The birth of Radio Leeds

BBC Radio Leeds first home at the Merrion Centre

What you'd have heard on BBC Radio Leeds' first day was certainly very different from what you would hear today.

One dischuffed listener is even heard complaining the whole idea of a radio station serving West Yorkshire as 'a bl**dy waste of time'.

Despite this, Radio Leeds was one of a select group of pioneering local radio stations which were partly paid for out of the council rates.

This caused concern and a little bit of anger from the local rate payers!

The station certainly had its moments. In its first few months BBC Radio Leeds:

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• Was accused of kidnapping singer Anita Harris

• Featured a talking budgerigar

• Ran a greyhound at the races called 'Radio Leeds'

• Launched a coffin in the seas off Scarborough (that well-known part of West Yorkshire!)

• Opening contributions, from its home in the Merrion Centre, included an Alan Bennett monologue and THAT talking budgerigar.

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Early beginnings

Despite limited resources, the station regularly broadcast from the 'Radio Car' from all over Leeds.

At first, the station's transmission area only covered Leeds, but it was expanded to the whole of West Yorkshire as BBC Local Radio started to spread across the country, several years after the 1968 launch.

The newsroom in the 60s

Today, listeners almost take local radio for granted but our first programmes left people bewildered.

Radio Leeds soon sowed the seeds of a real journalistic voice in the region. And even today it's still passionate about local affairs, asking awkward questions on people's behalf across West Yorkshire.

Radio Leeds' 30th birthday was celebrated in 1998. Cakes were baked, concerts held and special broadcasts made from many West Yorkshire shopping centres. Then on 24th June 2003, BBC Radio Leeds was 35 years young.

Again, the station celebrated in style, hosting a special day of programmes featuring old jingles and a special documentary.

The very first voice heard on BBC Radio Leeds, Liz Ambler (nee Oyston) returned to present the birthday breakfast show. There was also a special lunch in honour of the most important people at BBC, the listeners!

Since then, the station's moved to its swanky new HQ in Leeds city centre and it's opened its very own Bradford studio in the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television where this very website is also produced.

So even after 40 years, BBC Radio Leeds is still helping to make sure your voice is heard across the whole of West Yorkshire.