MONITOR SPRING ISSUE 1972            - Page Three -

      after became Chief DJ.
           For some reason, I didn't really get to know Alex, Paul or Chris well, but 
      Dennis the Menace and Rick were really helpful in explaining the techniques of 
      broadcasting to a very green DJ.  Although we are good friends (I hope) today, 
      Tom eyed me with some suspicion because he felt, possibly rightly so, that I 
      copied his style.  However, having got the word through a third party, I tried 
      to get over this.  This, in fact, is the most difficult problem (unless you're 
      a natural genius like Kenny Everett) - namely evolving a personal style in the 
      beginning.  It is very easy to be influenced by others.  For example, witness 
      the number of Everett type DJs, even today!
           In early 1966, following the departure of Alex, Dennis, Chris and Rick, 
      Ian MacRae, Paul Kramer, Eric Martin, Adrian Love and Ross Brown all joined with 
      Tom as Chief DJ.  There were also brief visits from people like Mike Hayes and 
      Terry Dawson!! The first half of 1966 was, to my mind, the best period of Radio 
      City.  We had a fairly good signal, due to our monster mast (the tallest of all 
      the stations) and a good crew working together with some solid pro DJs from 
      Australia plus the relatively new English jocks.  City's advertising never competed 
      with, say, London's but it was there, particularly religion! Our broadcasting
      time was extended to midnight, giving us eighteen hours a day on the air.  We had 
      City discos in places during the week, where DJs made personal appearances, plus 
      two cooks fresh out of catering college preparing all kinds of delicacies for the 
      crew's stomachs! The London office moved into better premises and the engineers 
      worked wonders with the equipment.  At this point, given a larger power output, 
      City would have seriously challenged the big stations with some revamping of the 
      programmes.  However, there were other things in the air unknown to most of us 
      at the time and the story took an unfortunate twist.
           I remember doing the afternoon show one day, when the tender arrived bringing 
      visitors.  Much to my surprise Keith Skues and Duncan Johnson entered the studios!
      They insisted I made no mention of their presence, which would certainly have 
      astounded some of the listeners.  The reason was the proposed UKGM changeover in 
      conjunction with Radio London.  I also recall the City DJs filing in one by one 
      into Big L's Curzon Street offices to be told plans for UKGM.  Although it was 
      never mentioned, I can't help wondering whether the 299 personalities would have 
      remained had the changeover taken place.  Radio City would have been a useful 
      asset for either of the big stations.  When I first joined Radio City we were Radio
      Caroline's sister station, carrying Caroline's news and plugs for Caroline programmes.  
      Now, we were to become part of Radio London.
           Subsequent events put paid to that idea.  I'll never forget the boarding party 
      which took over the station for a week.  They literally woke us in our beds 
      (presumably all of us !) with flashing torches and implied threats.  Some of the 
      men wore knives in their belts - opposition was out of the question.  So much has been 
      written about this episode and so much is still confused.  One member of the 
      programme staff joined the station immediately prior to the incident and left 
      immediately afterwards.  One well known person was associated with it in some way.  
      Cameras with photos of the boarders were mysteriously smashed.  Letters were sent off 
      the station to the Press during this time.  Messages for help were sent out on a ham 
      radio unknown to our captors.
           I went ashore a couple of days later and cashed a pay cheque bearing Reg Calverts 
      signature.  I left the bank and bought an early edition of an evening paper with 
      the headline "Pop Pirate shot dead'".  The shock was immense.
           After this tragic incident, the station carried on with Mrs.  Calvert at the 
      helm.  Things were never quite the same from here on.  As DJs we became too influenced
      by the relatively new Radio England.  Our engineers produced a fine new studio but 
      advertising dropped off.  As you know, the station closed abruptly on February 8th 
      1967 at midnight after we had received the message at 5.30 pm that evening.  The last 
      few days out there were spent in gathering one's things together and sitting around 
      wondering what to do next.  As it turned out, most of the City DJs went on to other 
      stations - Tom, Ross, Ian, Adrian and myself have all been broadcasting more or less 
      continually ever since on various outlets in various parts of the world.  I'm sure 
      none of us will ever forget those incredible times on the Tower of Power.  I know I 
      won't.
           PS.  For personal reasons, I'd very much like to obtain a tape of my first 
      City show (November 1965) or, failing that, any of my early programmes.  If anyone 
      can help in loaning or selling me the tapes I would be most grateful.  Please contact 
      through this magazine".


                                                               SIGNED: ALAN CLARK








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