Here
are
just some of the BRMB presenter highlights:
Kevin
Morrison
: The first breakfast show presenter joined BRMB whilst also working
for ATV (commercial television) as an evening continuity
announcer. Running the two jobs together - late nights at ATV
and
crack of dawn at BRMB - meant that Kevin felt rather tired and was
forced to quit the BRMB breakfast show after about a year. He
was
replaced by George Ferguson.
George
Ferguson:
Originally presented the late show in 1974, taking it in turns with
John Howard. Later George presented the breakfast show,
taking
the slot over from Kevin
Morrisson.
Norma
Scott :
Presented the very first mid morning show on BRMB in 1974
with Brian Savin.
Brian Savin
:
Presented very first mid morning show with Norma Scott (for about six
months) and later the
country music programme 'The Country Jamboree' in the 1980's.
John
Hedges : Replaced Brian Savin on the mid-morning programme
with Norma Scott later in 1974.
Peter
Windows : Presented a two hour chat show from midday.
Later went on to work for BBC Radio Four to produce The
Archers.
Stuart
White :
Presented the mid morning show (1979) after Brian Savin and Norma Scott
vacated that programme slot. Stuart also presented BRMB's
Country music programmes and worked at Mercia Sound in Coventry
presenting The Great Western Radio Show around 1980.
Alan Leighton
:
One of the very first presenters heard on air on BRMB in 1974
presenting the mid afternoon programme.
Paul Brown :
Well known for his later involvement with the I.B.A ( the radio
industry regulator), Paul joined BRMB as an overnight presenter in 1979
for a short stint at the station. Paul was also the stand-in
for
Stuart White and Nicky Steele.
Terry
Griffiths
: Terry, a
Canadian, did mid-dawns in 1976 -1977 - later moved back to Canada.
Terry himself adds: "I
did
BRMB's
graveyard
shift from 1976 to 1979 (with one short 6 month
break which I spent looking for work in Canada). I returned to Canada
for good in January 1980 where I got a job as Station Manager of a
small station on the West Coast. I worked my way up the ladder to
Vancouver after many stops, in many towns, both on and off air. Today,
I'm retired, living in British Columbia (in the same
small town where I got the job as Station Manager). I
really
enjoy
your
site........brings
back
lots
of
fantastic
memories." [Thanks Terry.]
Suman
Kang : Presented Geet
Mala with Tony Huq and
also a fantastic general new music show in around 1980 or 1981 on a
Friday or Weekend night. I forget the exact time or the name
of
the programme unfortunately, but it was a great show and Suman Kang is
a
terrific presenter.
Tony Huq
: Presented
Geet Mala with Suman Kang.
|
Suman Kang
|
|
Ed
Doolan : Ed
joined BRMB from Deutsche Welle (The Voice Of Germany) in
Germany and presented
afternoons from 2pm with
the emphasis on
interviews, current affairs, politics, local information and consumer
affairs plus the legendary
'TRADIO' slot where listeners could phone in with details of unwanted
goods that they wanted to sell (but no pets, livestock or firearms.)
Ed also presented a programme
called Talk In in the early evenings. Ed has become
a local legend and has also been awarded Honorary Doctorates from
Birmingham's three universities. Ed is one of the Midlands most
respected and authoritative
broadcasters, he stayed with BRMB
until 1982 when he joined BBC Radio WM, taking the successful
programming formular with him.
John
Howard
:
Presented the original late show in 1974, taking it in turns with
George Fergusson. John later went on to work with the BBC at
Radio Bristol and then as the main presenter of 'You And Yours' for BBC
Radio Four for 14 years.
"Dear
Mike, ......I also made the first independently produced
programmes for BBC Radio called 'The Leading Edge' a series of
personality interviews on Radio 5. For TV I was a Presenter on the
legal series 'Out of Court and the environment series 'Nature' both on
BBC2. I now run my own Video Production Company and I am Chair of the
Financial Services Consumer Panel. Good luck with the site. It
was great to read about the team I worked with in the early days.
Very best wishes, John Howard.
|
Ed
Doolan
|
Les
Ross : Les Ross took over the
breakfast show
around 1976 (from Adrian Juste who had filled in since George Ferguson
left the Breakfast slot) and became the
definitive BRMB
Breakfast Show presenter with all his funny
characters, witty comment, sketches such as 'Yesterday Never Comes' and
amusing listener involvement and the daily wake up call "Get Out Of
Bed!" plus lots of great music, of course.
Les presented the breakfast show from 1976 until February 1989, when he
joined BRMB's new sister station, Xtra-am,
which launched in April 1989. Les presented the breakfast show on
Xtra-am until August 1993, when he rejoined BRMB where he stayed until
leaving in September 2002. Les moved over to Saga 105.7 for two years,
then on to 95.6 BBC Radio WM in 2005 where he stayed until March 2009.
In December 2009 Les joined 89.1 Big City Radio in Birmingham.
Brendan Kearney
: Joined BRMB around 1979 and entertained listeners with his unique,
slightly bumbling, but brilliant and endearing style. "I saw an ad in a music paper that
BRMB Radio in Birmingham was looking for a trainee….I applied…went for
the interview..looked appropriately wet behind the ears, looked keen,
looked young and WAS cheap, so got the job!"
Brendan one of the voices that made BRMB stand out - famous for his
'Funny
Phone Calls' (which were far better than anyone else's!). Brendan
left BRMB
in
1987,
and went to work for TFM (Radio Tees) in the North East.
In 1990
Brendan was tempted to
return to BRMB by Programme Controller
Phil
Riley to present the breakfast show. Brendan had
always fancied
presenting
the
breakfast show on BRMB but could not do so while Les Ross was in that
slot.
In 1989 Les Ross had moved over to BRMB's sister station Xtra AM and
was presenting the breakfast show there, so Brendan took over from
Simon
Davies on BRMB's Breakfast Show. Brendan stayed with BRMB for
several more years
before
moving
onto another Birmingham local station Buzz FM; by late 1993 Les Ross
was back presenting Breakfast on BRMB.
Since leaving BRMB
Brendan
has worked with a number of different stations, appearing on Saga
105.7, Radio Shropshire, Time FM, The Revolution, Magic 999 and Dune
FM. About radio presentation Bredan comments: "..the best bit about the
job is...Having a laugh for four hours , playing some tunes…then going
home…and getting paid at the end of the month!" He has interviewed
Charlton Heston, Lauren Bacall, Raquel Welsh….we used to get all the
stars from Pebble Mill at One (a lunchtime chat show on BBC One made in
Birmingham in the 1980’s). "I remember once getting David Frost,
Kenneth Williams, and Midge Ure all in one day! Beat that Parky!!"
The most
embarrassing thing that's happened on air? "Forgetting to read
feminist author Fay Weldon’s book and have her storm out the studio
live when I couldn’t think of anything to ask her!!!"
|
Brendan Kearney
|
Andy Hollins : Previously
worked
for Dave Jamieson at Viking Radio in
Humberside around 1984 and on joining BRMB
presented his
own shows and also
worked with Brendan Kearney on "The Hollins And Kearney" show on
Sundays
in 1991
Nicky Steele :
Or "Nicky Nicky
Nicky Nicky Nicky Steele" as his jingle announced. Nicky not
only
worked for BRMB but was a resident DJ at The Belfry in Sutton
Coldfield where he spent over twenty years. Nicky started
with
BRMB in November 1974 when he presented the
Soul Show and later the afternoon programme which included the 'Tradio'
feature whereby
listeners could buy and sell items up to a certain value (£50
if
I remember correctly) - but no pets, livestock or firearms. Nicky
presented 'Motor City Funk' on Saturday nights in the very early 1980's
- regular BRMB ;isteners will also remember Nicky's 'Bathtime With
Steeley'
feature on a Saturday night. After a break from BRMB
for a couple of
years
at BBC Radio WM, Nicky returned to
BRMB in 1986 where he ran his 'Nicky Bag'
competition on his lunchtime show. Very sadly Nicky Steele is no longer
with us.
Mike
Hollis
: Maybe better known for his days at 208 Radio Luxembourg, Mike
presented weekend mornings on BRMB.
Roger Day
:
Presented afternoons in the early 1980's, also known for his work on
the sixties pirate ships such as Swinging Radio England, Radio Caroline
and Radio North Sea International and later Radio Luxembourg and
several
ILR stations around the UK including Saga 105.7 and later BBC Radio
Kent.
Adrian
Juste :
Adrian left BBC Radio Leicester and started out with BRMB from July
1974. Adrian presented the Soul show
and spent a short time on breakfast before Les Ross joined the
station.
In the late 1970's Adrian went on the work with BBC Radio.
Dave
Jamieson
:
Dave was at BRMB from 1975, joining just before the station's first
birthday from BBC Radio Leicester. Dave's colleague at Radio
Leicester, Adrian Juste, had already made the move to BRMB six months
earlier. Dave presented the breakfast show on the day of the
station's first anniversary, and Kevin Morrison joined Dave in the
studio as a guest. Dave initially started as the swing guy
(i.e.
sitting in for anyone who was on holiday), and also the presenter of
the Sunday afternoon Top 40 show (a marathon 4 and a half hour thing),
and the Saturday late night show. (Thanks to Dave Jamieson
himself for this information.) Dave went on to work for the ILR station
in Coventry, Mercia Sound, in 1980.
Read
more
from
Dave
Jamieson
HERE.
Nicholas
Charles Wilberforce Howitzer Hydrofoil Trevor Meanwell (Nick) :
Nick
Meanwell
joined
BRMB
from
ILR
station
Radio
Tees
around
1980
(at
the
time
when
Bob
Hopton
joined
BRMB,
also
from
Radio
Tees).
Well
known
for the 'Morning Call' weekday programme which included lots
of
listener involvement with the 'Two
Way Radio' feature. Latterly Nick Meanwell presented The Late
Show which featured Nick's excellent and frustrating 'Fiendish Phone
Quiz' and also many varied and interesting
guest interviews with celebrities and authors such as UFO expert
Timothy Good who spoke about the causes of U.F.O phenomena and crop
circles in a programme called "The UFO Report" and John Spencer who
spoke about "Perspectives", where he
tries to explain UFO sightings and alien abductions, and Dr Keith
Hearne who spoke about his
book "Visions
Of The Future" which investigates visions, premonitions and lucid
dreaming, in another of Nick's revealing interviews.
( LINK:
Dr keith Hearne's
European
College Of Hypnotherapy website -
http://www.european-college.co.uk/principal.htm
)
Nick
Hennegan :
Born and bred Brummie - presented late nights on BRMB
including Romantica on Saturday nights.
Robin Valk
: Head Of Music - The station's music expert, from 1974
Robin
presented the evening music show from 7:30 pm to 11:00pm (which
included a half hour break for a full news programme between 9:00 pm
and
9:30 pm). Robin is well known for presenting shows of Rock music, but
he also presented other specialist music shows such as also presented
other shows including BRMB's outings
into the world of classical
music with the superbly named 'The Ride Of The Valkaries' programme.
John
Slater
: Presented the the important drive time show on BRMB but was
perhaps better
known for his superb and unmissable 7pm weekday show 'SLATER' where he
featured all the latest music
and in particular showcased many local Midlands bands. Better
than anything that Radio One did.
Phil Holden
: Presented the afternoon show and also the afternoon show which
included his amazing impersonations and
his
daft 'Pop Quiz' where he tried to catch listeners out, but Phil always
won. See the audio files below.
Mark Keen :
Presented the early
shift in 1989 and went on to work with Mercia
Sound in Coventry in the
1990's
'The Open Line'
programme
on Sunday nights - initially hosted by Alan Nin
in the 1970's and by with Rev.
John Austen in the late 1970's to the early 1980's and
then
more latterly by from the mid 1980's Michael
Hartley.
Steve
Dennis :
Presented 'Lunch On' in the 1984 weekday schedule, overnights including
the 'Nights' programme and 'Disco-Tec' on Saturday evenings.
Ian Hardy
:
Worked on BRMB in the 1980's
Norman Wheatley :
Presented Romantica in the early 1980's on Saturday nights. Also worked
on Mercia Sound in Coventry presenting Mercia Folk and where John
Warwick would refer to him endearingly as Warm 'n' Neatly!
Graham
Torrington:
Joined BRMB in the late 1980's when asked to fill in for Steve Dennis
overnight programme. Steve had been called to fill in for
Brendan
Kearney who had been taken ill with a cold. (Poor Brendan was
quite well known for his colds!!)
Simon
Davies
and Deborah Kinch
:
Presented an all new breakfast show on
BRMB when the station went FM only in 1989. Simon also went
on to
present the 'Hot Mix' feature of the latest dance sounds which aired
around 1991.
Simon
Davies and Deborah Kinch
|
Andy
Hollins
Nicky Steele
Dave Jamieson
Nick Meanwell
Robin Valk
John Slater
Norman Wheatley
Steve Dennis
Mike Owen
|
Stephen
Rhodes:
Presented late mornings/lunchtimes in the middle 1980's. Also
worked and Beacon Radio and subsequently moved on to BBC Three Counties
Radio to present an excellent mid-morning consumer programme.
Mike Owen : BRMB's talented
Programme Controller in the early 1980's.
Bob Lawrence : Presented
various shows on BRMB in the early 1980's, also worked for Beacon Radio
in Wolverhampton.
Kris Kennedy : Presented
Reggaetivity in the 1980's.
Charlie Neil : Presenter of
Romantica on Saturday Nights (c. 1984 onwards), after Norman Wheatly
vacated that spot. Later presented 'Nights' on weekdays (c. 1985
onwards) and the early morning show from 5am around 1988 to 1989.
Phil
Gayle : Worked on
BRMB's Overnight programme
during the late 1980's and also other daytime shows. Phil
went on
the work for London Today.
Howard Hughes : Worked
for
Radio Wyvern in the early 1980's and then for BRMB, he went on
to be
Chris Tarrant's right hand 'news man' for many years at Capital Radio
in London. Howard went on to Talk Sport to present 'The
Unexplained' and then to or LBC in London (in 2006).
Stuart
Ellis : Joined BRMB in the 1980's and in 2006 is
Programme Controller at 97.5 & 96.7 FM Ocean in Hampshire.
John Taynton : BRMB's news and current affairs man in
the early 1980's presenting the evening news, current affairs,
discussion and phone in programme 'Briefing' until 1984 - later joining
BBC Radio WM where he presented the late evening programme.
Jenny Wilkes : Presented in the
early 1980's (weekends ?) later worked for BBC Radio WM.
Nick Clarke : Presented the fast
moving weekday music show from 7pm to 9pm and also the computer
programme 'The Micro Show' on Sunday evenings (c.1984) and 'The Sunday
Show' on Sunday mornings (c. 1985) from 8am.
Frankin Hughes : 'Ya Man
Franklin' presented 'Resurrection Special' on Saturday lunchtimes and
'Ya Man' on Sunday lunchtimes.
Chris Allen :
Presented 'New Day' the religious magazine programme on Sunday
mornings.
|
Bob Lawrence
Charlie Neil
Jenny Wilkes
|
BRMB
SPORT
- 'Because You're On The Ball'
Tony
Butler :
A BRMB legend! - A broadcasting legend! Tony Butler was was born
in Wolverhampton, England, and worked for regional newspapers befor
joining BBC regional radio from 1963 until the start of local radio in
the midlands when he joined BBC Radio Birmingham in November 1970. In
1974 he was tempted away from BBC local radio by the lure of the new
commercial radio station, BRMB.
In 1974 Tony joined the new station as head of BRMB Sport. Keith Hayes, of BRMB, took Tony and
members of the news team to the USA and Canada to sample how commercial
radio was produced in North America where radio was much brasher than
had traditionally been the case un Britain. Tony adopted this brasher
style for BRMB. Tony provided daily
sports bulletins during BRMB programmes which he would end with the
well known line: "Tony Butler... [pause] .............. BRMB... [pause]
............. Sport."
Perhaps more significantly, Tony presented the weekday evening sports
phone-ins
and
the marathon Saturday afternoon sports programme which featured match
reports from BRMB's correspondents reporting from all the local
football teams matches around the country - possibly the most well
known
of which was BRMB's Company Secretary Tony Trethewy and later George
Gavin. "Goal At The
Molineux!!!....Over to Tony Trethewy!!!!"
When discussing a struggling team pre-match Tony might comment - "Get
yer prayer mats out!" along
with Tony's other famous catch phrases which included:
"It's the
name of
the game..." "Let's kick it around." "...It's as
simple as that..."
Perhaps
the
most famous part of Tony Butler's Saturday sports show was the post
match 'analysis' from fans phoning into BRMB on 021 359 4011 to give
Tone their views on the performance of their respective
teams. If
Mr Butler disagreed with his phone contributors they would be met with
Tony's infamous catch phrase of 'On your bike' - being as Tony is a
Wolverhampton lad, this was pronounced "On Yer Boike!!" Tony Butler is reputed to have been the
vanguard of the sports phone-in format in Britain
When Tone took an on air call from a football fan it went a bit like
this: "What about The Villa eh Tone? They've got to change
the
midfield 'avn't they?" "No Way, NO WAY. On yer
boike!"
There
had to be a seven second delay* on Tony's phone in programmes, done by
a
tape loop (you could hear the clicks every seven seconds!), so that
the programme engineer could cut out any fruity language or comments
from unruly callers! * Quentin Howard informs me that the delay
reel was actually a mere 4 seconds!
Audio File: The
Other Side Of Tony Butler - interview by Ed Doolan on BBC Radio WM
Broadcast
on BBC
WM on 23rd May 2003
You can hear more audio from Tony
Butler on the Airwaves page and more audio from BRMB on the
BRMB Audio page.
George
Gavin :
George was with BRMB in 1981 and when Tony Butler
left BRMB in the early 1980's 'Gorgeous' George Gavin (a name coined by
Brendan Kearney) took over as Sports Editor and presented the sports
show on Saturday afternoons and the Friday evening phone-ins and
"Football Forum" events.
Tom Ross :
Started
with
BRMB
in
1981
as
a
freelancer
doing
many
sports
reports
and
after
three
years
joined
full
time
and
is
still
working
for
the organisation in 2006 and presenter with sister station Capital Gold
- later Gold 1152/990/1359. |
John Taynton
(news and current affairs)
Chris Allen
Nick Clarke
|
Les Ross broadcasting on BRMB in the 1980's
Ed Doolan on BRMB Radio (circa 1976)
|
