大象传媒

The hitherto untold story of the 鈥榳ilderness years鈥� of Kenny Everett long before he became a TV star.

In 1970, he was sacked by 大象传媒 Radio 1 for insulting the wife of a Government Minister. He was just 25 and was arguably the most creative broadcaster of his generation.

At that time, the 大象传媒 still had a radio monopoly in the UK, so the only outlet for his talents was on the corporation鈥檚 Local Radio stations, then in their infancy.

Cuddly Ken worked for six stations in total, there were few listeners, and they didn鈥檛 pay much.

The documentary was compiled by journalist and broadcaster Paul Rowley who as a schoolboy recorded Everett鈥檚 shows on Radio Merseyside on his domestic tape recorder. It was a good job he did because the 大象传媒 didn鈥檛 keep any of those vintage recordings.

Four of the stations even insisted that 鈥渢he wireless wizard鈥� never worked for them. But after a marathon treasure hunt, Rowley traced listeners who鈥檇 similarly recorded Kenny鈥檚 shows 鈥榦ff-air鈥� and tracked down some 大象传媒 employees who鈥檇 鈥榖orrowed鈥� the master tapes.

Paul discloses that one station manager was carpeted after hiring him without permission from the top brass at Broadcasting House. Another station fired him after a feature deemed to be anti-大象传媒. Part of the banned show is included.

The documentary also looks at the internal politics of the corporation over its handling of the 鈥榚nfant terrible鈥�.

Featuring:

* Kenny Everett鈥檚 then wife Lee who blitzed stations to put her husband on-air
* Former 大象传媒 Radio 1 Controller Johnny Beerling
* David Waine (大象传媒 Radio Bristol)
* Victor Marmion (大象传媒 Radio Merseyside)
* Ken Warburton (大象传媒 Radio Solent)
* John Holmes (大象传媒 Radio Nottingham)
* Dennis Lewell (大象传媒 Radio Medway, now 大象传媒 Radio Kent)
* Phil Fothergill (大象传媒 Radio Brighton, now 大象传媒 大象传媒 Sussex)
* Barbara Taylor
* Lawrie Bloomfield
* Richard Skinner
* Rob Salvidge

Kenny was finally allowed back on Radio 1 in April 1973 but left six months later at the start of Independent Local Radio, being part of the launch team for Capital Radio, the UK鈥檚 first commercial music station.

He died on April 4,1995 from an AIDS-related illness. He was just 50.

Fittingly, Radio 4 Extra is broadcasting the programme on December 23, 2024 on the 60th anniversary of the opening of pirate ship Radio London, where Kenny鈥檚 radio career began. It was arguably the UK鈥檚 most successful offshore station, with Kenny making his debut the following day on Christmas Eve, 1964 on his last day as a teenager.

The documentary was shortlisted for a Sony Radio Award in 2002 in the 鈥淢usic Special鈥� category.

Engineer: Darynn Garrett

First broadcast on 大象传媒 local radio across England at Christmas 2001.

*** This programme is part of a collection of shows in Christmas week as 大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra celebrates the work of Kenny Everett to mark would have been his 80th birthday on Christmas Day, 2024.

Show less