I still tend to describe myself as a voice over artist with a radio background. After all I was a radio presenter for over 20 years. I gave it up because at that time in commercial radio it seemed like the only way to carry on in the business as you got older was to move into management and that never really appealed to me. I felt that I was reaching the stage where I would soon be given the push as I was increasingly outside the demographic the radio stations I was on were focussed on. So I chose to leave before I got pushed and decided to concentrate on voice over work. A decision I’ve never regretted.

I’ve been thinking over my decision to pack radio in due to getting older in the light of recent radio related news. Over Christmas Ken Bruce announced his departure from Radio 2 after 4 decades. Some said he was pushed out due to ageism – that might have seemed true if he had retired but he’s got a new morning gig on Greatest Hits Radio – still on the air at 75.
Former BBC presenter David Hamilton is still on the air at 84 (on Boom Radio) and just this week Tony Blackburn celebrate his 80th birthday and he is still on Radio 2.

So it seems you can be an older guy and still be on the radio – even when way older than I am. Then again perhaps these presenters do have one thing in common.
My partner is a teacher and once one of her students said – “Your partner is on the radio isn’t he miss? Is he famous?”
To which she replied “Well have you ever heard of him?”
I think that’s probably why Tony Blackburn and Ken Bruce are still in the radio and I’m not!

Chris Radley – Voice Over