Terry Wogan

Terry Wogan's first BBC show was for the old Light Programme, in September 1966.  He'd been working as a newsreader, announcer and presenter for RTE for around two years, and, in a rare

reversal, the network had decided to drop his tv quiz, Jackpot - a sort of Criss-Cross quiz. So, at 28 and recently married, he looked for some extra work, and landed a once-a-week gig presenting Midday Spin down the line from Dublin (with Johnny Beerling, later Controller Radio 1, sent over to mind him as producer) and then some occasional fronting of Housewives' Choice.

The Light Programme re-merged as Radio 2 in September 1967, sharing rather a lot of programming with Radio 1. Terry moved to Late Night Extra twice a week, now flying over regularly from Dublin. The show was billed in the Radio 2 pages of the Radio Times with the words "as Radio 1".  If 1968 belonged musically to the Beatles, Beachboys, BeeGees and BoxTops, this bit of Radio1/2 sailed on regardless as if antimaccasars were still all the rage. Here's a typical offering...

10pm Late Night Extra
Terry Wogan with music and news; pop; people and places;
featuring FREDDIE BALLERINI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
With JO MARNEY 
CLINTON FORD with ERIC GALLOWAY AND THE LATIN BEATS
Produced by RICHARD WILLCOX
Freddie Ballerini and his Orchestra are at Quaglino's Restaurant. London

Quite a showcase for a little light irony from your presenter. (There were, however, some pioneering moments in the field of reggae.) In July 1969, Terry stood in for Jimmy Young, and the younger ears of Radio 1 producers took to his style and humour. By December, he'd taken over the afternoon show from Dave Cash.

With the impending arrival of legal commercial stations, Radio 1 and 2 began sharpening up their acts in 1972. Wogan swapped chairs with the more avuncular John Dunn, who'd been Radio 2's breakfast host since the start. And once in that chair, Terry never really left.