Graham Webb (broadcaster)

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Graham "Spider" Webb (19 April 1936 – 26 April 2024) was an Australian radio and television broadcaster and producer.

Career[edit]

Webb began his radio career at 2TM, Tamworth, New South Wales in 1954. In 1955 he moved to Brisbane to become the "junior" announcer for 4BH, before moving on to 4GY Gympie to gain more experience.

After a stint in National Service, Webb returned to Sydney in 1957, where he became the announcer for the Sunday religious programs on 2CH. Subsequently, Webb became Reg Grundy's offsider on the radio version of "Wheel Of Fortune".

In late 1957, Webb joined radio station 2UE, where he hosted the first Top 40 radio show on Sydney radio in the late 1950s,[1] working with Gary O'Callaghan, John Laws, Tony Withers and Bob Rogers. This was followed by a brief move to 4KQ in Brisbane in 1960, then back to Sydney to host the 2GB breakfast show in 1961.

In 1964 Webb headed for Europe, where he worked at several radio stations including Deutsche Welle, "German Wave". He eventually moved to the United Kingdom during the mid 1960s, where he, along with several other Australian disc jockeys, became prominent in the flourishing pirate radio scene.

Webb joined Radio Caroline in 1965, going on to become Programme Controller and later, News Director. He was one of the staff rescued from MV Mi Amigo when she ran aground at Frinton, England in January, 1966. He left Radio Caroline and returned to Australia, before the proclamation of the Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967, which forced the closure of pirate radio stations.[2]

In the late 1960s, Webb presented the Australian end of the long running "Family Favourites" radio series on BBC/ABC. At the same time he hosted several TV shows, including Blind Date, which he hosted between 1967 and November 1969.[3] It received a new look in 1974, when Scottish-born singer Bobby Hanna took over.[4] He also hosted Jeopardy from 1970 to 1972, when Mal Walden took over as host.[5]

In 1974, Webb hosted and produced the pioneering Saturday morning music video series The Graham Webb Saturday Today Show, which evolved into Sounds Unlimited,[6] the world’s first program to feature pop video clips,[7] a forerunner to MTV. As the producer of Sounds Unlimited, Webb played a pivotal role in the career of video and feature film director Russell Mulcahy. In need of material for the new show, Webb approached Mulcahy, who was a staffer in the ATN-7 newsroom, and asked him to film some footage to accompany popular songs for which there were no purpose-made clips (e.g. Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me" and Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talking"). Using this method, Webb and Mulcahy assembled a collection of around 25 clips for the first show. The success of his early efforts encouraged Mulcahy to quit his TV job to become a full-time director. He made clips for popular Australian acts including Stylus, Marcia Hines, Hush and AC/DC,[8] before moving to the UK, where he became one of the most successful music video directors of the 1980s and beyond.

While TV took Webb's time, he always had a hand in radio throughout the 1970s and 1980s, working at several stations including 2GB,[9] 2SM and 2UW in Sydney. In the 1980s he was heard on Gold FM and the ABC.

In 1999 he co-founded Sunshine FM[10] – a radio station targeting seniors, which went to air in 2000. Webb hosted its breakfast program until 2011, when Cam Young took over.[11]

Webb hosted a program called "Webby's Golden Years Of Radio", an audio book of his life behind the microphone. It was a weekly 2 hour program, syndicated to many community and narrowcast stations around Australia. About the program, Webb stated: "Along with the amazing music from the past 6 decades, I am including personal interviews with stars such as The Beatles, Monkees, ABBA and many others, especially our own Aussie stars. I'm also including entertaining 'grabs' from radio shows of the past from my personal collection."[12]

In more recent times, Webb presented regular programs on a number of stations, including Vintage FM Penrith/Camden, Bay FM Nelson Bay and Harmony FM Richmond.

Personal life and death[edit]

Graham Webb was born on 19 April 1936.[13] In the early 1980s, Webb relocated to the Gold Coast, Queensland. After his wife, Tina, died from cancer in 1995, Webb and his two sons relocated to the Sunshine Coast. One of his sons, Byron currently works as a smoothfm drive presenter.[14]

Webb died at the Gold Coast University Hospital on 26 April 2024, at the age of 88.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Milesago website - "Top 40 Radio and the Pop Charts"
  2. ^ "Graham's 'Webb' Page". Radio London. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  3. ^ Marshall, Valda (9 November 1969). "Avengers ride again". The Sun-Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 115. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Marshall, Valda (24 March 1974). "Blind Date gets on to another flying start". The Sun-Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 89. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Marshall, Valda (24 December 1972). "A funny thing happened on the way to the studio..." The Sun-Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 53. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Lawrence, Elisa (12 June 2005). "I've heard that voice - Ex TV host still talks it up". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: News Limited. p. 32 – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ Kruger, Debbie. "Australian Music Media".
  8. ^ Scatena, Dino (26 February 2005). "Clip go the years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax Holdings. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  9. ^ Plummer, Dale (17 March 1974). "Graham's day off". The Sun-Herald. Sydney: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 87. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Tune in to 104.9FM – A Top Radio Station For Seniors". Sunshine Coast Seniors. Seniors Newspapers. 23 January 2013. p. 25. Archived from the original on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via Issuu.
  11. ^ "It's time for Young talent at breakfast". Sunshine Coast Daily. Maroochydore: Australian Regional Media. 11 November 2011. p. 12. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ "Webby's Golden Years Of Radio". RadioInfo Australia. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Disc Jockeys Wa–Web". The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  14. ^ McMahon, Neil (13 November 2016). "Mood mechanics top radio charts". The Sun-Herald. Sydney: Fairfax Media. p. 18. Retrieved 28 April 2024 – via NewsBank.
  15. ^ "Iconic Australian radio personality, known for interviewing The Beatles and The Monkees, passes away at 88". West Observer. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

External Links[edit]

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