Radio City is part of the fabric of Liverpool life.
The station came to life in October 1974 after winning a contract to broadcast independent local radio from its studios on Stanley Street. It moved to St John's Beacon in 2000 and the station's name has been emblazoned on Liverpool's world famous skyline ever since.
However, Radio City will soon be no more. Station owners Bauer Media announced on Wednesday (January 10) that it will be rebranded to Hits Radio Liverpool in April, bringing its name in line with the company's other stations up and down the country.
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It is the latest in a number of recent changes for the station. It was announced last year the breakfast show would merge with sister station Rock FM, while City has shared network programming with other Hits Radio stations for some time.
People across Merseyside have shared their disappointment with the name change, while previous Radio City employees have expressed their worry for the station's future output. DJ Lee Butler, who presented shows on Radio City for nearly 20 years, declared it "officially the end" of the station, citing a loss of identity and an increase in networked programming.
Bauer has said the name change marks a transformation into a "nationally recognised brand". In a statement released this week, Group Programme Director Gary Stein said: "We are passionate about radio and the unique mix of companionship, information and entertainment that it offers and want to make sure it thrives in years to come.
"The audio landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years and, thanks to advances in digital listening, there is even more choice for audiences than ever before. By transforming into this nationally recognised brand, we’re really excited by the potential that the station has to grow. Of course, all the local news and information that we know you value remains, along with the music that you love to soundtrack your day to. It’s Radio City but with a new name!’"
This year would have marked Radio City's 50th birthday. As the station prepares for life as Hits Radio, the ECHO has spoken to past Radio City staff about their memories of their time there and what it means to them.
Pete Price, former presenter
It started when I went to a lady called Carmel Nolan with an idea of doing a show about soaps on a Saturday. She believed in me – it was before anyone in the media was doing anything like that.
It took off and it got me into Radio City, it opened the door for me. It was great.
Back in the day, because ‘This Morning’ was based on the Albert Dock, we had great access to stars, people like Gladys Knight and Dame Edna. It was revolutionary what we were doing for a local station.
Radio City was such an iconic name and there was no station like it in the country – it was the biggest radio station. In those days it cost a lot of money to run the operation because we had loads of great journalists and broadcasters. That's why it became so big.
My journey at Radio City went through everything. When they first came to me to speak about the phone-in show, they said they wanted four hours a night of chat and music – I was so nervous.
Eventually it got to the point where we eventually dropped the music as it developed.
I’ve got a million happy and proud memories from working there. One that will always be with me was when I saved 13-year-old Michael’s life. He rang in and was going to take his own life but I got him to the hospital.
I’ve always said there are three things I need in my life. I could never live without the ECHO, Radio City was in my life for what felt like forever and Radio Merseyside has always been there.
It’s a sad time but we still have a flavour of local broadcasting. We’ve got Rossie (Simon Ross) and Leanne Campbell. They’re doing phenomenally and they’re trying to keep it going.
Carolyn Hughes, former head of marketing and events
I began working at Radio City in 1987 and had 13 fantastic years making amazing memories that have lasted a lifetime. Before the digital age as we know it today, broadcasting was exciting, meaningful and a hugely important part of the communities it served, it made a difference and, in many cases, saved lives and changed lives.
So many of the country's top news and sports journalists began their long careers at their studios in Stanley Street and every major performing artist graced the studios for interviews at some point. Radio City’s sports output was the envy of the nation and many of the sports presenters are now some of today’s biggest presenters, commentators and pundits.
Radio City was instrumental in leading some of the biggest social and charitable campaigns to improve our communities and brought some of the world’s biggest artists to the city way before we were graced with an arena. Always at the heart of the community, with a voice that reflected the soul of the city, Radio City celebrated the city’s successes but we were always there when there were disasters and injustices.
April 15, 1989 is forever etched into my heart as a true example of the difference local radio made. When it was clear that a tragedy was unfolding at Hillsborough, I remember that – without being asked – every member of staff made their way into the station to man the phones and deal with the hundreds of distraught people who had not heard from loved ones.
Radio City was brave, pioneering, unique and vibrant with a heart that beat in tune with the communities it served. It is one of the most decorated independent radio stations and was bold, loud, proud, innovative and a breeding ground for immense talent.
October 21, 1974 was the day Liverpool got a voice that would span decades, created memories that would last a lifetime, be a part of people's lives and be welcomed into people's homes. This year Radio City should be celebrating 50 glorious years and those of us who owe so much to founding managing director Terry Smith’s vision for broadcasting will be celebrating and raising a glass to our trusted old friend, our lifetime of amazing memories and the opportunities it gave us.
I owe so much to those halcyon days and the person it made me and it will always be Radio City to me and many more who owe it so much.
Jay Hynd, former producer and presenter
I remember being at Party at the Pier when I was at school. I knew looking at the presenters that it was what I wanted to do – it was so exciting and felt big.
I started at Radio City straight out of school in a voluntary role and then I worked up the ladder, started producing on different shows, then did bits of presenting. I worked as Pete Price's producer across Radio City and then City Talk, we did six days a week but the big show was on Sunday night.
Hundreds of thousands of people listened – you knew that Liverpool was listening. City Talk then launched with so many legends of radio and that was so exciting.
I then went on to produce and then co-present the breakfast show on City. That was the dream job, that’s what I wanted to do then. We had a lot of listeners but we were so local – it was all about the people and the stories of the city.
If people want national, they’ve already got that, but the niche for local radio was that we spoke to the city. Liverpool is very unique, we’ve got our own way of speaking – to communicate from London to a city like Liverpool is difficult.
We had presenters who were from here and loads who moved here for the job. Those who moved here lived and breathed the city and they knew what was going on – and most have stayed here – they fell in love with Liverpool.
Those of us that are from here all grew up with the station. We listened to it before school, as we were getting ready to go out to bars, on the way back from the match – it was a part of life and it meant a lot to so many people.
We always said we were the biggest commercial radio station outside of London, it was true in terms of reach. Liverpool had a big part to play in that – we couldn’t have done any of that without the listeners and a city like Liverpool lends itself to that.
The tower was a great place to work. I've got so many happy memories in that little bubble at the top of the tower, doing some great work and having a laugh.
And what a location it was for a station. We never took that for granted – you could see the city you were talking to, we used that a lot and played with it a lot on the breakfast show.
You'd ask people to flash their car headlights if they were listening and they were passing the tower. You'd then look down and see loads and loads of lights flashing. It was great.
Claire Simmo, former presenter
I was a listener before I started working at Radio City. I used to ring in, I used to tape the DJs' links to listen to them.
As kids, we’d have the footy on the TV with the City commentary on, I would lie in bed and listen to The Peaceful Hour. I was a listener and really wanted to become a presenter.
I started to go in and volunteer and when I got offered a job, I was so happy. Until you actually worked there, you didn’t realise the impact you had – you realise how much of a part of the city you are.
There are so many great memories from my time there, making great friendships and the work that we did. I remember when we moved from the Stanley Street studios to the tower.
When we were in Stanley Street, there was so much talk about moving to the tower but we never thought it was going to happen. Then it did happen and to launch the very first show from the tower with Kev Seed was one of the most amazing experiences, the whole thing was amazing.
One thing that stands out was a day on breakfast with Rossy (Simon Ross) and Jay (Hynd) when somebody rang in and said their sister was terminally ill. She wanted to get married and asked for our help.
We helped out, we spoke to the council and got her the licence, we had bridal shops all over the Wirral giving her a dress, the Hard Day's Night Hotel gave her the venue.
We'd presented breakfast that morning but we were still there at 6pm taking calls, people rang in wanting to help. That’s how much of an impact Radio City had.
She had her wedding, had a great day but sadly passed away on the night of the wedding in the early hours. But the whole city helped and she willed herself to it.
Local radio is so important – it's company for people. People feel like they know you, especially people who are on their own, it’s like an extended family.
City was part of that family for Liverpool – people still come up to me and sing the jingle, that’s how much they related to the station. Everyone loved City because it was local, it was the voice of the people of Liverpool.
Dave Downie, former sports producer
I started off at City just helping out as an apprentice. It was huge for me, I’d just come out of uni and I was buzzing off it, telling my mates that I’d got a job and it was with Radio City.
Getting into radio was hard enough, it’s not an easy industry to break into, so to work at City was huge. I got loads of great opportunities, covering the press conferences at Liverpool, Everton and Tranmere.
When I got my first wage from there, it was immense. It was amazing to have a job there.
Looking back on it now, there's so much nostalgia. I loved working with Ian St John and Ian Snodin on a Saturday – it was so much fun, you couldn’t help but have a laugh.
As an assistant sport producer, I really learned the trade. The sports shows really set up the weekend, especially with Saint and Snods.
We’d get guests on and Ian St John was one of the funniest people you could possibly meet. They were great times, I felt so fortunate to work with them.
That line up we had, we were so proud of it. Listener wise, RAJAR stats would back that up.
It was controversial when they got rid of the live commentary and you could feel that the station was going to zero sport or news-related sport. The Legends Show with Graeme Sharpe and John Adridge was the last bastion of what City sport was.
We loved it, we adored it. The work we could build we were really proud of and the contact list we had was amazing.
We built something that was above local radio. The content, the people we got on, there’s a lot of national stations that couldn’t do what we do.
It was an incredible place to work. It’s really sad to think about the glory days we had there, the journalists that worked there have gone to amazing places.
You can just see the quality of the work is shown by where people are now. We’ve all moved onto other things because of work we did at Radio City.
Dan Haygarth, listener
Growing up in a house without Sky Sports meant Radio City was a godsend. So many of my childhood Everton memories were soundtracked by the commentary of Alan Irwin, alongside Graeme Sharpe or Iain Snodin.
The station's sports coverage was excellent. The build-up made Saturday really feel like a Saturday and the phone-ins after the game often offered some very welcome catharsis, hearing kindred spirits also driven to distraction by the Blues.
Radio City was such a great name for the station and it was appropriately brash – Liverpool was that city. The station always punched above its weight and really made Liverpool feel like the centre of the world.
The 96.7 jingle still rattles around my head, taking me back to the mid-2000s. Back then Pete Price's Sunday show was unmissable and truly box office. You never, ever knew what would happen next.
I hold a special place for that show as it was also loved by my Great Aunt Edna, sadly no longer with us. She always valued the company and community that local radio, especially Pete's phone-in, could provide.
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