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Former Radio 4 announcer Peter Donaldson gave the following short address at Jim's funeral:
When I joined the BBC in 1970, there was one Presentation Department and the announcers worked across the four networks. Then it was decided to split the Department into 3, for ‘network identity.’
Jimmy Kingsbury was appointed Presentation Editor, Radios 1 and 2, and Cormac Rigby became Pres. Ed. Radio 3. Both were already announcers. But, though at least three announcers applied for the Radio 4 job, the then Controller, Radio 4, Tony Whitby, didn’t appoint any of them.
Then, sometime later we learned that someone from Staff Training in the Langham had been appointed – and that someone was Manchester-trained Studio Manager and founder member of Radio Merseyside - but non- broadcaster, as far as we knew – Jim Black! There was much muttering in the Announcers’ Lounge!
I worked initially for Radios I and 2, but because the music we were allowed to play on the Breakfast show and Night-Ride was dire, I soon found myself in trouble with the management and decided, as I’d always been interested in News - where you can’t ad-lib! - to ask for a transfer to Radio. And so I became one of Jim’s team – one of his boys and girls.
Jim was dedicated to the job – so much so that he had a BBC telephone extension in his flat in Hallam street, around the corner from Broadcasting House and we were all subjected to calls at any time of the day or night; “ Hello, Jim here…” and then he’d question what you’d just said and how you’d said it…….and sometimes keep people up after Closedown, to rehearse the morning links and trails!
On the whole we got on and the only serious falling-out we had was over the halving of the Today programme and something called ‘Up To The Hour’ – and me ad-libbing again! I was nearly fired, but sense prevailed, ‘Up To The Hour’ was soon dropped, the Today programme restored and the matter forgotten.
After over decade of being Presentation Editor, Radio 4, (Sir) David Hatch – Managing Director, Network Radio, made Jim his Special Assistant (with a grander title which escapes me) and then sent him to help Pat Ewing manage the old Radio 5……..
And then he was gone from the Beeb. On the rare occasions we bumped into one another and I asked him what he was doing, he was always evasive; “Oh, a bit of this and that.” He liked being enigmatic!
All of us who knew him have our own memories. I’ve heard he was like an uncle to colleagues’ children, bringing them presents when he visited and teaching them conjuring tricks. He was a warm and generous man, but difficult to get to know.
A lot of the announcers owe him their careers, for giving them the chance to broadcast on the greatest speech network in the world. Pauline Bushnell, Laurie Macmillan, Susan Rae, Denis – Astley - Jones, John Marsh, Peter Jefferson, Dilly Barlow, Harriet Cass, and Charlotte Green to name but a few ….. and, of course, Moira Stuart.
We all owe Jim a big ‘Thankyou!’
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Jim Black (Read 13007 times)
