Tributes paid after death of Richard Findlay

Former Scottish radio executive Richard Findlay, who was the first voice on Edinburgh’s Radio Forth, has died aged 73.

He was most recently the Chairman of Creative Scotland, which announced just last week that he was stepping down due to ill health. A statement from Creative Scotland on 5th July said: “It is with sadness and regret that we announce that our Chair, Richard Findlay CBE, will be stepping down this week owing to ill-health. The Scottish Government is in the process of putting in place interim arrangements and will begin the process of recruiting a permanent Chair as soon as possible.”

Richard became the organisation’s Chair in January 2015, and had previously been chief executive of Scottish Radio Holdings and Chair of STV. He was made a CBE for services to the arts and creative industries in 2013.

In 1975 he was Programme Director of Radio Forth, and spoke the first words on air – you can hear the launch below. Before Radio Forth Richard had worked in the Capital Radio newsroom and at BBC Scotland.

Richard was instrumental in Radio Forth’s merger with Radio Clyde in the early 90s, forming Scottish Radio Holdings. He left the company in 2005 ahead of its sale to Emap, by which time it operated 22 radio stations.

Fellow former commercial radio executive John Myers said: “So very, very sad to read that my old friend Richard Findlay has passed away. A giant of a man in Scottish radio/media, a lovely person.”

Former Radio Clyde programmer Jay Crawford, who started his career as a teenage DJ at Radio Forth, said: “So sad to hear that Richard Findlay who gave me my first job in radio in 1974 has passed away. I’m forever in his debt.”

Here are some more tributes to Richard from Twitter:

Richard Findlay – the first man to speak on Radio Forth – has died at the age of 73.

— Radio Forth News (@RadioForthNews) July 12, 2017

Really sorry to hear of the death of Richard Findlay who gave Radio Forth a great start in the 70's and much more beside https://t.co/XbO0tW56Sq

— George Foulkes (@GeorgeFoulkes) July 12, 2017

Very sad to hear this news of death of Richard Findlay, long-time MD of Radio Forth; a thoroughly good man, universally liked and admired. https://t.co/N77znK2dQq

— David Vick (@DavidVick5) July 12, 2017

Sad to hear Richard Findlay (Radio Forth)has passed away.No relation but I got know Richard at the 'birth' of Radio Forth in early 70s. RIP

— bruce findlay (@brucerisk) July 12, 2017

So very, very sad to read that my old friend Richard Findlay has passed away. A giant of a man in Scottish radio/media, a lovely person.

— John Myers (@johnmyersteam) July 12, 2017

So sad to hear that Richard Findlay who gave me my first job in radio in 1974 has passed away. I'm forever in his debt.

— JayCrawford (@jay2974) July 12, 2017

Listen to the launch of Radio Forth: