Frances Line

 Former Controller of Radio 2, Frances Line has died, aged 81. 

After James Allen's Girls School in Dulwich, she joined the BBC aged 16 as a clerk-typist. She moved up to Production Secretary, working alongside Brian Matthew on Saturday Club and Pop Go The Beatles. A spell as a Producer's Assistant in TV light entertainment brought work on Z-Cars and the first edition of Top of The Pops. It was then back to the Light Programme as a 'junior producer', on programmes like Music While You Work. 

When the Light Programme became Radio 2 in 1967, she was back with Brian Matthew, producing Roundabout, then Folk on Friday, presented by her future husband, Jim Lloyd.  In 1980 she began a move into management, as chief assistant to Controller Radio 2, David Hatch. In 1985 she became Radio 2's first head of music, supporting Controller Bryant Marriott. She pushed for Derek Jameson to replace the station's early morning duo of Ray Moore and Ken Bruce. In 1990, she moved up to Controller, and, within a year, Jameson was replaced by Brian Hayes. In 1993, with support from Jenny Abramsky, she found the money to bring Terry Wogan back to network radio.  She retired in 1996, to Eastbourne.