Clitheroe is mostly remembered for the situation comedy The Clitheroe Kid in which he played the part of an 11 year-old boy for 16 series from 1957-1972.
1908-2004Alastair Cook's Letter From America ran for 58 years. Greatly respected on both sides of the Atlantic, he was honored by the Queen and addressed the US Congress on its 200th anniversary.
1899-1969For almost twenty years, The Billy Cotton Band Show entertained listeners with a popular format that mixed comedy and light entertainment with tunes that catered for music hall-type audiences.
DEFG
1908-1996To the generations who grew up with Children's Hour, the voice of 'Uncle David' could be instantly recollected decades later.
He started as a performer on the show in 1935, eventually rising to Head of Children's Hour in 1953, then Head of Children's Programmes from 1961-64. Thereafter, he moved to the drama department as a producer, where he remained until his retirement.
1914-1988De Manio was chosen to present a new morning programme, Today when it launched in 1958. He tackled it with an intimate, relaxed style, although he attracted much attention for his inability to read the studio clock correctly.
He resigned from the programme in 1971 after the introduction of a new format and subsequent presented an afternoon show, Jack De Manio Precisely until 1978.
1943-2006Dickin joined the BBC in 1970, becoming the first presenter on air at BBC Radio Oxford. After a spell on other radio stations in Australia and the UK, he joined Talk Radio (later talkSPORT).
He was labelled ‘Britain’s Angriest Man’ by talkSPORT listeners and won a Golden Rose award for coverage of the Lockerbie disaster.
1913-1965Richard Dimbleby was the BBC’s first-ever radio news reporter and later became the Corporation’s official War Correspondent. His measured, cultured delivery, combined with his ability to paint evocative word pictures, gave his dispatches both authority and vividness.
He was the unofficial voice of the nation on state occassions and was honoured with both the OBE and the CBE.
b. 20 July 1941.Ed Doolan joined Britain's first provincial commercial radio station (BRMB) when it was set up, broadcasting his own mix of current affairs and politics. His programmes give Birmingham listeners an insight into how the city is run, acting as an interface between public servants and rate-payers. He moved this formula to BBC WM in 1982.
Doolan's services to the Birmingham have been recognised by Honorary Doctorates from all three of the city's universities.
1934-2004From 1958 the suave, calmly measured tones of John Dunn enhanced various BBC radio networks, none more memorably than Radio 2, where he established himself as one of the nation's favourite broadcasters. He fronted a range of shows including Housewives' Choice, Roundabout and Friday Night Is Music Night.
A broadcaster of the old school, Dunn pulled off the rare achievement of remaining popular in an altogether noisier, more frenetic age.
b. 22 December 1948.Having made a name for himself on Radio Luxembourg, 21 year-old Noel Edmonds took over the BBC Radio 1 Saturday Morning Show from the legendary Kenny Everett in 1969. Four years later, he inherited the weekday breakfast slot from Tony Blackburn.
Edmonds moved into television, initially as a presenter of Top Of The Pops and more recently as a quiz-show host.
1908-1972Franklin Engelmann was a wartime BBC announcer before before becoming a popular quiz show presenter. Nicknamed 'Jingle', he was much loved as the genteel host of Down Your Way and laid claim to being the original presenter of Pick of the Pops.
He died in 1972, one day before the recording of the 1,000th episode of Gardener's Question Time which he had chaired for over ten years.
1944-1995Kenny Everett made his broadcasting debut on the offshore station Radio London. His surreal sense of humour rapidly established him as an outstanding pirate radio personality.
He was one of the original BBC Radio 1 presenters, but fell out of favour after a misguided on-air comment. Although he returned to the station, he moved to London's Capital Radio shortly after it launched.
At the time of his death, he had a successful career in television and divided his energies between both media.
b. 12 June 1961.A former student radio presenter who joined Capital Radio shortly after moving into commercial radio. Neil Fox gained popularity in the early 1990s as 'Dr Fox' before moving on to present the Network Chart Show.
Fox has been a judge on the television series Pop Idol and has presented the More Music Breakfast Show on Magic 105.4 since 2005.
He has received numerous awards including nine Sony's.
1927-2006.Alan 'Fluff' Freeman joined the BBC Light Programme from Radio Luxembourg and, after presenting several music programmes for the station, he transformed Pick Of The Pops into a music radio institution - introducing it with the much imitated catchphrase "Greetings, pop pickers."
His perennial association with chart-based shows through the ensuing decades overshadowed his tireless championing of heavy metal and a lifelong love of classical music.
b. 2 April 1949.Paul appeared on BBC Radio 1 for 18 years, presenting the US Chart Show for most of that time. In addition to broadcasting on television and other BBC and commercial radio stations, he has been writer or co-author of several definitive music reference books.
Renowned for his knowledge of both the American and British music industries, as reflected in programmes such as America's Greatest Hits, Paul Gambaccini is the ultimate chart show voice.
The Goons - Spike Milligan, Peter Sellars and Harry Secombe – were stars of an imensly popular comedy programme, The Goon Show. The relentless, surreal anarchy of the show was unique and enduringly influential.Driven by scriptwriter Milligan’s manic-depressive personality, it combined army humour, satire on the decline of Empire, plots with a weird, dream-like logic, and a gallery of eccentrics, many of whom were voiced by the chameleonic Sellers. Most of the stories involved mishaps inflicted on Secombe’s naif, irrepressible alter ego Neddy Seagoon.
b. 25 June 1952Alan Green began his broadcasting career, presenting current affairs in Northern Ireland before joining BBC Radio’s Sport department as a senior sports broadcaster. As an observer of 100-120 matches a season, he has won the admiration of fans for his honest assessments of games and players’ performances.
John Inverdale once said of him, “You listen to Alan Green because you know that even if the game is as dull as ditchwater, the commentary won't be.”
1927-1998A professional musician since the forties and a journalist since the fifties, Benny Green brought his ‘voice of an East End London cabbie’ to the BBC.
With his quick wit and eclectic interests, Benny was a natural radio conversationalist. His regular Sunday afternoon stint on BBC Radio 2 gave him the opportunity to air his acerbic, controversial observations on the music scene, which attracted a large and loyal following.
HIJK
1898-1989Henry was an instrumental figure during the dance band era in Britain from the 1920s to 1950s. With his unassuming manner and proven musicianship, Hall led the BBC Dance Orchestra to even greater popularity than ever before.
He made his first broadcast for the British Broadcasting Company in 1924 and achieved national recognition after replacing Jack Payne as leader of the BBC Dance Orchestra in 1932.
1924-1968Comedian Tony Hancock worked his way from London’s notorious Windmill Theatre through radio shows such as Workers’ Playtime, Variety Bandbox and Educating Archie to the ground-breaking Hancock’s Half Hour.
His character of Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock caught the mood of mid-fifties Britain, so much so that even his address implanted itself permanently in to the public’s imagination.
1896-1949Tommy Handley was already a seasoned radio performer, when the phenomenally successful It’s That Man Again’ (‘ITMA’) was created to showcase his wisecracking personality.
Though launched in 1939, during the final days of peace, it was the onset of war that allowed Handley to give vent to topical, Hitler-baiting gags, making ITMA essential listening – ‘that man’ in the title being Hitler himself.
1918-1975.William Hardcastle achieved distinction in both print and broadcast news journalism. He launched The World At One and stayed with it for ten years, building an audience of four million. In 1970 was was teamed with Derek Cooper for another new programme, PM.
Hardcastle had a businesslike, but warm broadcasting voice, and a style that emphasised fact rather than comment, bringing some Fleet Street urgency to the radio presentation of news.
b. 17 December 1937.Australian-born Brian Hayes made his UK radio debut as a producer and presenter of talk programmes on London's Capital Radio before moving to LBC. Between 1976 and 1990 he was the controversial presenter of the morning phone-in show which inspired many imitations around the country.
His achievements have been recognised by a number of awards including a special Sony in 1987 for his outstanding contribution to the development of radio.
1942-1995Stuart Henry became a pirate radio disc jockey when he joined Radio Scotland at its launch in 1965. He was one of the first presenters on the new BBC Radio 1 before moving to Radio Luxembourg.
Henry had a distinctive style, in contrast to the mid-Atlantic accents or studied zaniness of some of his contemporaries, being quietly spoken, as if talking to each listener individually in his pleasant Scottish brogue.
1907-1969Kenneth Horne established a partnership with Richard Murdoch which blossomed in the radio shows Ack Ack, Beer Beer and Much Binding In The Marsh. He subsequently devised the popular sketch show Beyond Our Ken, which spawned another comedy series Round The Horne, renowned for its puns and doubles entendres.
As radio's most urbane and genial funny man, Horne was brilliant with a script, a master of comic timing and an unselfish foil.
b. 17 August 1943.John Humphrys was an established journalistic reporter and foreign correspondent when he moved to London in 1980. A year later he became presenter of The Nine O'Clock News before taking the position of co-presenter of BBC Radio 4's flagship early morning news programme, Today.
He has a reputation as one of the toughest of political interviewers, but his confrontational style is tempered by humour and informed by assiduous preparation.
1906-1978Jack Jackson career as a trumpeter moved on to a series of programmes with his own band on Radio Luxembourg, only to be curtailed by the outbreak of war.
After retiring as a bandleader in 1947, Jackson became a radio compere on Radio Luxembourg and the BBC Light Programme. The seminal Jackson style punctuated pop records with comedy clips, subverted the conventional record-spinning format and influenced such disciples as Kenny Everett and Noel Edmonds.
b. 19 May 1926.David Jacobs sepulchral voice thrilled a nation when it introduced the hugely popular 1950s radio serial, Journey Into Space. His background as an announcer and newsreader made him a perfect choice as chairman of What's My Line and Any Questions.
Jacobs image has always been suave and immaculately blazered, and yet he found huge success in the altogether more casual world of the disc jockey. He has been voted Britain's Top DJ on six occasions.
1922-1980A former Red Cross nurse and welder, Hattie Jacques was cast as Sophie Tuckshop in the well-established radio series ITMA.
She subsequently appeared in Educating Archie before joining Hancock's Half Hour to provide a foil for Tony Hancock as the domineering secretary Griselda Pugh.
Her popularity on radio led to even greater fame elsewhere, including 14 of the Carry On.. films and in the television comedy series Sykes.
1912-1994Brian Johnston joined the BBC in 1946, becoming the first of a new breed of 'entertainer-commentators'. He established himself, as a jolly reporter with a schoolboy sense of humour, presenting offbeat, live outside broadcasts for the topical magazine programme In Town Tonight.
As a cricket presenter, 'Johnners' gave the audience what it wanted; information, irreverence, humour. He was one of the boys, forever larking about with his mates in the commentary box.
1930-1990BBC sports commentator, Peter Jones broadcast from most major football events from the late 1960s until 1990. He also presented or commentated on other sporting events and state occasions.
Jones is remembered for his dramatic and sympathetic descriptions of the disasters at the Heysel Stadium and at Hillsborough, although it is said that he never recovered fully after witnessing the latter. He died shortly after collapsing while commentating on the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.
1920-2000Peter Jones radio partnership with Peter Ustinov in the 1950s comedy series In All Directions, highlighted a talent for improvisation that would later be showcased in his long running appearances on Just A Minute.
After achieving success in the TV sitcom The Rag Trade, Jones returned to radio where he found a new audience by playing the part of The Book in Douglas Adams's whimsical sci-fi comedy series The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy.
1908-2003After starting as an actor on BBC radio dramas, Alan Keith's broadcasting career continued for a record breaking 70 years.
His idea for a radio programme featuring the 100 best pieces of music from around the world, eventually became Your Hundred Best Tunes.
It was presented by Keith for 44 years, expanding far beyond its initial 13 week slot and outliving the BBC Light Programme for which it was originally commissioned. The show is often said to have helped popularise classical music.
LMNO
1908-1981Alvar Lidell was responsible for many world-changing broadcasts, including the announcement of the abdication of Edward VIII.
Lidell also read the 1939 ultimatum to Germany from 10 Downing Street urging it to cease all aggressive activities and to withdraw from Poland . He later introduced Neville Chamberlain's sombre announcement that Britain was at war with Germany.
His opening remark, “Here is the News, and this is Alvar Lidell reading it” became a inadvertent yet reasuring catchphrase during hostilities.
1944-1999Adrian Love began his broadcasting career in 1966 at the offshore radio station, Radio City, before working on numerous BBC and commercial stations.
He is fondly remembered for a compulsive late-night phone-in with Anna Raeburn on Capital Radio and Love in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2.
A colleague at Southern Counties Radio said, "Adrian was an ordinary man who had the skill to be an ordinary person on the radio, and this was a touch of genius."
1921-2008Musician and bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton was the main presenter of Jazz on the BBC for many years. His longest running music show was The Best of Jazz, that he hosted for over 40 years.
He appeared as a panelist on the BBC Radio 2 show Jazz Score, and on the other side of the table as chairman of the inimitable antidote to panel games, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. In the latter capacity, his immaculate timing and strong sense of humour helped to suggest both a state of despair and a naïve innocence that propelled the programme to cult status.
b. 30 August 1941.Sue MacGregor joined BBC Radio 4 from the English language radio service of The South African Broadcasting Co.
Initially a reporter on The World At One, she hosted Woman's Hour for 15 years and the Today programme from 1984-2002. She currently presents The Reunion and A Good Read.
Speaking of her time on Today, Michael Palin commented on her "unflappability and her wonderful ability to let people put their own foot in their mouths".
1919-1998Liverpoolian Betty Marsden was already a successful stage actress in London’s West End when she made her first radio broadcasts. When Beyond Our Ken was launched in 1958 it was with Betty as the female lead alongside Hugh Paddick, Kenneth Williams and Kenneth Horne. The same cast went on to further success with Round the Horne
Marsden's impressive vocal range helped to create larger than life characters such Fanny Haddock and Dame Celia Molestrangler.
She continued to work in radio until a few days before her death at 79.
b. 17 September 1928.An actor who made his name as disc jockey, Brian established himself as the regular presenter of the BBC Light Programme shows Saturday Club and Easy Beat. These shows gave a regular dose of pop music to the younger generation at a time when at a time when it was a rare commodity on the BBC. He remained with both programmes until the start of BBC Radio 1 in 1967.
Matthew has also presented shows such as My Top 12 and the arts magazine Round Midnight.
He can currently be heard on The Sound of the Sixties, a show that he launched in 1990.
Jessie Matthews
1907-1981Actor and dancer Jessie Matthews made her stage debut at the age of 12 and began appearing in films a few years later.
She was a huge star on both sides of the Atlantic, with four decades of experience behind her by the time she took over the title role of Mrs Dale in the long-running BBC radio soap opera Mrs Dale's Diary.
A year after the final episode was broadcast, Matthews was awarded an OBE.
Simon Mayo
b. 21 September 1958.Starting in BBC Local Radio, Simon moved to BBC Radio 1 in 1987, initially presenting a Saturday evening show, he later hosted the breakfast and mid-morning shows.
Currently with BBC Radio 5 Live, he is set to move onto the BBC Radio 2 Drivetime slot at the start of 2010.
On being awarded a Sony Radio Academy Award as Speech Broadcaster of the Year 2008, Mayo was described as "a master of light and shade, handling serious and lighter issues with aplomb."
Derek McCulloch
1897-1967As a BBC announcer, McCullock was commentator on the first radio broadcast of an FA Cup Final in 1927. He helped to set up Children's Hour in 1933 and took over as its director a few years later.
Known to children as 'Uncle Mac', his closing catchphrase, “Goodnight Children; Everywhere” was eagerly anticipated by listeners.
McCulloch was an acomplished radio actor and provided the voice of Larry the Lamb in the children's series, Toytown. He left the BBC due to ill-health, but returned to host a record request show Children's Favourites for a further 10 years.
Jean Metcalfe
1923-2000Jean Metcalfe became one of the BBC's first female announcers during the war when she was appointed to the BBC General Forces Programme. She soon began to present records on the station's request show, Forces Favourites.
With the cesation of hostilities, she remained with the show when it was renamed Family Favourites and moved to the BBC Light Programme. She later married another of the show's presenters, Cliff Michelmore.
Metcalfe presented Woman's Hour in the 1950's and, after a gap away from the BBC, returned with If You Think You've Got Problems.
Ray Moore
1942-1989Ray Moore was a TV continuity announcer, newsreader and presenter before joining BBC Radio 2. His witty early morning show were renowned for their endings which developed into a series of lengthy and popular hand overs to the breakfast presenter Terry Wogan. The two were renowned for a spontaneous repartee that attracted its own audience.
Following listener demand, Moore released two records, the first of which remained in the charts for seven weeks.
Richard Murdoch
1907-1990Comedian Richard 'Stinker' Murdoch had his radio break alongside Arthur Askey in the BBC comedy programme Band Waggon. Created as a light entertainment show, the pair revolutionised it with madcap comedy, much of which was supposedly based in a flat at the top of Broadcasting House.
Murdoch later joined Kenneth Horne for 'Much Binding in the Marsh' before taking on the role of a bumbling civil servant in The Men from the Ministry with Wilfrid Hyde-White and later Deryck Guyler. His radio career lasted for almost 60 years.
Jenni Murray
b. 2 May 1950Jenni cut her teeth on local radio in Bristol before moving into television as a reporter and presenter. In the mid-1980s she joined the BBC Radio 4 Today programme and launched the Saturday edition with John Humphrys two years later.
Murray has been the regular presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour since 1987 and presents The Message for the same station. Described by Charles Wheeler as having, “the most beautiful voice on radio, ever”, she was awarded an OBE for radio broadcasting in the 1999 Birthday Honours list.
Pete Murray
b. 19 September 1928Pete moved from acting to Radio Luxembourg where he established himself as one of that station’s top names. He later broadened his appeal with the launch of a Saturday night show Pete’s Party on the BBC Light Programme while still recording shows for Luxembourg.
In the mid-1960s, he was dropped by the BBC after presenting sponsored shows on Radio Caroline and Radio London, but was picked up by BBC Radio 1 at its launch.
After presenting shows for BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 Murray moved to LBC where he remained until 2002.
James Naughtie
b. 9 August 1951.Following 11 years in journalism, during which time he specialised as a political correspondent, Naughtie moved into radio as presenter of The Week In Westminster and then The World At One before joining the Today programme in 1994.
Naughtie is known for changing his interviewing style to match his guests. He is quoted as saying, "The funny thing about radio is that although people can't see it, it is extraordinarily intimate. The one thing you can't have is monochrome presentation."
Annie Nightingale
b. 1 April 1942.Former journalist Annie Nightingale was the first female DJ on BBC Radio 1 and is the station's longest-serving presenter.
She has presented a range of programmes, is a champion of underground music and is not afraid to embrace new musical styles. She currently spins breaks on her overnight show and often features major breaks DJs.
Annie was awarded an MBE for services to radio broadcasting in 2002.
PQRS
Norman Painting
1928-2009Norman appeared in the BBC radio drama The Archers, from its trial run in 1950 until his death. His characterisation of Philip Archer gave him the official world record for an actor playing a continuous role (over 59 years). He also wrote 1,198 scripts for the programme under the pen name of Bruno Milna.
Alongside this, he wrote or adapted a number of dramas and documentaries for radio and received a Writers' Guild Award in 1967.
A talented and versatile performer, he appeared on television and in stage productions ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime.
John Peel
1939-2004Peel made his first radio broadcasts in Texas, before being adopted as a Beatles expert by US radio. He returned to the UK in 1967, using his knowledge of West Coast music to present The Perfumed Garden for the offshore station Radio London.
As one of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs he presented Top Gear which evolved into a showcase for new talent and was renowned for The Peel Sessions.
His inimitable style slipped easily onto BBC Radio 4, where he presented a popular weekly speech programme Home Truths.
Wilfred Pickles
1904-1978Wilfred Pickles first broadcast in 1927 and began announcing in 1938. As an occasional newsreader on the National programme from 1941 - and the first with a regional accent - his sign-off, "...and to all in the North, good neet", caused indignation among traditionalists.
Pickles achieved his greatest success as the genial host of the Have A Go in which ordinary people performed party pieces and answered simple questions. He was a 'Children's Hour' regular and presented a sentimental show which reunited lost friends. At his height, he was a great MC with a genuine common touch.
Roy Plomley
1914-1985After four years as a broadcaster on Radio Normandy, Plomley escaped to Britain in 1940 just as France fell. Two years later he introduced a new BBC programme, Desert Island Discs.
The initial run of eight show was extended and he eventually presented 1,791 episodes over a period of 49 year.
Now an institution, Plomley's creation has become the longest running music radio show in the world.
As a radio chairman, Plomley also hosted shows such as Many A Slip, Round Britain Quiz and One Minute Please (a precursor to Just A Minute).
Anna Raeburn
b. 3 April 1944Known for her ‘no nonsense’ approach, Anna established herself as a radio Agony Aunt on London’s Capital Radio during the 1970s and 80s. Speaking of this era, Vincent Graff said, “If you were a baffled teenager trying to find your way in the world, Anna and the Doc gave you the roadmap.”
She subsequently worked across a range of BBC and commercial stations, picking up a string of Sony Radio Academy Awards.
A prolific writer, she outlined her experiences in a comedy television series Agony that she co-wrote for Maureen Lipman.
Al Read
1909-1987An observational humorist who described his short witty sketches as “pictures of life.” His radio programme, The Al Read Show (1950s and 60s) usually consisted of a series of vignettes highlighting the idiosyncrasies of everyday life which he based on the Northern working classes.
At his peak, Read's catch phrase of “Right Monkey” was heard by an audience of 20 million.
Although he did have success on stage he did not transfer well to television, and was the quintessential radio comedian. Historian Cliff Hays said, “Al hit the right note at the right time and was good at it.”
Brian Redhead
1929-1994After being sacked as editor of the Manchester Evening News, Redhead moved to radio as presenter on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
Ebullient , combative, and a naturally fluent broadcaster, he relished dropping a word in the ear of the nation every morning, tackling politicians and everyone else with cheerful confidence and zest.
A cultivated man with wide interests, he made many memorable radio series, including A Word In Edgeways, The Good Book, The Christian Centuries, The Pillars Of Islam and From Plato To Nato.
David Rodigan
b. 24 June 1951The combination of his broadcasting skill and passion for the music that have made Rodigan one of the world's most respected reggae aficionados.
Beginning his reggae broadcasting career in 1978 on BBC Radio London, he moved to Capital Radio, where his shows were so popular that reggae promoters were said to have been afraid to put on events at the same time.
For the past 19 years, Rodigan has worked on Kiss FM, the former pirate station that now broadcasts nationally on digital radio. He has also been a regularly contributor to BFBS.
Emperor Rosko
b. 26 December 1942Having presented his first radio shows from a US aircraft carrier, Rosko was back at sea in 1964 when he joined the offshore station Radio Caroline. He once described his American-influenced broadcast style as "highly rated, often imitated, but rarely duplicated."
Rosko joined BBC Radio 1 when it launched and remained with the station for almost nine years before returning to the US.
His wild 'jive' presentation can still be heard on a number of UK stations through pre-recorded shows that he produces in his West Coast studio.
Les Ross
b. 7 February 1949Les Ross cut his teeth in playing records in discos and nightclubs in Birmingham before realising his ambition to become a broadcaster. After a spell with BBC Radio Birmingham and Radio Tees he joined BRMB where he remained for 26 years.
Ross epitomised the expertise of the truly local radio presenter, uniting the huge Midlands city into one community and earning Chris Tarrant’s description as "the definitive voice of Birmingham".
In 2009, Ross retired for the second time, having spent the previous three years on BBC Radio WM.
Jimmy Savile
b. 31 October 1926Jimmy established himself as a larger-than-life presenter on Radio Luxembourg in the 1960s with shows such as the Teen and Twenty Disc Club.
Although he was not part of the original BBC Radio 1 team, he was recruited nine months later to present the long-running Savile’s Travels. Since leaving the station in the late 1980s, he has appeared on several commercial stations, as well as fronting an uninhibited discussion programme Speakeasy and the Sunday Afternoon Double Top Ten. A popular personality with one of the highest profiles ever, he has raised millions of pounds for charity.
Roger Scott
1943-1989After appearing in North America as a token British jock in the wake of Beatlemania, Roger Scott broke into UK radio with UBN. He was part of the original on-air line-up on London's Capital Radio, where his afternoon shows spawned the Three O'Clock Thrill and the Hitline.
His last year was spent at BBC Radio 1 where his national exposure influenced a new breed of presenters. Roger blended a love of contemporary music with an encyclopaedic knowledge of its heritage and an enviable knack of opening his mouth only when he had something of substance to say.
Linda Smith
1958-2006For many years, Linda carved out a career in the difficult world of stand-up comedy before becoming a panellist on BBC Radio Five's weekly news satire programme, The Treatment. From there she moved to writing and performing in her own BBC Radio 4 sitcom, A Brief History of Time Wasting. A popular addition to shows such as News Quiz, Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Smith showed her versatility when presenting Home Truths and Pick of the Week.
She stubbornly refused to fit any stereotype, her deadpan diatribes about everyday irritations resonating with millions.
John Snagge
1904-1996John Snagge became an Assistant Station Director in Stoke at the age of twenty. After a move to London, he found himself behind the microphone for the 1931 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race – an event that he commentated on for the 50 years.
He announced the the D-Day Landings and VE Day, and was senior commentator at the 1953 Coronation, while also holding down executive positions with the BBC.
Whether appearing as an announcer, a newsreader or a sports commentator, Snagg's rich, fruity vocal tone was one of the most distinctive in the medium.
Christopher Stone
1882-1965In 1927 Christopher Stone became the first UK disc jockey after eventually persuading the BBC to adopt his idea for a record programme.
His relaxed, conversational style was exceptional at a time when most of the BBC's presentation was extremely formal, and his programmes became highly popular as a result.
He was barred from appearing on the BBC in 1934 after joining the commercial station Radio Luxembourg, although he later returned to the Corporation.
The Melody Maker said of him, "Everyone who has written, produced or compered a gramophone programme should salute the founder of his trade."
TUVWXYZ
Chris Tarrant
b. 10 October 1946Tarrant established himself to a generation of children from 1974-1982 as co-host of the anarchic Saturday morning television show Tiswas. His Capital Radio breakfast show, which began in 1987, further developed many of the ideas of that earlier show with a mix of music, information, competitions and larky discussion of tabloid news.
The Capital years showcased Chris's ability to offer seamless, ad-libbed links and made him a broadcasting phenomenon.
Since his success as a television presenter and games show host, Tarrant has ventured in and out of radio.
John Timpson
1928-2005A former newspaper journalist, John fronted the Today programme between 1970 and 1986, initially joining Jack de Manio as the show's first co-presenter. Shortly afterwards, he was paired with Brian Redhead to establish what would become radio's classic ‘double headed’ presentation team.
Timpson and Readhead moved the show to a new level with a style that was later described as the radio equivalent of 'good cop, bad cop'.
Timpson also chaired Any Questions? for a few years before retiring to write books and make occasional television appearances.
Tommy Vance
1941-2005Radio DJ Tommy Vance joined Radio Caroline in the 1960s after 'having to leave' the US very suddenly. He was in the original BBC Radio 1 team as a presenter of Top Gear before moving to London's Capital Radio for its launch.
His return to BBC Radio 1 in 1978 placed him as presenter of the Friday Rock Show, which was memorable for coupling his distinctive gravelly voice and slick presentation with heavy metal and rock music.
The show has been credited as major factor in the rise of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.
Johnnie Walker
b. 30 March 1945Having established himself on the offshore radio stations of the 1960s, Walker was immortalised as the DJ who continued to broadcast as the 'pirate stations' were outlawed. As a result, he missed the launch of BBC Radio 1, but joined it in 1969.
His outspoken views and choice of music made him a firm favourite with listeners, but pushed him into a spell on US stations, Radio Luxembourg and UK commercial radio before returning to BBC Radio 1.
Currently on BBC Radio 2, Walker proudly continues his policy of placing more importance on the records than the intermediate chat.
June Whitfield
b. 11 November 1925June Whitfield made her radio breakthrough in the popular comedy Take It From Here; most notably as 'Eth', the long-suffering fiancee of Ron Glum in a regular segment called The Glums. After achieving great success in films and television, she returned to radio in the 1980s, alongside Roy Hudd in the long-running satire The News Huddlines in which she merged her comedy, impersonation and character acting abilities to portray figures such as Margaret Thatcher.
She appeared again with Hudd in the series Like They've Never Been Gone, in which the pair played two ageing entertainers attempting a comeback.
Kenneth Williams
1926-1988Well known as the star of twenty six Carry On... films, Williams had a long and notable radio career. His repertoire of characters ranged from the sophisticated to the ridiculous and he could switch between each in an instant.
He followed Hancock's Half Hour, Beyond Our Ken and Round The Horne with series such as Stop Messing About and The Betty Wetherspoon Show.
His run of more that 20 years on Just A Minute allowed him the flexibility to demonstrate his incisive wit and vocal talent, as well as providing a marked and welcomed contrast to the other panelists.
Tony Windsor
1920-1985Having climbed to a position as one of Australia's top broadcasters, Tony's appearance on the BBC Light Programme was uneventful. It was not until the advent of offshore radio that he made his UK breakthrough, notably on the Radio London ship where Kenny Everett credited him as his mentor.
His nickname 'TW' and his deep, resonant two-tone opening call of “Hel-lo” made him one of the giants of the era and won him a faithful audience.
Always willing share his experience with new broadcasters, he was responsible for recruiting the young Noel Edmonds to Radio Luxembourg.
