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| talkSPORT Station History From Talk Radio UK to talkSPORT January: talkSPORT no longer broadcast The Unexplained with Howard Hughes on their Saturday night schedule, with Mark Keen as the temporary replacement. In an interview with this website in April 2005, Hughes said: “I got the gig by contacting talkSPORT after I left LBC and suggesting The Unexplained as a show idea. Nobody else would have had the guts to let me do it.” Speaking about his departure from talkSPORT, Hughes said: "I loved doing the show. talkSPORT is one of the best radio outlets I have ever known or worked at. A truly top team and great people to work with." talkSPORT confirm that the station will be available free-to-air on the Sky Digital platform meaning no subscription or viewing card is required to listen. Since talkSPORT launched on the Sky Digital platform in 2001, the station was previously only available through the basic Sky subscription due to the broadcast of live sports coverage which talkSPORT only had the right to broadcast in the United Kingdom. February: talkSPORT Chief Executive Scott Taunton confirms that the station has secured the broadcast rights for live commentary of The Open Championship for a further three years. With the takeover of talkSPORT and The Wireless Group in May 2005, it was not clear whether the new owners would be renewing extending their contract to broadcast live commentary of The Open Championship. However, UTV Radio Chief Executive Scott Taunton confirms, in an interview with X-Trax Magazine, that the station had secured the rights: “We’ve got the Open Golf rights for the next three years.” talkSPORT secures its biggest ever sponsorship deal of £1.5 million with Ford for The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast and 2006 World Cup coverage. The package that talkSPORT has agrees with Ford includes the sponsorship of the station's flagship Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, which is co-hosted by Graham Beecroft, for another twelve months, and Ford also become one of talkSPORT's official partners for their coverage of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, alongside Sure for Men and Budget Van Insurance. March: Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs sign a new three year contract keeping them at the station until 2009, following a broadcast of their talkSPORT show from the Spice of India Curry House in Leicester. talkSPORT re-launch their official website and includes new features, presenter information, dedicated sports news, picture galleries and a listener message forum. talkSPORT say: "For too long talkSPORT.net had been the poorer relation with an appearance only a mother or drunken builder could love. That is, until now." Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow George Galloway signs for talkSPORT to host the station’s Saturday and Sunday evening slot between 8:00pm-10:00pm. talkSPORT listeners are invited by Galloway to tackle a number of political and non-political topics during each of his two hours shows every weekend. Chris Cooper, Nigel Pearson and Jim Proudfoot are revealed as the talkSPORT commentators at the 2006 World Cup alongside a team of pundits which includes former England Internationals Alvin Martin, Rodney Marsh and Gary Stevens, Jason Cundy and Micky Quinn. Ian Danter, Tim White and Geoff Peters are announced as commentators for coverage of the tournaments secondary matches. April: talkSPORT announce that Lisa Francesca Nand will be joining The Ian Collins Show as co-presenter on the mid-morning show as the station's "first ever female presenter". Chessy, as she is more commonly known to talkSPORT listeners, first made an appearance on the station in October 2004 during the Hawksbee & Jacobs show providing the latest traffic and travel news throughout the course of the afternoon. talkSPORT broadcast live coverage of the UEFA Cup Final: Middlesbrough v Sevilla from the Phillips Stadion in Eindhoven with Patrick Kinghorn and commentary from Chris Cooper and Alvin Martin. In addition, talkSPORT provide full coverage of the FA Cup Final: Liverpool v West Ham United and Barcelona v Arsenal in the Champions League Final at the Stade de France with Adrian Durham and commentary from Nigel Pearson and Alvin Martin. talkSPORT also broadcast a three-hour phone-in until 1:00am. May: The station win a Bronze Award Sony Radio Academy Award for Station Imaging at a Ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane in London. talkSPORT win the 2006 Bronze Award behind BBC Radio 1, who win the Silver and Kerrang 105.2, who win the coveted Gold Award. Regarding the station's producers, writers and performers Peter Gee, Jonathan Young, Steve Hartley and Big Al, The Sony Radio Academy said: "talkSPORT was full of wit. Redefining in its own distinctive way the audio furniture for speech formats." talkSPORT announce the signing of former BBC London presenter Jon Gaunt as the station's mid-morning phone-in host and a reshuffle in the programming schedule. With the arrival of Gaunt, Ian Collins returns to the overnight show with Chessy to present The Late Night Ian Collins Show each weekday morning. The return of Collins to overnights signals the end of Charlie Wolf at talkSPORT as Mike Mendoza replaces the American in the weekend overnight slot between 1:00am-6:00am on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. June: talkSPORT sign a deal to broadcast on DAB Digital Radio across Germany during the World Cup, including separate advertising and programming. The station strikes a deal with Germany regional broadcasting authorities to broadcast during the tournament. As part of the deal, talkSPORT's output is split during the advertising breaks to create tailored advertising, information and news for fans in Germany. The move also gives fans a greater opportunity to take part in talkSPORT's numerous World Cup phone-ins. talkSPORT begin their official broadcasts of the 2006 World Cup including the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica on Friday 9th June. Adrian Durham, Rodney Marsh, Jim Proudfoot and Alvin Martin provide full live coverage and commentary from 3:00pm with pre and post-match phone-ins broadcast throughout the day and weekend previewing England's opening match against Paraguay. talkSPORT triumph at the CRCA Commercial Radio Awards by winning the Commercial Radio Station Sound Award with talkSPORT's Creative Department taking praise for the award. Peter Gee, Jonathan Young and Liz Brace attended the lunchtime ceremony for the station who beat XFM London and Virgin Radio. The Commercial Radio Station Sound Award recognises the importance of station, programme, personality and feature identification. The entry could have ranged from a station package to a single programme or presenter. Judges considered suitability to format, impact, originality, wit, ingenuity and production values. July: The station broadcasts live commentary of Italy v France in the 2006 World Cup Final in Berlin with coverage from 8:00am-1:00am on Sunday 9th July. The full schedule on talkSPORT is as follows: 1:00am Mike Mendoza 6:00am Fisherman's Blues with Keith Arthur 8:00am The World Cup Sports Breakast with Nigel Pearson, Mike Parry & Micky Quinn Live from Germany 12:00pm Back Home with Hawksbee & Jacobs Live from the Sports Café in London 2:00pm World Cup Final Kick-Off with Patrick Kinghorn & Gary Stevens Live from Berlin 4:00pm 2006 World Cup Final Live: Italy v France with Adrian Durham, Rodney Marsh, Jim Proudfoot & Alvin Martin Live from the Olympiastadion in Berlin 10:00pm-1:00am World Cup Final Whistle with Patrick Kinghorn, Alvin Martin & Gary Stevens Live from Germany. talkSPORT broadcasts live commentary of The 135th Open Championship from Royal Liverpool in Hoylake between Wednesday 19th July and Sunday 23rd July. Adrian Durham presents talkSPORT's live coverage from Royal Liverpool in Hoylake beginning on Wednesday 13th July with The Golf Show: Open Championship Preview. talkSPORT's commentary team of Rupert Bell, Robert Lee, Richard Boxall and Bob Bubka lead with full coverage of the biggest golf tournament of the year. talkSPORT's Sports Breakfast presenter Alan Brazil signs anew three-year contract with the station keeping him at the station until July 2009. Originally, talkSPORT had given Brazil three months notice by the station for apparently being "disloyal to the company" following reports of a bust-up between Brazil and management over his "party lifestyle" and would leave talkSPORT following the conclusion of the World Cup. August: The 2006 Twenty20 Cup Finals Day involving Leicestershire, Surrey, Essex and Nottinghamshre is broadcast live on talkSPORT on Saturday 12th August. talkSPORT's coverage of the Twenty20 Cup Finals Day from Trent Bridge in Nottingham begins at 11:00am on Saturday 12th August and will be anchored by Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs throughout the day with commentary being provided by Chris Cowdrey, Jack Bannister and Andrew McKenna. The full schedule is as follows: 1:00am Steve Berry 6:00am Fisherman's Blues with Keith Arthur 8:00am The Sports Breakfast with Andy Townsend & Mike Parry (Digital Only: 11:00am-3:00pm Twenty20 Cup Live: Surrey v Nottinghamshire) 12:00pm Football First with Chris Cooper Alvin Martin & Gary Stevens (Digital Only: 3:00pm-7:00pm Twenty20 Cup Live: Essex v Leicestershire) 5:00pm The Final Whistle with Patrick Kinghorn & Micky Quinn 7:00pm Twenty20 Cup Final Live: Leicestershire v Essex from Trent Bridge 10:30pm-1:00am Mike Dickin. talkSPORT sign Kelly Dalglish and Terry Christian as new presenters of the station's Monday Evening Kick-Off and Saturday Final Whistle football phone-in shows. In addition, Jim Proudfoot is the new regular presenter of Evening Kick-Off on Tuesday and Wednesday, whilst, Rhodri Williams will be the permanent host of Evening Kick-Off every Thursday and Ian Danter on Friday night between 7:00pm-10:00pm with a comprehensive round-up of the latest news, results and phone-in discussion. Nigel Pearson also replaces Adrian Durham on Football First on Saturday as Durham is signed up as presenter by Setanta Sports. talkSPORT secure live broadcast rights to the Champions League, Carling Cup Final and Football League Play-Off Finals for the forthcoming 2006-2007 season. The station signs deals with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to broadcast their Champions League matches and also signs a deal with the Football League to broadcast the Carling Cup Final and Football League Play-Off Finals for three-seasons. talkSPORT team up with media publishers Lace to release two DVD's titled talkSPORT World Cup Road Trip and talkSPORT DVD Game in the Autumn. September: UTV Radio reveal plans to launch a news-based talk radio station on DAB Digital Radio in order to maximise the sports coverage on talkSPORT. Managing Director of UTV Radio, Scott Taunton, says that the company is considering launching a talk radio station devoted to topical news, current affairs and general discussion on the second national digital radio multiplex, which is due to be advertised by OFCOM towards the end of 2006. Commenting on proposed content, Taunton told Media Week that the station would not be highbrow or a competitor to BBC Radio 4, but a competiror to the London talk station LBC: "This will be about opinionated phone-in debate rather than political analysis. In the sense of current affairs, LBC would be a direct competitor in the London market place, but not the national marketplace." October: talkSPORT secure national radio broadcast rights to 32 live Premiership matches each Saturday afternoon between 2007-2010. BBC Radio Five Live win six of the seven available broadcast rights packages of 32 games each from the Premier League, however, talkSPORT becomes the first national commercial radio station to broadcast live top flight football since the BBC first aired live football commentary of Arsenal v Sheffield United on 22nd January 1927 in the Division One Championship. Scott Taunton, Managing Director of UTV Radio, owners of talkSPORT said: “After 80 years of hurt, this is a historic day for talkSPORT and commercial radio in the UK. To have won the rights to broadcast live Premier League, at a time when television is unable to broadcast, is the jewel in our crown. What’s more, it is a deal that makes sound commercial sense and allows us to vigorously market and promote each and every game. For the first time, people will be able to hear a very different style of top flight football commentary from the traditional sound of the BBC that they have been listening to for 80 years. We believe that our distinctive, passionate and energetic approach will appeal not only to our current listeners but to many more people who will enjoy our live commentary as well as all the up-to-the-minute action from around the grounds.” Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome talkSPORT as a new national live rights holder and look forward to working closely with them as we seek to offer fans increased choice and accessibility to follow the best Premier League action.” Rodney Marsh parts company with talkSPORT by “mutual consent” and leaves his role as co-presenter of Drive with Adrian Durham. It is understood that Marsh wants to spend more time in Florida with his family. Micky Quinn replaces him as co-presenter alongside Adrian Durham for the short-term future. talkSPORT's audience figures are up 2.1% quarter-on-quarter and 8.4% year-on-year giving the station a reach of 2.3m listeners with an audience share of 1.8%. According to figures released by RAJAR, talkSPORT achieves its highest audience for 18 months giving the station 2.3m listeners each week for the period between July and September known as Q3 2006. The station also adds an extra 176,000 listeners, a rise of 8.4% year-on-year, and talkSPORT also sees its quarter-on-quarter results rise too with an extra 45,000 listeners, a rise of 2.1% quarter-on-quarter. December: talkSPORT confirm their line-up for the 2006 Clash of the Titans with Alan Brazil chairing the debate between Mike Parry, James Whale and Jon Gaunt. The annual edition of The Clash of the Titans is to be broadcast on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve with Alan Brazil, host of The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, in his regular role of chairman of the annual debate. King of Late Night’s James Whale will be alongside Mike Parry from the Weekend Sports Breakfast and talkSPORT’s new mid-morning presenter Jon Gaunt discussing the issues from the last year. It is announced on Tuesday 19th December during the 2:00pm news bulletin that talkSPORT’s late night weekend presenter and former Capital, LBC and BBC Radio 4 presenter Mike Dickin has passed away. talkSPORT colleagues and friends pay tribute to Dickin with fellow presenter Mike Allen describing him as: “The Master of Talk Radio”. James Whale broadcasts a special tribute programme to his friend on Thursday 21st December between 10:00pm-1:00am with thoughts and comments from his colleagues. He left behind his wife Karen and five children aged 63. 2007 - The Premiership on talkSPORT January: James Max and George Galloway are given new shows on the talkSPORT weekend schedule following the death of Mike Dickin. Click here to read talkSPORT Station History for 2007. |
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