R2OK!

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

I don't think it's just nostaligia on my part. I feel that some of the best & most eclectic radio stations- here in london at any rate- are ones that no longer broadcast, giving way to blander, rather samey radio stations.
I will mention just three such in this post. I would love lother people to comment on those stations & others that no longer broadcast.

Back in the 80s I listened mostly to the old BBC Radio London. I read a Guardian piece- typically they dismissed Radio london & instead lauded GLR. GLR was a bit bland to my ears, tho better than BBC London.
But for me BBC Radio London was a superb radio station.
They pioneered phone ins in Britain back in the seventees, before LBC even came into existence!
Above all i remember BBC Radio London for its groundbreaking music shows.
The brilliant DJ Bob Powell hosted an excelent weekly Country Music show, there was a great reggae Show & Stu Coleman explored the roots of rock & roll.
Furthermore, Tony Blackburn hosted a daily soul music show long before London had its own specialist black music radio station or even a soul show on any other radio station!
There was alot more, & i could go on, but i'll leave it at that for now.

MAGIC is a pretty good radio station, but hardly particuarly musically distinctive on the London rradio Landscape, tho it does what it does far better than its immitators.
But before Magic there was Melody FM. There was nothing else like it on the radio then & there is nothing like it today. They played primarily easy listening music, going back to the classics of the forties, fiftees & beyond.
They are sorely missed on the london radio horizon.

And finally, Country 1035. The station launched in the 90s & broadcast on crackly medium wave. But they played something no other radio station in London did- country music. They went through a succession of name changes & owners but eventually folded. the dj i recall from there was Randall Lee Rose. I used to have his show on at work at the time & most seemed to enjoy it.

Today London is much poorer in terms of musical diversity on the radio. There are no specialist music shows on London stations. All you get on the dial are a rash of dance music stations, a rash of AC stations & a rash of Top 40 pop stations. If you include DAB, a couple of rock stations.

I know today you can access any music you want on the Net.
But it would be nice to still find Radio with personality & musical diversity

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

I've just heard that the expected Jan 2010 re-launch on the internet station UK Light Radio won't happen, not yet anyway, not enough finance.

http://www.cholsey.com/uklr/

or

http://www.uklightradio.co.uk/

The test transmissions last year included Pete Murray, Paul Hollingdale, Brian Kay and Nick Bailey.
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John W