Read this: Ceri Hurford-Jones on leaving Spire FM

The radiated a program with broadcast bionics discover the world leading brands at radio hello, I'm Stuart Clarkson coming up later on the radio Today programme was talking to carry her for Jones the outgoing managing director at Spire FM in Salisbury who's leaving the station and ukrd next week after more than 20-years.

There.

Are we David Lloyd in radio moments Steve Allen hits 40 years LBC Stuart Henry departs Radio 1 radio reports on the resignation of a royal not that one and radio Brighton arrives a bit ahead of schedule, but first radio today's founder and editor Roy Martin is here.

Hello Roy countdown to Christmas is on we going to get cited hello Stuart yes, I am very excited and very excited to having a couple weeks off.

I think this is our penultimate one is it before Christmas

Next week and then Christmas Day and New Year's Day being Wednesdays when we normally published there won't be any additions or we could do a Christmas nevermind.

Yeah, that's looking forward to having sex and lots of people have been saying thank you for sending our Christmas gift Giving In wall planners and pens in the post so excited.

I'm still just before we ordered.

I spent most of the day stuffing envelopes with me even more because not only radiotoday wall planners.

I do other things sorry.

I'm small Planet central around here at the moment which is all good cuz everybody loves a good wall panel right.

Yeah.

Get those dates marks off other day as a day in March now that people might need to belittle asterisk next to cos that whole separate has been extended until possibly bring that on that calendar.

Special friends everybody on our mailing list to is it is a good friend has got a wall planner and everybody has a really special friend has got a couple of pens as well very nice if you got a couple of pens.

We love you lots, so as I alluded to their this hold separate period for power and the four groups that it bought has been extended a little bit weird putting a final decision middle of January looks like it's going to be March at the latest for the could come sooner than that it's not it's going to be 2021 isn't it? We're going to go through the whole of twenty in whole separate remember the gmg days of global buying that lasted probably almost two years was correctly this one is about one that's in Wolverhampton in the rest is all about sales of course with first radio sales so whatever is going to happen.

There is anybody's guess.

Do you have a guess? No, I don't dwell David Lloyd Road

You might have seen and he suggested just get on with it and say yes to everything Wolverhampton the side but yeah, it's tricky to know where is going to go.

Obviously wireless ra52 shareholder in first radio sales as well and after The Bower purchases if they got the go ahead as we expect them to do then it only leaves about 40 station, so they're gonna have to pick global or power to read if FRS doesn't exist and what a choice to make.

I'm sure a lot of stations will be looking forward to the opportunity to to see what's on the market where they can be best represented, but yeah, it's going to drag out and drag out.

Yeah that hundreds of people obviously at those stations that got bought early last year, so they were expecting perhaps a bit of you know our Christmas fun at what happens in January it looks a bit more certain now about what might happen in the new year, but it also means that you know they got a bit more certainty probably until March and may be on that as well.

March it's not going to be at this is what's going to happen, let's get on with it is going to be ok.

Let's maybe do this then.

There's gonna be another 3 months until somebody makes another decision.

I'm just guessing you and then once it's all finalized will take a while to actually put things into place so don't hold your breath for something in launches.

Its one.

I'm going to guess well who knows we might have a completely government's next week and they might decide to scrap or radio or someone who knows some of the radical proposals received from the parties, but who knows what might happen along with free broadband for everybody absolutely so that so that it's been going on in radio this week keeping a little sub-brand the life Roman Kemp at the start and saw a bit of Adele and Roman and Kate Garraway as well, but I can I have watched the last week or so, so it seems like Roman did alright and got himself a greater publicity.

Breakfast well done to Roman and welcome to Kate as well.

Who did quite well and the other guys from radio who was Nicholas Owen right as well from five yandex Absolute Radio hopefully radio is been annexed on people's brains at least a small portion that watch I'm a celebrity.

Get me out of here now.

There is a story in the Daily Mail this week as well about Matthew Wright's to say this but obviously did cos you don't write a story about Matthew Wright apparently.

I've been sacked from talk radio.

Where does the afternoon show who's on This podcast few months ago dismissed with immediate effect never coming back and he tweeted and said it was all this about the next day you shut up on here and say look I've not been sacked and actually I got off the new contract this morning.

So yeah.

Yeah, I'm in the Daily Mail

Quoting a spokesperson from news, so there's something is not totally the Daily Mail getting it wrong again if they've been fed up information by the actual radio station the other interesting read about this isn't Matthew Wright staying or not.

It's the fact that they alluded to talk radio being rebranded or taking over they say with with x radio has been going on forever and ever since New York Times radio Suntour axon radio this is going to be is it going to be one of the things in 2020 flights come out? We talk really I think he's going to get rebranded even though they deny it but the name is is up for Question Time Radio 4 sounds like Radio 2 of the people are on there and some of the output they do it doesn't fit the Times brand a lot of it probably does the news in kind of stuff, but I don't know whether some of the kind of

Great weekend overnight is that in Keeping with the brand of The Times newspaper is The Times newspaper on radio we don't know because they don't know any radio stations broadcast of course which the podcast a very high Brow shall we say not necessarily him at the top radio audience.

Are you raise a good point? We shall see maybe they should lunch time as well as talk radio.

Does it probably not compatible for them to do so there's an idea.

Well that there we go with one of your predictions for 2020 already with might have some more photos next week of the podcast couple of other stories around this week as well.

I wanted to chat to you about Martin and Sue who were on heart breakfast and Essex FM breakfast before it for about 48 years since the summer of assistance Jamie and Amanda to cover their their slot on heart Essex and they're making a comeback in the new year on Radio Essex not BBC Essex that's different to BBC

Radio Essex very confusing so many stations Essex contract is to not appear on arrival radio station for 6-months so and they did say it's taking a while to sort this out.

So yeah in the new year heart Martin and Sue as you said they've been on there for 68 years on the heart the going over to to Radio 6.

So will they bring the audience for radio Essex's go sky high? They're hoping so obviously the marketing with the key for that.

Obviously online.

I've got a bit of a following and Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts and things like that, but the key thing I suppose in the marketplace is about how you Mark them as the low alternative to to the other options, but they have a sizeable marketing budget for this move true since we last spoke as well Radio 1 of announced all these presenters are going to do their show.

Christmas and the new year that was about 35 of them from local radio and community radio and student radio and people sent demos in big process to pick all those people out looks like something sing combinations of people who've done bits of radio before getting a fantastic opportunity to get a shame really want some people from BBC local radio that the one from from Dorset in my neck of the woods actually appeared on Radio Solent to talk about his Radio 1 show on in Dorset this morning about Tuesday morning as we record this so it's interesting is creating a lot of talk dirty and monks radio and young people so it's all good.

It's an admin nightmare, but it's a good so right.

I need you to explain what's going on with Jack FM that there was the original JACK fm and then we got Jack FM 2 and then I think there's Jack radio and Union Jack and is there a Jack three as well? I'm confused what's going on?

Let me let me try and explain it to you so JACK fm was the original in Oxford on 106 it when a licence from Ofcom they not in this order, but then bought the other FM licence in passion.

I want to send fine and that's always been a huge station.

So that's why Jack FM 2 came about and then Jack 3 launched online playing some of the smooth Radio format and maybe lunch to National stations, which was Union Jack which plays only British music and then the Jack radio which plays female friendly music shall we say always should have been called Jack FM so what they want to do you take away the youth format in Oxford on 1.9 and put on the oldies smooth over 45 format in Oxfordshire because they assume that works better for them and also with the capital coming into some of the patch Banbury Sound is going to be capital or is capital now.

How do you say thinking long-term so yeah, that's that's been agreed and it will probably happen in the next few weeks to write good.

I understand that things would it still be called fm2? Or is it going to be called something else? I think they're interesting because if they have Jack FM and Jack 3 in Oxford obviously opportunity for some line is there is no you listen to Jack 3 if you want to talk to you.

Need to listen online or something like that, but I don't know maybe it's going to be called something else Jack smooth.

Maybe Jack Frost ok and I need you to play Sam FM to me as well.

This is your patch Sam FM in the solent area so that was owned by cellar door but not bought by Bauer now taken over by nation and they can I change the strap line and the format of it ended also an official contracts with power now because there is a bit of a crossover and Sam

Solent or summer himself as being advertised now.

He's playing the South Greatest Hits which sounds awfully familiar to a radio station called Greatest Hits which is owned by Bauer and not nation you never know we could be in this position were Nations start taking brands licence in the way to communicate with Global so what are the predictions for next year? I think we'll be that Sam FM South becomes Greatest Hits self and Dorothea programming and brand name from power so that you never know Simon Ross could be heading to Southampton with all these tiny little details buy things really excited isn't it right ok well before Christmas now.

I think they are the Irn Awards open for entries so if you are looking to do over Christmas and get your an award entry.

And entered those are going to be given out in March the areas obviously closed now, but the decisions are being made and the nominations going to be out early in the new year 15th of January and then the walls themselves on the 4th of March and also coming up early next year that you need to start planning for if you're going to go is radiodays Europe in Lisburn play going to be that yay.

That's good looking forward to that.

That's the end of March into the early part of April I've just seen as well.

That is looking for new trustees.

What's this is basically one of one of the trustees of the radio down to the cannon run the the board and make the Decisions of the board of trustees who basically are the Radio Academy he go on then.

You said three years and then you so they want three more and they looking for fresh new Talent Stuart Clarkson of Yorkshire and I be far too many things.

I haven't got time for a trip to London for meeting.

You at least six times of the support of the non salaried deal at your expected to to go to London so that's not feeling is it open up but it's good to represent the regions where I like your idea that like you think it's so yes nice range of people from different backgrounds and different bits of the industry as well to get involved in a good luck to everybody doing their election night coverage this week.

Obviously you know Radio 4 and 5 live on LBC and the big stations are doing it but lot of smaller commercial doing that you're right there you said LBC Radio 4 Area 51.

You might have missed one that I don't know just been a mistake.

I didn't know about another one News radio UK doing their own all night.

Live show first ever live show, can you believe it? Anyway you listen to this on Friday that was yesterday, but no a lot of a lot of the community stations and things as well, so it's it's a busy time of year in a row of Christmas as well and obviously planning and sort out the Christmas schedule is too looking forward to Christmas and taking time off this week Stuart it scary hurford-jones and he's on the way in just minutes tell us about what he's been doing the last couple decades at the Spire FM Salisbury hohoho the radio Today programme with broadcast bionics creators of The Bionic studio watching reacting to and learning from every spoken word Kolo sweet and SMS to and mix and lock and understand your content to buy onyx studio transforms everything about radio.

Except the way you make it this is the radio Today programme head towards the end of a busy year in the radio industry of a few people choosing to move on from their jobs and one of them is ceri Hurford Jones who is the managing director of Spire FM in Salisbury for the last 20 + years and I'm delighted to say he's on the podcast with this week have a carry.

Hi Stu it's nice to be with you lots to talk about the first or tell us.

Why why are you leaving where you going where you going to go and do well? I planned about a year ago to start thinking about texting as these things often do take to actually come to fruition so yeah, but a year ago we decided to downsize so the children of all go off in there doing their own thing and we have decided to go down to the bed later on in 2021 and I'm really serious saying it's something we've been trying to do for a long time and this seems about the right time to do it so I told the staff about 6-months a year.

You even that text I was looking towards exiting at the door and the time seemed right to do it now and you've been there a long time.

I think the late night is it was so inspired that was quite young at that time but right from the off it had been a massive success in Salisbury and it is Carnegie really did set I think the foundations down for the future of what then became independent radio at the new way forward if you like for radio stations at the BBC of course famously said right at the outset when the applications are being sought by the then radio local radio in the shape of Spire FM will never work radio audiences will never connect with this kind and style a radio show Chris to get the cuddles at a lay down what then became in.

What has become a very successful radio station in fact make a profit.

There are used as that would make a profit from the beginning.

19093 made a profit in the first three pages aren't for the loan that she unwittingly gave him and there we were and where we are today with what is becoming an amazing success story you are absolutely right.

She want to talk to you earlier about what becomes what is success and I'd like to be proud.

I am very proud of my stuff here for making this incredible radio see what it has become and I remember when I first started in radio in 197.

It was we always looked at the radars and that the station with the kind of land-based station if you like cos there's always channel 103 on Ireland FM doing the lamb station with the highest percentage which was always Spire it was I think it's half over half at one point you still got a third of the local population listen every week as well.

Which is massive.

Yeah absolutely you know 54% that was without paying any money.

You know they did this voluntarily enjoy incredibly.

Connection with this local audience have described many times.

You've heard me talk before many times about holding up a mirror to our community reflecting back down to them their lives.

What goes what makes them tick and and that connection of course came into its own last year with the incredible at spy ring that the whole story came to life and novichok is on everybody in became on everybody's lips and you know the comment came through strongly from our community to us here at Spire FM but they look to us for the really important local news that matter to them and the accuracy that is what they depended on from us was accuracy clear concise accuracy and that came across in our campaign post novichok, which was about #we live here too and that we live here to really.

And all and reflected on all that we were here to do I believe and it came together at that time and I think it's really important because he had the world's Media descended on Solsbury your 18 months to years that the thing is you're there for the long-term.

You're there to build those relationships with the local community so you can't just come in do a story make a hash of it and disappear out of town absolutely you know it was incredible to see all these big names Heelys breaking news editors wanted to camp on our doorstep bringing a huge teams you know 15-20 25th.

Yeah, we're lucky.

I mean we have and I would like to make this point we have invested 2qz iMessage using my news operation here we have more on used S90 Stuart that we've ever had before we needed that resource last time last year and that all kicked off where we actually were able to deploy five and six people but it was dwarfed by the what was

Interesting on a course we had that horrible loss of life that incident with a local resident losing her life, but what was incredible from from all of that was how much because you know my responsibilities for the chamber of commerce and they can and also on chapter the cathedral a director of bed, how much we were immersed within at what then became a recovery process so we were reporting on what was happening in our community.

We were part of a very much part of all of us are very much part of our community living here working here.

I'm being positive.

Hopefully trying to get back as well you mention that I came to Salisbury last November at obviously went to mainly visit the world-famous 123m Spire that I've heard so much about it is a lovely place on that sense of community just walking around the city centre and I suppose you have beneficial as a radio station that you can own the city because there isn't really much competition you've got.

Wiltshire you got Wave 105, but other than that you're the radio station.

Yeah absolutely anybody in radiotoday knows how to use the competition is now with the digital offerings out there and it was always about how we can enhance that and enjoying as we have the depth of what they were bringing into the party when it took us over him whatever that 2007/2008 they were able to give us access in a different way to different digital channels and Spire Christmas this year is incredible numbers of listeners that dedicated Christmas radio station which launches on 5th of November and all it plays his Christmas and people are loving it loving it so we're able to extend our brand in so many meaningful and so many different ways because of that Association were able to enjoy his part of what then became UK are they transition of course.

Two different TLR seas of yesteryear Investments originally, I think was was kind of what it was part of as well wasn't it's a lot of changes in 20 odd years.

Yeah, absolutely you know the late Mr Myers part of this organization back in the early days.

You know his vision that came through it took what Chris and his team have developed a lot more access the course at one time.

They are ltrc.

What is a massive operation surgery on radio stations, but what we welcomed with what UK R&D soreness and when they took over we didn't we haven't put labels on the values that we were actually operating under we just created our own working environment that seem right for our team, but when they came in with those values in tables on my whole team really embrace that Ethos that culture that way forward and I believe that's something we've been able to reflect back to our clients and our audience so they also.

What are values are and signed up to them as well and obviously the last 12-months you at your in this whole separate period at the moment looks like Barrow going to take over Spire FM as well as the other radio stations that they bought after you've departed but how do you see the future for a local radio stations like Spice important that cities like Salisbury have a radio station.

Isn't it speculation is rife.

Of course I can make absolutely will make that say no comment is no consideration of our we are in that as you say hold separate situation, but you know there I believed believe this, but there is still a very much a place for local radio and community radio stations enjoyed some success which is brilliant and that you know just for fun.

You know there is a reason why they bought us and genuine it.

I believe the team here my whole team here under the leadership of Karen Bardsley who's been my station manager myself.

20-years poor woman god bless her she is now stepping up to the market is taking over as MD and I believe under her leadership this station will continue to deliver local community wants needs and I believe ultimately expect from local radio.

I believe and local radio continue to see that it will continue to deliver what it should do which has been to the community and talking about you and your experience.

I think before you came to radio you worked in the farming sector and in the kind of financial services sector as well, so and now you've been that you've been involved in a lot of different things you know with the cathedral and the business improvement district in that kind of stuff.

So how important is that kind of portfolio career that you've had four people in radio these days absolutely looking above the parapet.

Isn't it is about making a CV work out for you in the future.

So yeah, you know I can honestly say I've developed some Incredibly Close partnerships out in the city.

The area south West Hampshire will help and so well.

I'm doing so many derozan exec roles lined up.

I'm also going to be writing a book Stuart so we can talk about that in time to come and also some podcasts on sailing because that's also my passion so I think it's it's about having other interests but the me it's actually the friendships.

I've enjoyed and will enjoy your eyeball once I walk out of that door on the 20th of December which will carry me through for the next few years in my third fourth or whatever his fifth career.

You know you don't stop growing and I genuinely had to leave at all.

I've got as much out of this community is a hopefully can put some of them back as I've put something back in I hope but certainly has some great friendships in this area some wonderful clients, but more importantly enjoy some incredible time here with a lovely audience who really got us from day one they understood what we were standing for and wanted to engage with a standstill and still today the

Ring when you open you know over the mic with the queue for whatever it is.

You know the minute at the last word they still want to take part and that makes me very proud.

You're clearly going to miss about what it what are your kind of best memories obviously mentioned the novichok stuff from last year that are well.

That's a good memory or not, but it's certainly an exciting time what else stands out over the last decades for you.

I think it's always going to have to be because for me it was always about the Outside Broadcast I couldn't do what you guys sitting a studio the microphone.

This is weird is out there looking the listener in the eye and so for me.

It's always going to be outside broadcasts.

It's always going to be the car giveaways radio station the size we are too for about 10 years we have to give away every year in myself in the whole team we go out there with the sales team because the sales team with the glue that held the whole thing together with the client to actually bring these together.

Pretty big set pieces that have so much these days, but even a few weeks to go out for a couple months ago.

We were still doing what we started out doing this is talking about and talking to the people and let you know life so for me outside broadcast car giveaways and having a lot of fun making people happy and I think really giving people a chance to win some stuff that they wouldn't get out with any other way people still love it because he excited interests and it gives us some content is not what we do absolutely we wish you lots of luck and we look forward to talking the podcast and everything else that's going to do will follow where you go next.

Thank you for today scary really appreciate it.

Thank you.

That's very hurtful Jones still come on the radio Today programme more excellent memories with David Lloyd in radio moments first a reminder about cleanfeed definitely worth trying out over the Christmas period if you need a way of connecting back to the studio in decent quality without the expensive kit.

Toby may be hosting an interview or doing show from somewhere different cleanfeed is great for any other people and podcast as well.

It's really simple to connect in live decent quality audio.

Just using a browser and he even record within the browser as well as a completely free version so clean feed won't cost you anything to get started at state 30-seconds also to sign up and within minutes.

You'll be the first live interview or recording automatically Breakfast presenters in the UK wake up to Steve Allen on LBC there's No One Quite Like him example of where we've gone completely wrong and it's a girl called Bianca after she has not unusual in this day and age should a fat waste of space and she said she's too fat for a job well.

Cobblers in my life in 5-years 5-years and so she gets job seekers allowance while we getting a job seekers allowance seeking a job at all.

See you again at LBC this week 40 years ago 11 news that the industrial Peacemaker ACAS is asking both sides and the dogs try to separate Talks Of headquarters employers and Union leaders will consider the offer tomorrow for nightline phone and was nothing overnight what you're supposed to overnight was do the rehash of the days news for your producer would come in and they used to be stuck of types in each Monday to Friday and I would go through it and they have bits of paper in them tell you that the queue was in there.

How long it was the pop points and we had all these instead.

They would go through them they go.

Oh we got a 7 minutes.

2 brakeside to put 7:00 at peace in here and can you fill either side of that with what sort of films do love your whole program overnight was it now 1:12 anyone today Rodney Bennett way down to London Zoo where he and Anna just giving birth with a blah blah blah and then would run this feature, then we discovered the Brian Hayes archive which had all his big celebrities in the big celebrities who had any of the Bette davis' and so we would start running nose overnight and then we get to 5 in the morning and then it'll be morning music and morning music was this dreary bit of class stop the went out with your practice centre round the twist Steve Allen LBC from you be in this week in 1979.

It won't be long I expect before more significant BBC reorganize Action to cover the cost of the over 75 licence fee concession at the few other person to do all the new things.

I need to do to justify the licence fee and it happens every few years of course this week for

5 years ago in a 70s flavoured cost-cutting exercise Radio lost 50 hours of weekly output and Radio 1 names like Bob Harrison Stuart Henry programme of cost-cutting this week in 1974 if you're enjoying the Crown on Netflix he is a familiar episode this week in 1936 the king resigned made to speak to the following day.

The BBC director-general John Reith introduced himself as the BBC's archivist recalls this is Windsor Castle is Royal Prince Edward diary here it's personal diary.

I then left the chair on the left side haven't got him to stand right of it in getting down.

He gave the table and awful kick which came over quite clearly they records on the day in question the 11th of December it was like that morning and I still didn't know what to title to use to introduce the of the former King he says here that this was about 1:52 p.m.

Clovelly of number.

10 said we should call him his royal highness Prince Edward and that the new title would not be converted a the new title.

I suppose we would have been Duke of Windsor

Clearly you can see the list of panic and last minute list of the whole business.

I am going to say a few words of my own.

I have never wanted to withhold anything.

Put until now the king decided he'd rather not bother being king this week in 1936 Radio 4 Today programme John Humphrys remembers one morning.

I was doing the program nothing terribly what's happening.

I done an interview at about 6:30.

Just after 6:30 with the senior Soviet Union official Moscow Karnataka Rathmore 5-minutes later whatever it was a producer came into my headphones and said you got that you're on the phone for you are right show rubbish taking the piss or whatever and seconds later the voice of Prime Minister morning she picked up the phone when she heard the interview with glasses off the kitchen and Number 10 pick up the phone to the switch water bottle through to Mr Humphries and she was like I asked her what she wanted to say and then they will send you all night.

We should do a proper.

That's alright, then.

We have on the telephone love from 10 Downing Street has just heard the news Prime Minister calls in to Radio 4 this week 31 years ago and this week several years ago that program move to new broadcasting house prices in the snowy days in 1967 one station came on here before it's planned start date.

This is BBC Radio Brighton on the air for the first time over to the official starting date of February 14th in Brighton that winter everything stopped people were trapped in shops and schools and at the time the radio Brighton transmitted on racehill was brought test transmission so they rang the head of radio.

Thank you lord and said Frank can we go on there? He got permission from the Post Office user control broadcasting back, then they jumped into a a404 vehicle the five.

Sorted out the routing got the statement from a studio and the BBC light programme actually promoted was happening and conditions here are so severe and having such a grave and serious it was decided that we would try and see if we can offer you an emergency service just at least during the period of severe weather to more areas and are completely cut off.

We've just heard from East Sussex Rottingdean and Saltdean are completely isolated they join New Brighton to cover the snowy conditions of 67 so with radio Yorkshire launching at Bradford City Radio on the Old Pennine FM frequency 30 years ago ginger Media Chris Evans Apex buying the original Virgin Radio 22 years ago the 5th floor which is sort of a 6 if you have a basement is free.

I might need a place to stay overnight, Rutland Road

Watching 21 years ago and data published 45 years ago from research.

Surveys Limited reporting that capital had a weekly audience of 7 million on LBC 1 million of course these days LBC has more than 1 million in London Capital has a bit less than 7 million.

Is this week's thank you David and thanks to Roy am I may get this week ceri, Hurford Jones join us next week for our final radio Today programme of 2019 and will be looking ahead with some predictions for 2020.