Rich Williams takes over Aire breakfast

Bauer’s Radio Aire in Leeds has a new breakfast presenter as local lad Rich Williams takes over from JK and Joel.

He’s been with the station for the last 9 years having started out on the Street Team and progressed to presenter of the drivetime show.

JK and Joel left Radio Aire in July after two years on breakfast.

Rich became involved with Leeds Student Television while studying at the University of Leeds and also began working as a member of Bauer’s promo crew, progressing to be Street Team Manager and then part of the programming team where he read the travel news on the breakfast show. He moved to the Home Run show as presenter in 2009 and was Arqiva Commercial Radio Presenter of the Year in 2010.

Anthony Gay, Radio Aire Station Director told us: “The station has a strong track record of nurturing talented broadcasters that continues to this day. Rich Williams was born and bred in Leeds and his passion for the city is a massive part of what we’re still about 30 years after the station’s launch.”

Rich told RadioToday.co.uk: “It’s only taken 9 years of banging on about Leeds before someone actually took some notice! I feel like I know this place inside out so can’t wait to crack on with making Radio Aire Breakfast my own. Although I do miss the street team…it was much less stressful!

Euan McMorrow, Radio Aire’s new Programme Director, added: “You just have to spend five minutes with Rich to realise how passionate he is about Leeds which makes him the perfect person to host the breakfast show on the city’s number one radio station. When you’re the only radio station that’s 100% focussed on Leeds then the only choice for a breakfast presenter is someone who was born and brought up here and who lives and breathes the city. It’s exciting times for Radio Aire and to have Rich spearheading our new outlook gives me 100% confidence for the future. It is Rich’s passion for his patch and drive and determination in an industry he loves which has seen make the progression from good looking promo boy to leading the stations programming output. This is what makes him such an ideal candidate to take over on the station’s flagship show!”