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Radio in a Roundabout Way

The story of "Roundabout East Anglia", the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's regional radio programme broadcast from Norwich in the years before Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Norfolk began.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 23 Sep 2012 13:00

Clip

Roundabout East Anglia

Roundabout East Anglia

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ arrived in the East of England in 1956, opening a regional headquarters in a Georgian house at All Saints Green in Norwich.

From here they broadcast regional radio programmes for East Anglia from February 1957, and from 1959 the TV news bulletins which eventually became Look East. The radio programmes covered the same area still served by Look East today, so weren't "local radio" in the sense we now know it.

It was in April 1970 that the first daily radio news magazine, This is East Anglia, began. This was a half-hour show presented by former Radio Caroline DJ and Look East presenter Tom Edwards.

In August 1974 this was succeeded by Roundabout East Anglia, a two-hour show presented by the first Blue Peter presenter, Christopher Trace, and overseen by editor Michael Chapman. Roundabout ran on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4's FM frequencies in place of the Today programme, while national Radio 4 continued on medium or long wave.

Trace was succeeded as presenter by Ellis Hill, and later John Mountford. The show ran through until May 1980, when it closed due to the imminent arrival of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Norfolk, which opened on the 11th of September 1980. However, it wasn't until 1990 that the full area Roundabout had served was finally covered by other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Local Radio stations, when Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Suffolk started transmitting.

Several of those who worked either on-air or behind-the-scenes on Roundabout East Anglia went on to become familiar voices on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Norfolk down the years. They included our first two breakfast show presenters, John Mountford and Phil Johnson, producer John Mills, Roundabout's AA travel reporter Roy Waller, and also the likes of Maggie Secker and Lesley Dolphin.

Credits

Role Contributor
Interviewed Guest Tom Edwards
Interviewed Guest Michael Chapman
Interviewed Guest Ellis Hill
Interviewed Guest Phil Johnson
Interviewed Guest Maggie Secker
Interviewed Guest John Mountford
Interviewed Guest Stuart Jarrold
Interviewed Guest Michael Drake
Producer Paul Hayes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 27 Aug 2012 18:00
  • Sun 23 Sep 2012 13:00