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| The late Kevin Rowntree, Head of Metro Radio News. |
ByANDY FLEMING
It is with great sadness that the Metro Radio 261MW 97VHF
Tribute website reports, via former Metro Radio presenter and Chief Announcer at
Tyne Tees Television Bill Steel, the very sad news that Kevin Rowntree has passed away.
Kevin worked at Tyne Tees Television and later
became Head of News at Metro Radio in the 1970s. Visitors may also remember his
always popular shows on BBC Radio Newcastle. His hobby was bee-keeping and
apparently he was always arriving at Metro with a large throbbing nose where
he'd been stung!
Speaking personally as a listener, I used to thoroughly enjoy
listening to his Metro Phone-In each
weekday between 2 and 3pm when I was on holiday as a teenager. Some of the
callers did make him irate and they were admittedly annoying to say the least!
He didn't take fools gladly, and I have a recording somewhere where he ended
the show early with some music because of the poor quality of the calls. And
that was it; he was the ultimate professional in journalism. It was a great
show and I've always loved current affairs and politics, but sadly, as a
sixteen year old I never quite summoned up the courage to phone in and talk to
him!
His Special Report
and Metro Documentary on a Friday
evening were unique and of exceptional quality with some fascinating and engaging
subjects under the spotlight. From a listener's point of view it all sounded the
epitome of professionalism.
Like all of the presenters at Metro, he made you
feel valued and you almost felt like a personal friend. I had the pleasure of
meeting many of the presenters on my many guided tours of the station (I got
away with so many because I was always bringing yet another friend!).
Simply put, from this listeners point of view Kevin brought
hours of informative listening pleasure.
RIP Kevin, and thanks.
Audio Tribute
Kevin Rowntree. Trailer for Metro Radio's Special Report: North East Suffragettes, 1978. Duration: 43 secs.
The Afternoon Metro Phone-In with Kevin Rowntree, Theme music. Courtesy of Neil Siddaway of Middlesbrough, Teesside.
Audio Tribute
Kevin Rowntree. Trailer for Metro Radio's Special Report: North East Suffragettes, 1978. Duration: 43 secs.The Afternoon Metro Phone-In with Kevin Rowntree, Theme music. Courtesy of Neil Siddaway of Middlesbrough, Teesside.
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I was honoured to call Kevin my freind in 1977 he told me he had been approached by Granada TV to suggest canditates for a new game show called "The Krypton Factor" so he suggested me because as he put it "I was daft as a brush abd game for a laugh"! I appeared on the very first show and did 6 more game shows after that. Many thabks dear freind sadly missed.
ReplyDeleteHello Andy. The photograph you show of Kevin was one of thousands that I took at Metro Radio. I still have them all on file. I was commissioned by Metro to photograph every guest who visited in the 70s. It all started because I met Kevin for a pint in the Wellington at Riding Mill several times a week. He became a lifelong friend.
ReplyDeleteDEAR "Unknown", I'd be fascinated to know who you are. Signed, Bill Lothian (formerly Evening Chronicle)...
ReplyDeleteIt's me.
ReplyDelete