|
Century
Radio,
North
East
England,
1994
- 1997
by Ben
Baxter
Suggestions,
comments,
corrections?
contact
me! |
Please
note:
I
am
NOT
Century
Radio
and
have
no
connection
with
the
station.
|
Handy
Tip:
Century
is now known
as "Heart".
Century
Radio was
a regional
radio station
broadcasting
to the north
east of England,
from Alnwick
in the North
on 101.8FM
to Thirsk
in the South
on 100.7FM.
A Border Radio
Holdings station,
the direction
of the station
seemed very
much decided
by John Myers
and John Simons,
managing director
and program
director respectively.
These two
also appeared
on air, with
John Myers
broadcasting
as John Morgan
in the morning
and John Simons
at drivetime.
The personality-based
station had
a 50/50 mix
of music and
speech, and
began broadcasting
on Monday,
September
1, 1994 at
8 a.m. This
was the first
time John
Myers would
announce that
'a star is
born' and
play the Barbra
Streisand
record of
the same name
(he did exactly
the same on
the other
two Century
stations,
as well as
at Real Radio
which he went
on to spearhead
after Capital
Radio Group
bought the
three Century
stations from
BRH in 1999).
There was
a huge pre-launch
advertising
campaign to
raise awareness
of the new
station both
on billboards,
in newspapers
and even on
television
with the slogan
"the
best thing
for ears"
which was
not carried
through to
the on air
presentation
at launch.
The north-east
region was
split into
two by the
two transmitters
and advertising
was sold and
adverts played
separately
in each micro
region. Century's
ratings were
strong from
day one, with
them being
only #2 in
the region
after just
one year on
air. Their
main rival
was Metro
with at least
25% more listeners
per week.
The highest
migration
of listeners
in the region
appeared to
be from Virgin
Radio's audience
in 1994.
|
The original
presenter
line-up included
Andy Hodgson,
John Morgan,
Simon Bates
(ex-Radio
1), Tony Fisher,
Paul Frost
(TTTV), John
Simons, Steve
Phillips,
Phil Matthews,
and a large
news team
who broadcast
a rolling
news service
for two hours
every weekday.
After securing
commentary
rights for
Middlesbrough
Football Club,
Saturday consisted
of sports
programming
on the 100.7FM
Teesside transmitter,
with Gary
Davies presenting
the Light
Top 40 in
the north
on 101.8FM.
Sunday had
a two hour
gardening
phone in -
unheard of
on local commercial
radio today,
Country Countdown
USA for three
hours (a syndicated
show from
the USA),
and ex-Tyne
Tees TV in-vision
continuity
announcer
Neville Wanless
with nostalgia
for three
hours. There
were also
unique overseas
personalities
after a couple
of years,
such as the
Canadian Moose
Evans and
American "PJ
the DJ"
- which was
interesting
to hear in
itself, even
if it was
on overnights.
Programme
controller
John Simons
also took
a risk by
employing
Mike 'The
Mouth' Elliott
as the late-night
phone in host
6 months after
launch to
replace Phil
Matthews'
late night
love songs
show. Mike
Elliott was
previously
known as a
standup comedian,
but excelled
as a late-night
host. This
appointment
was not without
controversy
- Elliott's
increasingly
controversial
'shock jock'
style made
sure that
the Radio
Authority
were often
listening,
and on the
occasion when
he told a
caller who
was proud
that she was
cheating the
benefits system
to "f***
off",
it was by
chance that
a member of
the Radio
Authority
happened to
be listening
in at the
time. He was
immediately
taken off
air and the
rest of the
show was music.
John Simons
admitted at
the Radio
Festival in
Cambridge
2002 that
Century did
in fact have
a 'slander
budget' of
between £10,000
and £50,000
to cover any
'legal eventualities'
from their
big personalities.
Mike could
ad lib like
no-other,
and when the
studios had
a power cut
(which actually
happened quite
often) instead
of the DAT
tape of Andy
Hodgson being
played until
the computers
were back
up and running,
Mike just
talked for
over 20 minutes
- hilarious
stuff. (in
the mid 00s,
Elliott presented
a nationally
networked
phone-in show
on a large
number of
local Radio
Investments
company stations
called "North
South Divided"
teamed via
ISDN with
Alex Dyke
from Isle
of Wight Radio).
Paul
Gough
and
John
Myers
|
John Morgan
was very much
the star of
the station
- his Breakfast
Gamble (similar
to Take
Your Pick)
hooked listeners
for the best
part of an
hour every
morning for
two weeks
at a time
and led to
complaints
from employers
that most
of their staff
were sitting
in the car
park waiting
to hear the
final outcome
of the gamble
to hear if
the caller
would take
the money
or open the
envelope.
The prizes
were pretty
spectacular
too - £10,000,
a new car,
a round-the-world
holiday, etc.
Century were
also the first
station to
give away
a new £52,000
value Wimpy
house in a
very long
promotion
and elaborate
day-long outside
broadcast.
However, Morgan
(whose real
name is John
Myers) was
seemingly
growing tired
of the on-air
presenting
and was keen
to develop
his career
in radio station
management.
He was always
looking for
a way or an
excuse to
get off the
air for good
- the listeners
loved him
and ratings
plummeted
when he was
not broadcasting
on the breakfast
show. He finally
took his leave
when Princess
Diana was
killed, never
to return
to the Century
airwaves again
for a regular
show. I think,
years later,
that he did
a network
show on all
3 Century
stations called
"Fun
on the Phones"
and this may
have also
been carried
on to Real
Radio. There
was an attempt
to replace
John Morgan
at breakfast
with Steve
Colman, an
ex-GNR presenter,
but the listeners
didn't take
to him, considering
him the reason
why Morgan
was not there
any more.
Ratings plummeted,
advertisers
threatened
to pull, and
Morgan was
back on after
3 weeks and
a rather public
debacle in
the national
press with
jibes from
both parties.
Colman claims
he wasn't
given a chance,
and I don't
know what
went on behind
the scenes.
Morgan did
breakfasts
again for
a year. Then
the Century
breakfast
show was taken
over by Paul
Gough, who
remained in
the slot for
a number of
years. I think
Paul had been
a mobile DJ
in the area,
and began
as a correspondent
for Morgan's
breakfast
show after
some graveyard
shifts. From
memory, this
was in 1995/6(?)
when he was
accompanying
the Everfresh
pink pig in
a promotion
where listeners
would have
to shout 'Everfresh!'
at the pig
to win a voucher
for meats.
Gough used
to drop hints
about how
nice the Hanson
Honda car
was which
was also part
of the promotion,
and how much
he'd like
to keep it
after the
event. After
doing Saturday
nights, he
then presented
several time
slots, ending
up with the
breakfast
show which
was almost
as popular
as Morgan's.
Paul then
went to Metro
/ TFM for
a weekend
show in the
mid-00s and
now runs a
PR consultancy.
When Border
Radio Holdings
purchased
Sun FM in
Sunderland,
Century ran
a news story
about it,
introducing
John as John
Myers and
not John Morgan
as he gave,
in business
speak, a statement
regarding
the takeover.
He had already
'outed' himself
as John Myers
in the first
issue of the
Listener Club
newsletter
with a photo.
John Morgan presenting an outside broadcast of the Crazy Gardening Show at the Metro Centre, instead of John Simons, the usual host.
In the past,
John Myers
was a continuity
announcer
on Border
Television
(hence the
BRH link?),
is a big Carlisle
United fan
and loves
submarine
films. Century
even advertised
nationally
on Granada
Plus, a satellite
channel with
the line "whenever
you're in
the north
east, listen
to Century",
which was
a pretty ambitious
and unique
thing for
a local radio
station to
do. Morgan
was also on
BBC 1's Noel's
House Party
as his comedy
character
Mr. Martin,
a pigeon fancier
and wind-up
caller (he
claimed the
reason he
did not get
chosen to
be visited
by a live
camera crew
to film him
singing his
song was because
he had made
sarcastic
comments about
Edmonds' shirts
in rehersals
earlier that
day). Century
even helped
the BBC to
find other
Newcastle-based
acts for the
item, as John
Simon's claimed
the BBC in
Newcastle
weren't the
audience the
House Party
were after.
Myers did
however get
Century mentioned
on national
primetime
TV to an audience
of over 13
million. (the
next week
another local
radio presenter
- from Hereward
I think -
was a contestant
and didn't
get chosen
either). Morgan
also breathed
some life
into a dire
Tyne Tees
TV topical
magazine programme
which was
on after the
newly launched
"Tyne
Tees News
with Mike
Neville"
when Tyne
Tees re-branded
itself as
"Channel
3 North East".
Ingrid Haagman
from Metro
FM's evening
show was the
main presenter,
but did not
transition
well to TV.
Morgan co-presented
the programme
a few months
after launch.
TTTV would
fax his script
over, and
one week the
Gardening
Phone in hosts,
fronted by
John Simons,
started reading
it out on
their show
until Morgan
rushed in
to confiscate
it! Simons
later referred
to the enormous
size of Morgan's
earpiece mould
looking like
a deaf-aid.
A newsreader in the studio looking from behind the main desk
Century had
a listener
club,
which wasn't
free to join,
but did send
out regular
full colour
newsletters
and had nights
out organised
and compered
by Andy Hodgson
(who is now
head of presentation
at Bid TV).
You can hear
some telescoped
clips of Andy
on Century
on the radio
section of
his own website.
I'm afraid
I was never
up that early
to hear him!
Paul Gough in the studio
At the time,
Century's
new computerised
studios were
state-of-the-art
and one of
the most technically
advanced installations
in all of
Europe. They
were very
proud of them
and used to
give regular
hour long
tours in the
evenings to
groups of
20 people
at a time.
Perhaps it
was all too
easy to voice
track shows,
as one day
when other
presenters
were ill or
on holiday,
Tony Fisher
not only presented
the mid-morning
show, screened
calls on the
lunchtime
phone-in,
and presented
drivetime
but also presented
the graveyard
shift from
1 till 5a.m.!
Tony did like
his jingles
and often
used the instrumental
mix-outs of
the original
jingle package
on his drivetime
show. Rod
Hardisty,
the station's
technical
producer and
engineer (who
made regular
appearances
on Mike Elliott's
late night
phone in)
was very kind
and sent me
a copy of
the jingles
on tape when
I was 15, which was tremendously exciting for such a radio fan as myself.
I have a
lot of recordings
of Century
jingles, adverts,
promos and
trailers on
minidiscs
converted
from tapes,
and I hope to gradually add these
to this site
as time allows.
Stay tuned!
The Century production studio
For a while
I always thought
there was
a link between
Century and
the Midlands'
Heart FM (owned by Chrysalis) as
they had the
same KVIL
jingle package
resung and
also the same
company to
design their
logos which
both had a
very similar
style. For
more information
on the Century
jingles, visit
the audio
page on this
site.
In many ways,
upon reflection Century was
a bit of an
'old boys club'
- the only
female voices
were newsreaders
- and many
staff had
previously
worked at
Radio Tees
in the 1980s.
I believe
the first
and only female
DJ before
the station
was sold to
Capital was
the American
"PJ the
DJ" who did overnights.
Paul Gough in the main studio
Roger Kennedy
(microphone fans - although the above two screen shots were taken from the same promotional video in the main studio, Paul Gough is using a Beyerdynamic MC834 yet Roger Kennedy is using a Neumann U87 in black)
The eventual Century Network of three regional stations, with Century North East being the first.
An early schedule (but not the first, because James Whale did weekend phone-ins before Mike Elliot joined, and before the gardening phone-in was renamed. Note the two hour rolling news programme every weekday!):
Century was
then re-branded
as Century
FM, owned
by Capital
Radio, who
then merged
with GWR Group
to become
GCap, and
was mainly
pop music
targetted
at women presented
by southern
presenters,
encapsulated
by their 'hairbrush
divas' TV
adverts for
compilation
CDs. Nothing
like it was!
I used to
think it was
strange having
a station
aimed at women
through the
day, only
to have a
football phone-in at early
evening.
Abridged
from Broadcast:
"On
19th October
2006 Guardian
Media Group
bought Century
FM (and also
the Manchester
Century) from
GCap for £60m.
Both stations
have assets
of £1.5m
and in the
year to 31
March generated
earnings before
interest,
taxes, etc.
of £5.3m.
GCap will
continue to
sell the station's
ads and receive
commission
from the revenues
for five years
under the
terms of the
deal. GMG
chief executive
John
Myers said
he was delighted
to retake
control of
the Century
FM stations,
which he launched
in 1994."
On
30th March
2009 Century
Radio was
re-branded
"Real
Radio"
to be in-line
with the other
GMG regional
stations in
Scotland,
Yorkshire
and Wales.
So did Century
in Manchester.
The Century
North East
radio station
used the name
"Century"
for fourteen
and a half
years.
Century 106
in the East
Midlands was
sold to Chrysalis
who were bought
by Global
Radio, and
the station
re-branded
as Heart 106 then sold again and rebranded Gem 106.
Century North East is now networked "Heart" from London and has no phone-ins.
What
is my relationship
with Century?
I do not have
one. I happened across it on the dial and listened
from the test
transmissions
in August 1994 when
I was 14 -
it was such
an exciting
station which
introduced
me to the
fun of radio.
I started
doing hospital
radio whilst
at school,
then went
on to a media
degree, then
a masters
in radio production
at Bournemouth
University.
I'm now a
very part-time
voice-over
artist working
from home,
but aside
from that
do not have
any radio
related activity.
Aside from
being in the
listener club,
buying a Century
mug and pen
and getting
a tape of
the jingles
from station engineer Rod,
I was merely
a listener!
I think I
got one mention
on air from
Mike Elliot
when I sent
in a custom name
badge for him, but
I missed it!
In 2002, I
shook John
Simons' hand
at the Radio
Festival in
Cambridge,
but I think
I took him
by surprise
and he probably
thought I
was weird.
John Myers
was also there
lurking in the shadows as he had arranged the CEO of Clear Channel (a huge radio group in the USA owning thousands of stations) to come over and give a speech there,
but I never
had the opportunity
to meet him and say how
great Century
was. After
this, but
not directly
caused by
it, my love
of radio did diminish.
I listened
to Primetime
Radio on DAB
until it went
off air, Allan
Lake on Capital
Disney until
he left, Iain
Lee on LBC
until he resigned,
and now I
only occasionally listen to obscure online radio stations with no adverts like Jeffro Radio and Seeburg 1000.
I'm proud
to say that
John
Myers and
Andy Hodgson
have both
sent nice
email comments
to me about
this site,
so however
far from an
official seal
of approval,
it's nice
to know what
they thought!
The
text of this
article is
copyright
Ben Baxter.
All right
reserved.
It may not
be reproduced
in whole or
part without
prior written
consent.
Please
note:
I
am
NOT
Century
Radio
and
have
no
connection
with
the
station.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
original
logo from
launch.
In 1997
an additional
slogan
was added
below
it, "The
Heart
of the
North
East". |
The
logo after
Capital
bought
the station
- how
boring! |
Another
version
of the
Capital
logo.
Unfortunately
a jaunty
angle
does not
a great
logo make. |
Early
00s logo.
Same typeface,
but fleshed
out a
bit with
an icon
'C' graphic. |
After
GMG bought
the station,
they dropped
the "FM"
and brought
back "Radio"
and used
the Real
Radio
logo as
the basis
for this
period
(clearly
with the
plan to
one day
re-name
the station,
which
they did - boo!). |
|