LBC & Capital Radio are 46 years old this month (the first legal UK commercial radio stations)

[cupid_stunt]

Shame they have both gone to shit in recent years!

LBC launched on Monday 8 October 1973, with Capital following on the 16 October 1973.

I was a bit young to hear their launches, but I certainly became aware of them from around the mid to late-70's, waking-up to the Kenny & Cash breakfast show [Kenny Everett and Dave Cash, reunited from doing breakfast on the offshore pirate Radio London in the 60's] was brilliant.

I also remember listening to Bob & Doug's breakfast show on LBC [Bob Holness and Douglas Cameron], again a bloody good listen.

So, share your early memories of the two stations.

 

[clicker]

Graham Dene and Nicky Horne on Capital . After school we used to go to the Capital Tower when it was on Euston Rd I think, or Warren St tube? Anyway we'd hang around outside waiting to spot someone famous, it was a right wind tunnel and usually freezing. They had a Merc stall inside on the ground floor, a Capital Hessian shoulder bag was the school bag of choice. It had a rising Sun on the logo I think.

 

[ChrisC]

LBC has gone to shit except for Steve Allen. Prefer talkRADIO these days. More varied less one shot callers and more in discussion with the multiple various presenters on the same show.

LBC was great Saturday morning with David Mellor and Ken Livingstone. Sadly that love hate duo was axed.

 

[Gaia]

I seem to recall a guy called Barry from Bushey who used to keep calling Tarrant. He became a bit of a meme. I think it transpired he was actually from Watford.

 

[maomao]

Capital Radio was a byword for shit music when I was growing up. All SAW nonsense presented by Tory scum like Everett, sex cases like Neil Fox and just plain old boring arseholes like Tarrant.

LBC I just can't do.

 

[T & P]

LBC is how old???

I honestly thought it was 10 years old at most. Didn’t they go nationwide only relatively recently? And didn’t it use to be called something else (or perhaps they took over another debate/ phone in station)?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

It had a rising Sun on the logo I think.

depends when

this is a thing

i remember this one more

 

[clicker]

depends when

this is a thing

i remember this one more

It was definitely in the 194 days...maybe it was an orange sunset design, but not cartoony. It smelt of a wet field if it got wet.

 

[MrSki]

'Dog & bone, dog & bone, talk to Robbie Vincent on the telephone' seems to spring to mind.

 

[clicker]

'Dog & bone, dog & bone, talk to Robbie Vincent on the telephone' seems to spring to mind.

Omg me and a friend stalked Robbie Vincent when we were about 12. He did a late night phone in then...not sure which radio station. We reckoned he'd inadvertently given out enough clues for us to think he lived near Shortlands...maybe he did/maybe he didn't. Cue the good old phone books available in public phone booths...found a 'R.Vincent' listed in Shortlands...
We rode there on our Choppers with an A to Z and posted letters of admiration through his letterbox. Then plotted up behind a bush from where we could see his front door and spent hours (in reality probably one) drinking Cresta and eating bovril crisps.
Was always more of a radio listener than a telly watcher, which may explain the DJ stalking.

 

[cupid_stunt]

LBC is how old???

I honestly thought it was 10 years old at most. Didn’t they go nationwide only relatively recently? And didn’t it use to be called something else (or perhaps they took over another debate/ phone in station)?

Officially LBC (London Broadcasting Co.) lost their licences in 1993, and a consortium led by former LBC staff won them, they ended-up buying LBC to run it until official hand-over date in 1984, when it was relaunched as London News Radio, bringing back the LBC name a couple of years later.

In 2014 they launched nationally on DAB, so LBC now stands for 'Leading Britain's Conversation'.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Omg me and a friend stalked Robbie Vincent when we were about 12. He did a late night phone in then...not sure which radio station.

He started his phone-in show on BBC Radio London from 1974- 1983, did various other stuff, before bringing his phone-in show back in 1989, on LBC.

 

[clicker]

He started his phone-in show on BBC Radio London from 1974- 1983, did various other stuff, before bringing his phone-in show back in 1989, on LBC.

Aha yes it was definitely Radio London. Loved that station.

 

[skyscraper101]

Have never liked Capital. It was always shite.

LBC I can only do in small doses these days.

 

[ruffneck23]

LBC used to be ok , not so good now, I only listen to James O'Brien occasionally, however I do like Nick Abbot