Radio Times

Radio Times is a long-running BBC weekly magazine that includes listings of TV and radio programmes. First published in 1923, it initially listed BBC radio programmes, with BBC television later added, but has listed all major channels since 1991.

In the issue dated September 26, 1968, Peel was pictured in a feature celebrating the first anniversary of Radio 1, which also mentions that listeners tune in to hear the "New Sounds with Peel". He appeared in the magazine in January 1970 (issue dated 15 January) as part of a feature on the BBC's two then new pop programmes Disco 2 on BBC Two TV and John Peel's Sunday Show on Radio One. In an interview for the piece, Peel plays down the role of DJs as celebrities and is quoted as saying among other things, "Some disc jockeys don't realise the essential insignificance of their role". He is, however, credited as having "helped to create and foster interest in better pop music" and having "thrown the spotlight on many talented but unheard bands". A photograph was also printed. From 1993 until his death, Peel was a regular columnist for the publication, which marked his 60th birthday celebrations in 1999 by featuring him on the front cover. However, Peel had written sporadically for the magazine since at least 1971, when he sparked controversy by criticising the late-night airing of the VHF simulcasts of 'Sounds of the Seventies' which he, among others, was about to present. Shortly before he became a regular columnist, he was interviewed twice; in the 7-13 March 1992 issue (where he mentioned that he sometimes got phone calls from desperate, socially isolated listeners who wanted to talk to Steve Wright at 2 am in the morning, and that for Radio 1 to copy the then-recently-deregulated commercial stations would be "like Liverpool worrying about their future and deciding to imitate Chesterfield") and in the 31 July-6 August 1993 issue, where he mentioned the positive response to his daytime stint earlier in the year.

He also wrote a piece for the 1000th episode of Top of the Pops, which was the cover story in the 30 April-6 May 1983 issue, the 21st anniversary of Radio 1 in the 1-7 October 1988 issue, and a foreword for Tony Currie's 2001 history of the magazine 'The Radio Times Story'. Earlier, he wrote a piece on punk and the related social context for the 1-7 October 1977 issue, which marked Radio 1's 10th anniversary, and a piece on the radio series Songs of Protest for the 2-8 July 1977 issue, both clearly challenging the social assumptions of much of the magazine's readership. He appeared on the front cover together with all the other Radio One DJs for the Radio 1 10th anniversary issue.

In 1998 he was part of the Radio 4 'revamp' with the Home Truths programme and appeared on the front cover of the Radio Times as part of the 'Four For 4' feature.

Peel Articles
Many of Peel's columns for the magazine were reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles:
 * 1971-10-02, My Choice, pg. 5
 * 1994-01-29, Road Rage, pg. 257-9
 * 1994-06-18, King Arthur, pg. 130-2
 * 1994-07-09, Oddballs, pg.189-90
 * 1994-10-22, Local Radio, pg. 143-5
 * 1994-11-05, Medieval Medicine, pg.156-7
 * 1995-01-07, Voice-overs, pg. 324-6
 * 1995-07-29, Devil’s Music, pg. 49-51
 * 1995-08-12, Sock Syndrome, pg. 278-80
 * 1995-10-14, Berlin Punk, pg. 19-21
 * 1995-12-02, Montel, pg.163-5
 * 1996-02-17, Alien Empire, pg. 4-6
 * 1996-10-19, Foxes, pg. 97-9
 * 1998-05-23, Doomsday, pg. 52-4
 * 1998-06-13, A Snappy Dancer, pg.1-3
 * 1999-04-10, Whatever You Want, pg. 336-8
 * 1999-08-07, Summer of Love, pg. 292-4
 * 2000-01-22, Nooderslag, pg. 186-8
 * 2000-03-02, Too Decrepit to Walk, pg. 299-300
 * 2000-04-22, Today Programme, pg. 295-6
 * 2000-12-09, Children’s TV, pg. 44-6
 * 2000-12-16, Kerguelen, pg. 127-9
 * 2001-01-20, Adrian Henri, pg. 114-16
 * 2001-05-12, Tony Bennett, pg. 17-18
 * 2001-07-07, Driving to Sonar, pg. 55-6
 * 2001-08-11, John Walters, pg. 331-2
 * 2001-10-27, WI, pg. 339-40
 * 2002-01-19, New Year’s Eve, pg. 173-4
 * 2002-02-09, Everything’s up to date in Kansas City, pg. 73-4
 * 2002-03-23, California, pg. 34-5

Please add further information on Peel's columns for Radio Times if known.

1977
Oct 1: ''It is true that no station other than Radio 1 would sanction a programme such as that I introduce each night of the week. On this John Walters, my producer, and I present what we feel to be the very best of rock music, taking in also folk, reggae and whatever else seems relevant. We also play the Yesses and ELPs of this world, although with a disgraceful display of truculence from me, as part of our review function....''(Peel's piece is part of a longer article with contributions from other Radio 1 DJs. Read more here)

1988
Oct 1: Taming The Pirates: John Peel explains how makers of maritime mayhem became domesticated DJs. Article on Radio 1 as part of the BBC Radio 21st Birthday celebrations (pp 9-10). Page 9 also features vintage Radio Times cutting of Top Gear listing with photograph of Peel. (read more)

1994
Dec 17: ''So, what sort of Christmas will we be having in our rustic bunker? I have sought the views of the several fruits of our loins on this and they have, in turn, looked puzzled, said, "Dunno", turned apprehensive and asked "Why d'ya wanna know?" in the tone of voice they use when I ...'' (read more)

1996
Feb 17: ''Pity the poor mayfly. It starts life in riverbottom mud, reaches the surface with no means of eating, has one day of life, then dies. This is a process that has gone on, without so much as a murmur of complaint, for over 100 million years. I know this from watching ...'' (read more)

1997
Sep 20 (Extract): There is much talk of Penis envy in Seven Sins and at one stage a penis makes a brief appearance as Kathy leads us from enviably smart location to enviably smart location, just about getting away with such lines as "While still resident on planet single", as she goes, introducing ... (read more)

1998
May 16: Imagine this: you're on holiday with a party of people in an idyllic, unspoilt and enchanting sun-drenched village on the Mediterranean and as you sit at the bar of your charming, historical, delightful and friendly hotel waiting for the day's enforced fun to start, a crone in ... (read more)

Jun 13: ''I left London's Grosvenor House Hotel feeling strangely buoyant. Outside on Park Lane the air smelt sweet despite the late-night traffic. On my arm was a beautiful woman I had met a scant twenty-nine years earlier. But let me start at the beginning ... ''(read more)

1999
Jul 10: It was, as most commentators seem to have agreed, a good Glastonbury, the best in years, but the verruca didn't enjoy it! (read more- scan at bottom of page)

2001
Jan 20: ''Our paths had first crossed shortly after I started reading Adrian's poetry, along with that of his fellow Liverpool-based poets, Roger McGough and Brian Patten, on the pirate station, Radio London. I read it all extremely poorly but they were all too kind to laugh out loud ...'' (read more)

Apr 28: ''Here's the thing in a nutshell for you. I've got 45 minutes on this computer and that's all. Alexandra, home from university, has said so. She needs it to complete her dissertation on genital mutilation. I don't know why she chose to devote a year of her life to ...'' (read more)

May 12:  ''What a nice man he seems', sighed Sheila as Tony Bennett brought BBC1's recent Judy Garland documentary to a simple, sad conclusion. I agreed with her. Not that we've ever met Tony Bennett, you understand, although I was on stage when he performed ... ''(read more)

Jul 21: ''My attention has been drawn to a letter from Samantha Whittingham in the Radio Times of 7-13 July. Samantha was enthusing about the evening output of Radio 2. Samantha is right to enthuse. She singled out for special mention Mark Lamarr and ...'' (read more)

1973

 * Issue 2610, 15 November 1973. People, p.4: "Country living". John Peel drives from his home in the Sussex village of Great Finborough for Sounds of the 70s...and then gets back as quickly as he can. Short feature also mentions recent holiday in Kenya and love of football. Includes photo captioned "Rustic Peel" (read more here).

1985

 * Issue 3238, 05 December 1985, p.?: "First steps on the Yellow Brick Road". John Walters writes on Elton John's early years, including his Christmas 1973 Peel session, ahead of Elton John at the Beeb, first broadcast on Radio 1 at 2.0 pm, on 07 December 1985: "We trundled out of those cobwebby jangle pianos..., bought some light ales, and for the John Peel programme festive edition, Elton rattled off superbly insensitive knees-up versions of his work.." (read more here).

Links

 * Wikipedia
 * Radio Times homepage
 * Radio Times Peel & Kylie pic


 * BBC Genome (to search Radio Times listings)