Johnny Beerling
Encyclopedia
John William Beerling is a veteran radio producer and station controller.
station British Forces Aden
in the Aden Protectorate
, acting as its station manager, studio engineer and morning DJ.
and was one of the few employees of the BBC Light Programme
in the mid-1960s to regard the model of offshore pirate radio
as one for the BBC to follow.
which was created as a legal alternative. This began a long association which culminated in his eight years as controller of the station from 1985 to 1993. He produced the first ever show on Radio 1 - Tony Blackburn
's breakfast show on 30 September 1967 - worked his way up through the ranks, creating jingles, recruiting most of the station's DJs (one of whom was Tom Browne who presented the BBC chart from 1972 to 1978) and along the way launched the long-running and successful annual Radio 1 Roadshow
events in 1973.
He was popular with the DJs at Radio 1
- affectionately known as "Johnny Bee-leg" by some - and his departure from the station in October 1993 has come to be regarded as the end of an era. Many of the station's veteran DJs either resigned or were sacked when Matthew Bannister
succeeded him as controller, and the network's ethos, music policy and target audience would change dramatically. Beerling publicly criticised the new regime at the BBC
, specifically in the person of director-general
John (now Lord) Birt.
The BBC re-hired Beerling in May 1995, and he organised the "Music Live '95" event in Birmingham
which was broadcast across all the (then) three BBC music stations, including Radio 1. He has recently written the autobiographical book Radio 1 - The Inside Scene.
, Beerling went to work alongside Noel Edmonds
, with his production company Unique Productions.
and in 1992 he was elected President of the Television and Radio Industries Club
of Great Britain. He is a Fellow of The Radio Academy
.
.
National Service
He began his radio career during his national service from 1955-7 when he ran a radio station for the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station British Forces Aden
British Forces Aden
British Forces Aden was the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the Aden Protectorate during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggression.-History:...
in the Aden Protectorate
Aden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
, acting as its station manager, studio engineer and morning DJ.
BBC
In 1957 he joined the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and was one of the few employees of the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
in the mid-1960s to regard the model of offshore pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
as one for the BBC to follow.
Radio 1
As a result, when the offshore stations were outlawed in 1967, Beerling was appointed to the newly-formed station BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
which was created as a legal alternative. This began a long association which culminated in his eight years as controller of the station from 1985 to 1993. He produced the first ever show on Radio 1 - Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
's breakfast show on 30 September 1967 - worked his way up through the ranks, creating jingles, recruiting most of the station's DJs (one of whom was Tom Browne who presented the BBC chart from 1972 to 1978) and along the way launched the long-running and successful annual Radio 1 Roadshow
Radio 1 Roadshow
The Radio 1 Roadshow was an annual summer event hosted and broadcast by BBC Radio 1 from the 1970s through to the 1990s. The roadshow enjoyed three decades of live broadcasts from beach resorts around the UK...
events in 1973.
He was popular with the DJs at Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
- affectionately known as "Johnny Bee-leg" by some - and his departure from the station in October 1993 has come to be regarded as the end of an era. Many of the station's veteran DJs either resigned or were sacked when Matthew Bannister
Matthew Bannister
Richard Matthew Bannister is a British media executive and broadcaster. After attending King Edward VII School , he graduated in law at the University of Nottingham in 1978, and joined BBC Radio Nottingham as a trainee reporter and subsequently the presenter of its speech-based breakfast show,...
succeeded him as controller, and the network's ethos, music policy and target audience would change dramatically. Beerling publicly criticised the new regime at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, specifically in the person of director-general
Director-General of the BBC
The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the BBC.The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC and is now appointed by the BBC Trust....
John (now Lord) Birt.
The BBC re-hired Beerling in May 1995, and he organised the "Music Live '95" event in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
which was broadcast across all the (then) three BBC music stations, including Radio 1. He has recently written the autobiographical book Radio 1 - The Inside Scene.
Unique Productions
After his departure from Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, Beerling went to work alongside Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
, with his production company Unique Productions.
Recognition
In 1992 Beerling was the first non-broadcaster to receive the Ferguson Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio from the Radio AcademyRadio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'....
and in 1992 he was elected President of the Television and Radio Industries Club
Television and Radio Industries Club
The Television and Radio Industries Club is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries"...
of Great Britain. He is a Fellow of The Radio Academy
Radio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'....
.
Publications
- Radio 1 - The Inside Scene, ISBN 1425157297, 18 April 2008, Trafford PublishingTrafford PublishingTrafford Publishing is a publisher using print on demand technology, formerly based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and now based in Bloomington, Indiana, USA.-History:...
Personal life
In 1959 he married Carol Ann Reynolds. They divorced in 1991 and have a son and daughter. In 1993 he married Celia Margeret Potter. They divorced in 1998. In 1999 he married Susan Patricia Armstrong. He lives in SkiptonSkipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
.