LBC loses its licence - 1993
Episode 917, Aug 22, 2014, 02:11 PM
Commercial radio was a risk in the '70s. Already late to the UK, compared to other countries, it struggled on-air with an unfinished patchwork quilt of stations. The first was LBC in London - all news and talk, at a time when it was almost unthinkable that anyone other that the BBC could manage the job.
The usual teething pains of any new venture were compounded by serious, industrial unrest, a tough economic climate, a challenging regulator, many presenters and producers not well-acquainted with the job - and advertisers who were not yet convinced. Despite many listeners regarding it fondly, it struggled.
After the company (broadcasting by then as LBC Newstalk and London Talkback Radio) had changed hands and management, it lost its licence in 1993. The then regulator, the Radio Authority, chose London News Radio in its place. Hear here the reaction to that decision.
Its successor changed ownership several times too, and the LBC name was to return in 1996. In 2019 it remains an expensive beast to run - and one still not valued anywhere near enough by advertisers for its large and hugely attentive audience. But its profile is high - as is the calibre of its presenters, producers and programmers. In 2019 - now broadcast nationally and in visionary hands - LBC has never been in better shape.
The usual teething pains of any new venture were compounded by serious, industrial unrest, a tough economic climate, a challenging regulator, many presenters and producers not well-acquainted with the job - and advertisers who were not yet convinced. Despite many listeners regarding it fondly, it struggled.
After the company (broadcasting by then as LBC Newstalk and London Talkback Radio) had changed hands and management, it lost its licence in 1993. The then regulator, the Radio Authority, chose London News Radio in its place. Hear here the reaction to that decision.
Its successor changed ownership several times too, and the LBC name was to return in 1996. In 2019 it remains an expensive beast to run - and one still not valued anywhere near enough by advertisers for its large and hugely attentive audience. But its profile is high - as is the calibre of its presenters, producers and programmers. In 2019 - now broadcast nationally and in visionary hands - LBC has never been in better shape.