73: Bill Bingham - Radio 1, 4, City, Trent, IRN, Saga newsreader and presenter

Radio Moments - Conversations

From acting at Pebble Mill to reading the news on Radio 1, delivering the shipping forecast on Radio 4 and playing rude songs on Radio Trent, this is the life of velvet-voiced Bill Bingham.

In this hour of #radiomoments ‘Conversations’, Bill tells of his early years in drama and his accidental arrival at the BBC’s new radio station in Birmingham. He relates tales of the birth of Liverpool’s Radio City and the transfer to Nottingham’s Radio Trent, where he hosted a variety of shows as the station re-invented itself. Poached by neighbouring Radio Nottingham where he was heard delivering more news and talk content, he recalls how he was quickly transferred to Radio 1’s Newsbeat.

Once in London, Bill was then to be heard on Radio 4 delivering the news and shipping forecast in his impeccable fashion - skills he was later to put to good use at such places as IRN, LBC and Sky News and Channel 4. As he recalls, his love for music and the arts was feasted again during his spell at Saga Radio in the West Midlands.

Bill speaks too of the challenges of the job and the costs broadcasters like him have paid – and explains his passionate work for the Migration Museum.

In his own words – this is the life of Bill Bingham.

Enjoy the whole Conversations serieshere. Theme music byLarry Bryant.