UBN - The first hour

There are some people still in British radio who would nod sagely if told that someone began their career ‘on the Biscuits’. The Biscuits were United Biscuits – a series of factories in large British cities who were to be linked by an internal radio station.

When the station launched in 1970, of course, it was impossible to turn on any British radio station which would provide the sort of continuous music stream which would brighten a factory worker’s day and boost productivity. The United Biscuits Network broadcast a blend of music, news and safety announcements around the clock from Osterley.

It was to be a lucky training ground for the likes of Dale Winton, Adrian Love, Roger Scott, Nicky Horne and Graham Dene, back in the days when there were so few places to breed presenters for the new generation of commercial stations. The 'UBN' second-generation vocal sound is still recognisable to this day in the voices and techniques of those now on-air who grew up listening to those who'd emerged from UBN.

'Supersound' UBN, the 'Home of Good Baking' closed in 1979. Enjoy here its first hour on air.