BBC in huge shake up as hosts are replaced and show’s are swapped to honour radio legend’s 60th anniversary
BBC Radio 2 listeners will see a change up to their usual listening schedule, as the station celebrates a huge milestone for one of its presenters.
Radio host Tony Blackburn celebrates 60 years on air, with a day of special features to make the anniversary.
Tony made his radio debut in 1964 on July 25, and has been a well known presenter on the air for the past six decades.
The commemoration sees the station switch up hosts and shows in a huge shake up to celebrate.
Vernon Kay will temporarily take over from Gary Davies for a special edition of his De Ja Woo feature.
The show will invite listeners to share their memories of Tony, who will also later appear and be honoured on the Jeremy Vine show.
Tony himself will also mark the moment on Sounds of the 60s with a Summer of ’64 special on Saturday, July 27 between 6 and 8 am.
Tony, who is known as a huge fan of Motown and championed introducing it to British radio in 1964, will also celebrate his favourite genre during The Golden Hour on Sunday, July 28 between 7 and 8 pm.
Tony Blackburn fans will also have a chance to relisten to the presenter’s 80th birthday celebrations from 2023 via BBC Sounds.
It’s been a busy year of celebrating for Tony, as in March he hijacked The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 in a stunt celebrating the 60th anniversary of the UK’s first pirate radio station.
In the 1960s, Tony worked on the pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London.
During his takeover from Zoe Ball, he explained: “I started on Radio Caroline in July actually, 1964.
“I remember seeing the pirate ship, the Mi Amigo, for the very first time.
“We went out from Harwich (Essex), we sailed over from Harwich and it was quite a choppy day and I saw this little pirate ship giving the government so much trouble and I thought ‘wow, that’s great’.”
He continued: “Everybody remembers Radio Caroline, I particularly loved ‘Big L’ Radio London and that was a bigger ship and we had our own cabins and everything.
“But we all got on well out there. It was three years … I just thought it was wonderful.”