Upfront

All the gossip from a month on the dial.

AFTER spending ages ringing the doorbell, Starpoint DJ Chris Philips was finally forced to throw stones at the window to get let in to the studio. The jock on the air at the time had been irritated by a flashing light in front of him and unscrewed it, not realising it meant there was someone at the door.

PRIZES you'd rather not have: one of John Peel's gallstones. He was going to give it away following his illness in May.

WATCH out for the first 10,000 give-away on British radio. The Nova Night Network will be giving away the dosh to the 50th caller who rings in after identifying 3 records being played in the right order.

A caller to a Chris England phone-in on RFM was followed shortly afterwards by the first caller's probation officer, asking if they had her phone number.

PIRATES have hijacked two Independent Radio stations. Southern Sound was hit by pirates broadcasting a half hour of banned records and Radio Mercury by a group claiming to be Radio Jackie.

THE name of the new Janice Long show on Virgin's Radio Radio: Listen With Mother.

AND did you notice the stuttering Radio Radio One jingle played by Johnnie Walker on his last Stereo Sequence?

WATCH the pirates' ratings rise as Radio London says a farewell to soul. Once more they're targeting the 'older listener'.

WANT to know how much it would cost to run a new authority to run radio in the UK? A million pounds: about the same as the DTI spends keeping the pirates in check.

FIRST new pirate on the medium wave in London for years is Swinging Radio England: sixties soul, R&B, ska and fast chat go better on AM.