Historical Radio. How UK independent radio announced the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997
LBC Radio was credited with being the UK's first radio station to announce the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31st August 1997, and the first UK broadcaster (radio or television) to confirm her death from government sources.
You can hear the actuality of LBC's coverage anchored by Tim Crook between 4.40 a.m. and 5.15 a.m. and sequences from his broadcasting on the early morning of her funeral Saturday 6th September 1997. London time was one hour ahead of the time in Paris where the fatal accident had occured.
At the time LBC was based in the ITN building in Grays Inn Road and was broadcasting on 1152 Medium Wave and on the Internet.
The overnight programme at the weekend was presented by Tim Crook. At the time RAJAR (audience measurement) indicated that it was the most listened to radio programme in the London market between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
After the first Press Association news flash that Diana was badly hurt and a 'man killed' at 12.54 a.m., Tim Crook abandoned his usual programme of phone-in conversation, short documentary features and arts quizzes and turned the station into a news reaction and analysis service.
His producer that morning was Julian Lorkin (at the time MA Radio student at Goldsmiths, University of London and now a senior business journalist with the BBC). This morning was Julian's first professional shift at LBC. Tim Crook was a veteran journalist and broadcaster, having previously been the station's Old Bailey and legal affairs correspondent.
Within half an hour the LBC Editor, Charles Golding and deputy editor Nikki Townley arrived at the ITN building offering support. Public Relations analyst Roger Haywood was in the studio to shadow Tim Crook with a view to freelance presenting and suddenly found himself on air being interviewed about the activities of the paparazzi and media ethics. Tim Crook was 'self-driving' the station using the new digital processes of broadcasting in which he had access to news wires and sound feeds on computer screens. He used the world wide web and Internet access to international news services and French broadcast and agency sites to back up editorial support from IRN, ITN, LBC's then sister FM station 'News Direct' and the journalists flocking into the building. Listening tracking surveys established that listeners in Greater London and the Home Counties tuned to LBC because of the speed and tone of its approach to the story. At the time it was reported that even the receptionists at the BBC's Broadcasting House claimed they were listening to the commercial talk station.
The live analytical coverage by Tim Crook lasted from 1 a.m. to 6.12 a.m. Radio newsgroups on the Internet reported that LBC ran the Press Association quoting British sources that Diana had died at 4.44 a.m. Only Sky News had reported this before that time. Tim Crook took in reports from his producer Julian Lorkin that IRN had spoken to a doctor at the Paris Hospital confirming her death, a report from Agence France Presse that the French Interior Minister had announced her death and confirmation from the then British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook. Tim Crook announced the full confirmation of her death at 4.57 a.m.
He then stopped station adverts, jingles and stings and continued his non stop anchoring until Sir Nicholas Lloyd and Eve Pollard, both distinguished and former Fleet Street newspaper editors, took over the anchoring at 6.12 a.m.
Whilst there seems to be little merit in claiming to be the first station to announce her death, it is a fact that the UK trade press reported that LBC had been the first UK radio station to announce that she had died and the first UK broadcaster (radio or television) to confirm her death by British government sources. The sequences demonstrate that the team responsible for broadcasting on this morning took scrupulous care to check and attribute sources and adopt an appropriate attitude and tone. LBC won 2 awards at the International Radio Festival of New York for their broadcasting on this morning. LBC were recognised for best response to a breaking story and Tim Crook for best newscasting.
LISTEN TO MP3 FILES OF LBC'S BROADCASTING OF DIANA'S DEATH:
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
*If you have trouble playing these MP3 files, check that you have chosen a default media player on your computer - e.g. Windows Media Player or Real Player - or, if you have Internet Explorer 7 and come across a bug which prevents the playing of MP3 files, you can try going into Properties and click on "Restore Advanced Settings". If you still have problems, you can right-click on the links to the MP3 files above and click "Save Target As" and save the MP3 files to a folder on your computer.
'The Radio Magazine'- The Radio Industry newsweekly reported on 20th September 1997:
'LBC- Where the news came first.
London's LBC 1152 is said to have been the first broadcast media outlet in the UK to confirm the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The live analytical coverage, by over-night presenter Tim Crook, has prompted more than a hundred letters of appreciation from listeners, praising both the approach and informative manner in which the breaking story was handled. Radio newsgroups on the internet are reporting that LBC ran the Press Association story quoting British sources that Diana had died at 4.44 a.m. Only Sky News had been reporting rumours of her death before that time. Soon afterwards, Tim Crook received information from his producer, Julian Lorkin, that IRN had spoken to a doctor at the Paris hospital confirming her death, the same assertion from the French interior minister, and then confirmation from Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. Tim announced the full confirmation of Diana's death at 4.57 am.' Page 36. Issue 284.
LINK TO LARGER IMAGE OF ARTICLE
'Wembley Observer' September 11th 1997:
'A Mother's poem that proved to be so poignant.' by Carlina MacDonald.
Patricia Davies sat up all night with her autistic son Simon when he started having fits - and listened to the radio while she comforted him. It was the night news broke of Princess Diana's horrific car death in Paris. She listened in the living room of her home in the Avenue, Wembley, till the early hours. Suddenly, without warning, Patricia heard LBC presenter Tim Crook recite a poem that she had written only five months ago. He chose her poem "What Might Have Been" which includes the lines:
"...all your years captive now
and time held in that 'no-man's land'
But if we could lift the veil
That shrouds in mist the lonely land
perhaps we'd see a brightness there
women in your thread of life
a lustre there to far outshine
all the dreamed-of 'might have been.'
Mrs Davis, who has seven other children and celebrated her Golden Wedding last month, expressed her feelings of grief in a collection of poems published in April. "I was surprised when LBC picked something from my book at that poignant moment - but was delighted" said Mrs Davies. "I wish I had sent Diana a copy as I know she would have appreciated it - but now it's too late." Simon became severely brain damaged at four months from a whooping cough injection that went wrong 30 years ago. Tim said after his show that he had read Patricia's book cover to cover when he received a review copy. "This ordinary mother from Wembley, one of our thousands of listeners, turns out to be a very substantial poet," he said. "I had just started my overnight programme when news of Diana's crash came through and decided to change the whole format of the show. We dropped all our jingles and light features, but needed something desperately to fill the hours. I suddenly remembered Patricia's book which I had left in the studio. It was perfect. One particular poem resonated the love she felt for her son, which also reflected Diana's love of those who through disability were no longer connected to the mainstream of society." Tim, a renowned drama producer for the National Theatre, continued: "Patricia wrote for Simon, but her poem was perfect as a tribute to Diana."
LINK TO LARGER IMAGE OF ARTICLE
