Aircheck Tracker
Thanks go to Mark Bennett from Alvaston, Derby who first got in touch, together with Simon Parry from Leicester who have submitted information as to the whereabouts of Mark Keen. We've put the update for this presenter on it's own page!
Mark Keen at Century 106
'Stick your finger in the dial - talk to Keeny for a while!'
Profile: Mark Keen. Born a Brummie, he's spent the last forty years of his life attempting to ditch the local accent. He's always worked in the radio biz, apart from when he had a short period in publishing. During this time he wrote 'The Bald Book', a selection of cartoons celebrating the peaks and troughs in life for people who are follicly challenged. This release achieved widespread acclaim and ranks in the million sales bracket in the www.amazon.co.uk Book Chart. He loves a bit of nostalgic comedy but when he's not listening to that, he can be found some considerable distance below the water, scuba diving at Capernwray Quarry.
Simon Parry writes: 'Mark was on Mercia FM from 1989-1995 (during 1992-93 he was also on Leicester Sound with the Naughty Late Show) but in 1995, moved across Coventry to Muff Murfin's Kix 96 where he was the breakfast show host for 2 years. In April 1997, he was the first voice on Wish FM 102.4, the new ILR station for Wigan and St. Helens, where he was the breakfast host. He moved back to the East Midlands in September 1997 to present the late night phone in on Radio 106 FM, where he stayed for just over a year, leaving in October 1998. His next radio job was at Red Rose 999 in Preston, where he again presented a late night phone in.'
Memories: Mark Keen. Mark Bennett writes: 'For the first time in many years (ever?) the East Midlands had a late night phone in show between 2200 and midnight on Radio 106. Mark hosted this show and in the early days he also presented the gardening show on a Sunday.
As time went on, the phone in started to become very popular. Not completely the usual theme of sex and relationships (in GWR plc), but a very light hearted affair which did, of course, have it's more serious moments.
I
recall one night during the first week when one of Derbyshire’s finest called
in to ask what on earth was happening as there had not been any ‘moosik
youth’. Mark explained that the show was a phone-in to which the reply ended
with “I’ll goo back ter GEM then”.
A
quick look at the technical side of things, callers would ring the station and
Keeny’s phone answering person would take a few details (name and phone number
etc.) Anyone selected to be ‘on’ would then be called back and put on hold.
In the studio a television monitor displayed who was on hold and what they have
called about.
One
big rule was that all radios in the background had to be turned right down as
this would otherwise cause problems owing to a 7 second time difference between
the studio and the transmitter. The
posh title for this was ‘Profanity Delay’ which apart from providing a
useful means of blocking swearing could also be used to block anything which
might be libellous etc.
Jackie
from Rugby remembers: 'I remember him from years ago when he was on
Mercia and Leicester Sound's Naughty Late Show, and wasn't it a great show?
Amongst all his other regular characters such as Bob the Sheep, Mr. Boring, and
Chippy the Wood Pervert, do you remember the Pervy Traffic Warden at all?
She used to write him saucy letters to read out... if he dared!'
Whereabouts: When Red Rose was re-launched as Magic 999 in February 2000, Mark moved to 3pm-7pm, and then later in 2000, he was given the breakfast show. As of November 2003, he was back doing what some would say he does best - the phone-in, Monday-Thursday 10:00pm-2:00am at the station.. Magic 999 broadcasts across Blackpool, Blackburn, Preston, Wigan, Southport & St Helens on 999 AM, and on the North-West DAB radio network.