Death of former Radio One controller
iain_stevenson1
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The former controller of radio 1 Derek Chinnery has died it has just been reported.He was 89. He was the boss of radio 1 from 1978 to 1985 http://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/03/tributes-paid-to-radio-1s-derek-chinnery/
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You are correct but, in a way, so are they. Robin Scott, Douglas Muggeridge (my boss) and Charles McLelland were Controllers of both Radios 1 and 2 and I suppose what the media mean is that Derek Chinnery was the first Controller of Radio 1 as a stand-alone station. In my day he was an Executive Producer and then Head of Radio 1 and much respected by the majority of the DJ's and producers he worked with.
Before DC was appointed Controller, wasn't his predecessor Mark White simply 'Head of Radio 1' who reported to the Controller of Radios 1 and 2? As you say, Derek was the first person to have the title 'Controller, Radio 1'
I was just a young fan at the time, but I did receive letters back both from Derek Chinnery and Douglas Muggeridge when I wrote to them about various aspects of the station. I think I did once send a demo tape in, and got a letter back from Derek, and he was quite encouraging (and I did go on to work in the business, though at a slightly lower level!) It really meant a lot, and I very much doubt I'd get such a personal and considered response these days.
Bruno Brookes @therealbrunoB
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@RadioToday #DerekChinnery #radio1 So sad to hear the news on Derek. He gave me my chance at Radio 1 for which I am eternally grateful RIP
10:01 AM - 23 Mar 2015
I guess he was of another era but he did make the station finally stand alone in 1982.
I pretty much despised his daytime line up. I realise that won't go down well here...
That explains why Johnny Beerling called him 'Radio 1's first controller' in a Twitter tribute.
I stopped listening to Radio 1 from the mid 70's later on Steve Wright, Gary Davies, Simon Bates etc mindless drivel, Still sad he only doing his job for the Dear Old Auntie.
Quite
I recall the schedule being all over the shop under him. Bates doing mornings and coming back in the afternoon, Andy Peebles doing an hour or so around lunchtime and Wright not doing Fridays
You are right. When I joined Radios 1 & 2 we had two Chief Assistants to the then Controller (Douglas Muggeridge) and then both networks had 'Heads' appointed with Derek later taking the job at Radio 1 and Mark White moving over to Radio 2. Douglas certainly had a policy of replying to all listeners' letters during my time working with him.
I don't think that was unique to R1 though - R2 had some similar oddities in their scheduling in that period as well, including the early slot presenter regularly changing (something like every 6 months).
Different times, but what seemed to happen then.
Good call. I grew up in a part of the country where AM was completely unlistenable so Radio 1 was a tiny part of my childhood.
I only ever listened on Saturday lunchtime and Sunday evenings on Radio 2 VHF.
In my late teens, I was then constantly faffing with wire antennas as I never knew which frequency Norwich, Peterborough or Holme Moss would come in best that day. I only ever listened to the late night comedy shows or Mark and Lard anyway.
I'd already left home by the time of the Belmont launch of R1 on FM.
I've heard many people say that the early to mid 80s schedule of Mike Read, Simon Bates, Gary Davies Steve Wright and Bruno Brookes was the classic radio one schedule. Bates Davies and Wright stayed in their slots for a decade so Derek Chinnery must have got it right !
Mike Read especially with his very generous gift to ILR in the form of the 'ban' on FGTH's Relax.
He certainly knows a thing or two about controversial songs, even now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgiNJFYBfyo