Tony
Myatt
Smooth talking Tony Myatt is Capital Radio’s late night man.
Starting out on Rediffusion, he hosted a variety of programmes
before spending some four years in Hong Kong. There he not
only worked for commercial radio, but also as a reporter and
feature writer. Back in Britain again, Tony found himself
presenting a weekly show on Radio Two Nightflight from
midnight till 2 am. But daytime listeners may have heard him
without even realising. For Tony’s voice was heard in nearly
every show as he announced forthcoming programmes in his trailers.
But it wasn’t until he started with Capital, that he was to
get his own afternoon show and the name ‘Topless Tone’! A
spell of jaundice took Tony off the airwaves for many months,
and when he returned he took over odd shows whilst he recuperated
Roger
Scott
32 year old (in 1976) Roger Scott’s first interest in radio
was whilst he was a merchant seaman. Sculling around the world
there was little else to do than listen to the radio. Back
in Britain in 1966, Roger read about the Local Radio Association
in one of the Sunday papers. He was so interested in becoming
involved in commercial radio in Britain, that he went off
to America to learn the trade. He went from WPTR in Albany
to a station in Montreal, to Halifax and then back to the
Montreal station as a programme director. In 1970, when the
Conservatives came into power and pledged commercial radio,
Roger returned to Britain, but a little prematurely. Firstly
he worked for Associated Newspapers who had plans for a station
and then for the United biscuits Network. In between times
he ran a production company making syndicated radio programmes
for America and Australia.
Joan
Shenton
An Oxford graduate with a BA (Honours) degree in modern languages,
Joan has written and broadcast in Spanish for the BBC’s Latin
American Service. After four very successful years as an interviewer,
reporter and presenter with the BBC’s Nationwide, Joan went
on to become a regular interviewer with Thames TV. Still with
Thames on a small scale, she has spent the last three years
with Capital Radio first on a morning shown with Tommy Vance
and now on Person to Person, a hospital request programme.
David
Symonds
Born in Oxford and educated in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire,
Dave read Botany at Oxford for a year. Shortly after leaving
university, he headed for New Zealand. Spending a while as
a lumberjack, he applied and got a job at the New Zealand
Broadcasting Corporation. Returning to Britain in 1965, Dave
joined the BBC as an announcer. Before long, he was presenting
Playtime, Newly Pressed and Breakfast Special, but his jump
to fame was with Easybeat. In 1967, he went freelance
and worked for both Radio One and Luxembourg. Before joining
Capital Radio in 1973, Dave worked as the commercial production
manager for Luxembourg and as a record producer. After a period
of time with Portsmouth’s Radio Victory he left to pursue
his career in another direction.
Tommy
Vance
Possibly one of the most experienced yet unappreciated DJ’s
is 31 year old (in 1976) Tommy Vance. Starting out in Life
as a merchant seaman, Tommy went on to be a disc jockey in
Canada and America. He worked for many stations there before
returning to these shores in 1966. Then he worked for Radios
Caroline; Luxembourg and London. When Radio One opened up
he co-hosted Top Gear with John Peel before going on to present
a number of highly successful shows for the network. What’s
New, TV on Radio, and Radio One Club, to name a few. After
leaving Radio One and up until joining Capital in 1973, he
worked in BBC World Service, BFBS, and was first presenter
of Disco 2, BBC 2’s first rock programme. He also spent
some time with the short lived International Service of Radio
Monte Carlo. On joining Capital he presented a number of daily
shows before finally taking over a four hour show on Saturdays.
Kenny
Everett
Born as Maurice Cole on Christmas Day 1944. This Liverpudlian
was soon entertaining the teachers at St. Edwards Primary.
After a long bout of educational fever, Ken touched down to
south Africa to help out at St. Peter Calvier School for budding
Missionaries, but alas they didn’t like his help and he returned
to Liverpool. On the suggestion of a humorous friend, one
Alan Edward Beeby, Kenny decided to launch some zany tapes
in the direction of Broadcasting House. After showing very
little interest, Auntie Beeb finally invited this nut down
to be interviewed on the Home Service. Well the BBC wasn’t
really ready for all of this, so they suggested (under the
table of course) that big Ken approach the pirate stations;
doing so, ‘Big L’ pulled the lad in. Radio London listeners
were heartbroken when Kenny moved onto land permanently to
join the BBC in May 1967. Ken joined the Radio One team in
October 1967, presenting Midday Spin and Where It’s At with
Chris Denning. From January to June 1968 he presented two
hours of madness on Sunday called The Kenny Everett Show.
In July he finally got a daily show. 1970 found Kenny on his
way out of Radio One in a hurry, he got sacked for something
he said. For the next three years he worked for various radio
and television stations in Britain and Europe, before getting
a starting berth on Capital Radio in London. For the first
year and a bit, Kenny worked with his old buddy Dave Cash
in the morning, then by himself and after a nervous breakdown,
he retired to doing commercials and two weekend shows.
From the book "The Music Spinners,
Britain's Radio DJs", edited by Nick Oakley & Dave Gotz, ©
1976 MRP Books.
Click here
for more info on Kenny Everett and details on how he made
his jingles.
Michael
Aspel 
