John Russell, BRMB’s first programme director and a pioneer of radio phone-ins in the UK has died aged 71. Russell helped kickstart the careers of broadcasters like Ed Doolan and Nicky Steele.
Talking to the Birmingham Mail, Doolan said: ““I owe everything to John Russell – he took a chance on me and, believe me, it was a chance.”
Russell helped BRMB to win their first licence in 1973.
After leaving BRMB in 1980, Mr Russell became managing director of Radio Victory in Portsmouth and was the first head of programming for the National Broadcasting School.
Writing late last year, Mr Russell reflected: “I was enormously proud to be in at the beginning not only of BRMB, but also a founder of commercial radio in the UK.”
