Mark Seaman
Mark started his career on BBC Radio Medway, moving to Metro Radio in 1979 where he presented the mid-morning show. He joined Radio West in early 1984 from Metro Radio in Newcastle, where he had been mid-morning presenter, to present the drivetime show. At that time, or shortly afterwards, Programme Controller Mike Stewart left the station to help set up the new Radio Broadland, and Mark succeeded him with the slightly altered title of Programme Organiser. When Radio West extended its hours in September 1984, Mark’s new programme schedule had a very similar feel to the Metro Radio of the time, with a new lunchtime show, news at 5:30 p.m. and a late night phone in. Mark moved to present the new lunchtime show, which initially ran from 1:15 p.m. to 3 p.m., but was later retimed to run from midday to 2 p.m. When Radio West closed on 8 September 1985, Mark, as “the boss”, made the final announcements.
On GWR, Mark found his regular weekday show reduced to the one hour “Telephone Exchange” at 2 p.m. but he soon found a better place in the schedules, initially replacing Bob Harrison on the Late Show, and then replacing Johnnie Walker when Johnnie left to join Radio One. The first hour of Mark’s new 11 a.m. show was called “Ad-Lib” and was aimed mainly at women. The “news hour” then followed until 1 p.m. when the lunchtime news was ealizeed in “Report at One”. Yes, this was GWR!!
Mark went on to become network controller for the GWR group, and programme controller at Plymouth Sound. In 1991 he moved to the BBC in the south-west, returning to independent radio in 1994 as the programme director of Premier Radio in London. In 1998 he returned to the BBC and spent the next ten years in senior positions at BBC Cleveland and BBC Wiltshire. He has acted in films and television, and is an award-winning playwright.
Mark’s web site
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| Mark comes out of West at One for the second part of the last Light Lunch, Friday 6 September 1985 |
Mark thinking about other things when reading a What’s On on the last Light Lunch
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Mark closes Radio |