LBC

LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is Britain's first commercial independent local radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. LBC began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, days ahead of Capital Radio.

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The station has had a turbulent history and almost disappeared in the mid-1990s when the original LBC company - then owned by Shirley Porter's Chelverton Investments - failed to have its licence renewed. The LBC name was not used on-air between October 1994 and July 1996.

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LBC was owned between 1994 and 1996 by Reuters, which for most of that time operated the stations as London News 97.3 FM and London News Talk 1152 AM.

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Between 1996 and 2002 LBC was part of London News Radio Limited, a company owned jointly by ITN, Daily Mail & General Trust, Reuters and the GWR Group. This new consortium revived the LBC name on 1152AM on 1 July 1996. At the end of 1996 the FM service was relaunched as News Direct 97.3FM.

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LBC is currently owned by the Chrysalis Group and operates two services; LBC 97.3 - a news/talk format station - and LBC News 1152 AM, a rolling news service. LBC's sister station is Heart 106.2.

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Current LBC 97.3 presenters are: Steve Allen; Clive Bull; Paul Blezard; Marcus Churchill; Jono Coleman; John Cushing; Peter Deeley; Caroline Feraday; Nick Ferrari; Angie Greaves; Charlie Jordan; Iain Lee; Elliot Moss; James O'Brien; Dr Pam; Jo Parkerson; David Prever; Paul Ross; Kenny Sansom; Sandi Toksvig; and Sandy Warr.

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Past LBC presenters include: Jeremy Beadle, Frank Bough, Tommy Boyd, Gyles Brandreth, Boy George, Eric Hall, Brian Hayes, Bob Holness, Henry Kelly, Richard Littlejohn, Daisy McAndrew, Pete Murray, Michael Parkinson and Julia Somerville.

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Britain: This article deals with the history of the word Britain. For clarification of terminology and an overview of articles about Britain and Ireland see British Isles (terminology)....

8 October: REDIRECT October 8...

1973: 1973 was a common year starting on Monday....