The 50 best BBC radio broadcasters of all time
From Sandi Toksvig and Graham Norton to Kirsty Young and Terry Wogan, industry figures helped us compile a list of masters of the medium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of BBC radio
20 Tony Blackburn
Simply sensational
He was there on 30 September 1967, spinning the first record played on Radio 1 (The Move’s Flowers in the Rain) and he’s still in bloom 50 years later.
19 Nick Clarke
Trust and truth
When he died, aged 58 in 2006, the broadcasting world was unusually moved. A man of intellect and integrity, he made The World at One his own.
18 Linda Smith
Quiz-tastic
Another who died far too young (also in 2006), she was a sublimely funny, gloriously unpretentious regular on The News Quiz and Just a Minute.
17 Fi Glover
Once more with Fi-ling
Made her name in the early days of 5 Live before becoming a sensitive presence on Radio 4 (Saturday Live and The Listening Project) — a hint of laughter always detectable.
16 James Naughtie
Primary colours
Bookworm, opera buff, US election-loving Aberdonian who occupied a chair in the Today studio for two decades. One of the most respected, instantly recognisable, voices on BBC radio.
