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Chamber and committees

Radio Clyde Celebrates a Half Century on the Airwaves

  • Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-11852

That the Parliament congratulates Radio Clyde on its 50th anniversary of broadcasting; understands that it was launched at 10.30 pm on Hogmanay 1973 with a show presented by Tony Currie, which began to the tune Song of the Clyde, by Kenneth McKellar; notes that Radio Clyde was founded by the late Jimmy Gordon, Baron Gordon of Strathblane, CBE, as the first official commercial radio station in Scotland and the third in Britain, and was based in studios at the Anderston Centre in central Glasgow; understands that, due to its uniquely strong Glaswegian identity, the station was an immediate success, capturing more listeners in its area than all the BBC's stations put together, and that, in its early days, due to the eight-hour limit on playing records, it featured a wide variety of programmes spanning popular, live and specialist music, sport, cookery, fishing, local history, drama, education, consumer advice, celebrity interviews and politics; further understands that presenters on the station included future First Minister, Donald Dewar, future Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, George Reid, Dougie Donnelly, Ross King, Paul Coia, Jackie Bird, Ben Brown, Bill Turnbull and legendary DJ Tiger Tim Stevens; recognises that the station has crowned its golden jubilee year by winning a historic gold in the John Myers Award for Local Station of the Year for the second year in a row at the national radio awards, the ARIAs, and wishes the current team at Radio Clyde well as they chart the next half century of success for one of Scotland's greatest broadcasting institutions.


Supported by: Clare Adamson, Jackie Baillie, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Neil Bibby, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Bob Doris, Sharon Dowey, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Dr Sandesh Gulhane (Registered interest) , Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Paul O'Kane, Colin Smyth, Alexander Stewart, Kevin Stewart, Evelyn Tweed, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White