He graduated from regional press in its hot metal days through a nascent commercial radio industry to a senior international role at RCS, the company whose market-leading software fuels stations around the world.
In this hour of #radiomoments Conversations, Mike Powell tells of his early days at Devonair and his graduation to programme management at County Sound where he was to be the first to create a Gold format – and introduce computerised music scheduling. After playing a role in the consortium which was to deliver Kiss to the North – he won back a licence to go back and finish what he’d started in Guildford.
Mike shares the drama of licence awards, brand-name challenges plus company mergers, sales and public listings - and his love of radio jingles.
In his own words, this is the Mike Powell story.
The full Conversations series may be heard here. Theme music thanks to Larry Bryant.
115: Gary Burgess - Wave, Wire, Q96, UTV, BBC Guernsey, ITV, Channel 103
114: Howard Hughes - City, Wyvern, Capital, LBC, BBC local
113: Graham Torrington - BRMB, Buzz, Kix 96, GWR group, BBC local
112: Clive Dickens - Chiltern, BRMB, Capital, ARI, Absolute, Austereo, Seven West, Optus
111: Louisa Compton - BBC Three Counties, 5 Live, Newsbeat, Channel 4
110: Cornelius Lysaght - Severn Sound, Southern, BBC Racing Correspondent
109: David Lloyd - Trent, Leic Sound, Lincs FM, Radio Authority, Century, Galaxy, LBC, Virgin, Orion
108: Ken Bruce - BBC Radio Scotland, Radio 2
107: Rob Jones - City, Luxembourg, the Super Station, USP
106: Colin Mason - Executive, Swansea Sound, Chiltern and BBC local
105: Lisa Kerr - Executive, Radiocentre, Local Radio Company; and Classic FM
104: Pete Price - Presenter, Radio City, City Talk, Radio Merseyside
103: Graham Dene - Presenter, UBN, City, Capital, Virgin, Magic, Smooth, BBC Local
102: David Symonds - Presenter, BBC Light, Home, Radio 1,2, Capital, Victory
101: Simon Mayo - Presenter, Radio 1, 2, 5 Live, Nottingham & Brighton
100: Don Thomson - Commercial Director, Piccadilly, Chrysalis, COO Global
99: Steve Collins - Programmer, presenter, Voice of Peace, Capital, Smooth, County Sound, Top Shop, Red Rose
98: Diana Luke - Presenter, Viking, Jazz, Superstation, County Sound, BBC local
97: Steve Orchard - Programmer, executive, GWR, GCap, Quidem, Prison Radio
96: John Inverdale - Presenter and sport, BBC local, BBC Radio 4, 2, 5, 5 Live
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