Crunch & Roll

S04 E03 - Adam Cole (Part 1)

shaft
/ʃɑːft/
verb
past tense: shafted; past participle: shafted
vulgar slang, informal
treat (someone) harshly or unfairly.
 
There are moments in some people’s career where they’re riding on the crest of a wave and an exciting new challenge comes along and tempts them away with promises that are too good to say no to.
Then… see above.
Adam Cole is a stalwart of the Manchester radio scene and has been for a very long time. In fact, he’s worked at every major station in the market there, and at one notable example FOUR times.
His Galaxy breakfast show was legendary, hugely successful and multi award-winning.
And it’s probably his success there that set the scene for what was to come.
In this episode we find out why he got sacked from hospital radio, which legend he eagerly got CDs out for before his breakfast show, and hear about a wind up call that went a bit too well.
This is the first of two episodes with Adam – look out for the second on this feed very soon.
 
Adam’s current project is the spiky upstart in the MCR radio market, and it’s rather good. Have a listen: https://www.thisisthebuzz.com/
Here’s some classic Cole cuts: https://aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=adam+cole&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
 
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S04 E02 - Ian Camfield (Part 2)

Some of our guests dip their toe in the exotic world of overseas radio but end up gravitating back to the UK. We get the impression that Ian Camfield though, would rather lose a limb than return home.
He's and XFM legend - there from the start and through the glory days which we hard about in part one of this two-parter. In this second part though, we cross the pond to the good ol' US of A where we hear the crazy circumstances of how he got his first gig over there; the cut-throat world of American radio; and a man called Don Belucas.
Ian's on Alt 103.7 in Dallas which you might find tricky to listen to outside America, so if you want to hear him, get some of these classic Camfield cuts in your ears: https://aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=ian+camfield&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
And he's got his own fancy website: https://iancamfield.com/
 
Follow Crunch & Roll on Bluesky for the heads up on future episodes and exclusive clips: https://bsky.app/profile/crunchnroll.bsky.social
And you can support the pod on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

S04 E01 - Ian Camfield (Part 1)

Some of our guests dip their toe in the exotic world of overseas radio but end up gravitating back to the UK. We get the impression that Ian Camfield though would rather lose a limb than return home.
He's and XFM legend - there from the start and through the glory days - but plies his trade in the US nowadays... but more of that in part two.
In part one we concentrate on the Camfield origin story, including which Radio One behemoth invited him into his (very loud) studio when he was just aged eight, and started him on his stellar career trajectory. Also find out how the stigma of working on a certain station almost meant his XFM dream died before it had even started, and which kings-of-rock asked him to help get their personal trainer a US visa.
This is part one of two, so keep an eye out for the second on this very feed.
Ian's on Alt 103.7 in Dallas which you might find tricky to listen to outside America, so if you want to hear him, get some of these classic Camfield cuts in your ears: https://aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=ian+camfield&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
And he's got his own fancy website: https://iancamfield.com/
 
Follow Crunch & Roll on Bluesky for the heads up on future episodes and exclusive clips: https://bsky.app/profile/crunchnroll.bsky.social
And you can support the pod on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

S03 E24 - Paul 'Griffo' Griffiths

Hey man! It's Griffo!
For those of you not familiar with Griffo's work, he's a legend of the airwaves in North Wales and Yorkshire. He's tighter than a gnat's chuff and has a voice that Morgan Freeman would kill for.
As one former boss told him in a snoop, "You make my station sound BIG"!
Foxy's know Griffo for almost a quarter of a century having worked with him at V*king FM, so he has some stories to hit him with off the bat. And there's plenty of stuff he didn't know about too, including how he got his first break on air at 16; how an engineer fell on him mid-link; and there's a classic instance of a laissez-faire interpretation of GDPR with regards Phonebox.
He also reads out a memo sent by an eccentric MD in 1999, subject line: Men's Toilets. It's INCREDIBLE.
 
Griffo's website: https://griffomedia.com/
Classic Griffo: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=griffo&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
Twitter: https://x.com/GriffoMedia
 
Support Crunch & Roll: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 

S03 E23 - Paul Hayes

We all have those moments in our lives where we look back and think, why did I do that.
In radio terms, Paul Hayes 'why did I do that' moment was HUGE. Let's just say it involved a Richard Park, Ashley Tabor and a pizza.
Paul's done a decade on the mighty Magic in London, but his career has taken in big stations in the UK, Canada and UAE, so the guides us through stories from his time at Southern FM, Galaxy, Heart and more.
Including how he once rearranged a former PD's entire house, much to his anger; how his brother made a joke about his career trajectory that unfortunately came true; and how one boss took him out with "a wad of cash" in an attempt to change his mind about leaving!
 
Hear Paul in action on pretty much all his stations, here: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=paul+hayes&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
Paul's on Magic early breakfast, 4am-6am, Monday to Friday: https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/presenters/paul-hayes/
Paul's Twitter: https://x.com/hayesonair
 
Like what you hear? We'd be eternally grateful for any support you can give on Ko-Fi. https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 
 

S03 E22 - Mark Collins

What? Another legend from the station formerly known as Wave 105? Ambassador, you're spoiling us.
Mark Collins is another stalwart of the South Coast radio scene and still plies his trade on the mighty 105.2FM (or DAB 11B / 11C in new money), under it's new name, Great Hits Radio. You might have heard of it...
But Mark had a career longer than most before he'd ever been to the South Coast taking in Chiltern, Red Dragon, Radio City, Hallam and one single show on TalkSport amongst others.
Highlights of his chat with Foxy include learning the lesson of taking a job just for the money might not always be the best option; how he was effectively guarantor to a well know presenter he wanted to hire against the wishes of his boss; and the best story about giving away a Panasonic boombox in South Wales that you'll ever hear.
 
Here's a stack of classic Collins: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=mark+collins&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
Hear Mark on Greatest Hits Radio South Coast, weekdays 1300-1600: https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/south-coast/
Mark's Twitter: https://x.com/SparkyTheClown
Feel free to drop down a Trainspotting rabbit hole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnKLvmuo1Vs
 
Support Crunch & Roll: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 

S03 E21 - John Foster

Us radio folk wear the term anorak as a badge of honour. But no matter how big a radio geek you think you are, you're really not, because John Foster is the Anorak in Chief.
As Foxy chats to him, he produces pieces of paraphernalia, liberated from former workplaces, each with a story attached. He also has an incredible memory for details such as radio station addresses, straplines and trim levels of branded cars he's owned!
He takes us through his career, from the heady early days at Radio Cleveland, right through to the emotional times towards the end of his time in the industry.
 
Listen to some classic Foster here, with clips from pretty much every station he's ever worked at!: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=john+foster&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
Need a voice over, some media training or event hosting? John's your man: https://www.johnfostervoice.com/
John's Twitter: https://x.com/johnfostervoice
 
Support Crunch & Roll: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 

S03 E20 - James Heming

We've featured some presenters who are synonymous with the stations where they plied their trade for an impressive amount of time - Fresh at Beacon and Elliott Webb at BRMB for example - and there's no denying that James Heming is Mr Invicta.
He spent the majority of his career at a station in Kent, somewhere he admits he couldn't have pointed to on a map before moving there! And for an incredible 19 of years of his time there, he was on Breakfast. Not bad for a cover jock...
He also opens up about his ill-fated stint on XFM breakfast; his bromance with a well-known fellow Invicta presenter; and how he dropped the F bomb on at 8.10 one morning!
So tune in and rip the knob off! (If you know, you know...)
 
James's socials: https://www.instagram.com/jamesjheming/ | https://x.com/jamesheming
James on XFM! https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/uk-airchecks/xfm-london/1990s/james-heming-aug-29th-1998-230
Listen to James, weekend mornings, 7-11: https://www.madeinkent.co.uk/shows
 
If you enjoy the podcast, just want to give you a quick reminder that we’d be grateful if you would support us on Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 

S03 E19 - Clive Dickens

For the two of you who don't know, Clive was one of the big guns in UK radio management. The King of Capital. The Duke of Jack. The Archbishop of Absolute. But then he went to Australia, and took a lifetime of radio knowledge and enough stories to fill your average-sized encyclopaedia with him.
So very early (too early) one Sunday, when British Summer Time and Australian Eastern Standard Time conveniently aligned, we embarked on a mission to liberate and disseminate some of this knowledge and these stories from the Southern hemisphere.
So prepare to find out how Elton John was responsible for him getting into radio, how he almost introduced Posh and Becks back in the 90s, and how he's not scared of Richard Park!
There's also some consumer advice on how you might go about buying a major radio group, so if your in the market for one, you might want to make some notes.
 
If you enjoy the podcast, just want to give you a quick reminder that we’d be grateful if you would support us on Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll
 

S03 E18 - Simon Logan

On the advice of our legal team, which as regular listeners will know is a made up guy called Gary, we were advised to give this guest the chance to rebuke a serious accusation made against him by several previous guests on this podcast. So for the avoidance of doubt, SIMON LOGAN HAS NEVER THROWN A WHITEBOARD RUBBER AT ANYONE.
Now that unpleasantness is out of the way...
Simon was the guy on the Viking FM breakfast show when a fresh-faced young John Daniel Fox was travelling to college, drenched in Joop and wearing one of those colour-changing t-shirts.
So, in the week that Viking FM celebrates its 40th birthday (and ceases to actually be Viking FM anymore, but let's not dwell on that), who better to get on than one of its legendary jocks.
Simon may have been best known for his on-air wind up calls both in Hull and on Radio Aire in Leeds. In fact he put out a CD of the best wind ups and got into the top 20 of the actual album charts, sandwiched between two Britpop stalwarts!
Most recently he's been plying his trade on BBC Radio Newcastle, a job that he got all by himself. But if a former Radio 1 legend had his way, he could have been his agent and taken a tidy 15%. More on that in the episode.
And did you know he may have been the highest paid overnight guy ever? You will once you've listened.
So many great stories and big laughs in this episode. Enjoy!
 
There is some FANTASTIC classic Logie to listen to here: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=simon+logan&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC
Hear Simon's more recent 80s v 90s shows on BBC Radio Newcastle: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004wzjk
 
If you enjoy the podcast, just want to give you a quick reminder that we’d be grateful if you would support us on Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll