UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 20 APRIL 2015
Professor Diane Kemp of the University's School of Media will step back in time later this week when she broadcasts on BBC Radio Shropshire.
Professor Kemp was the station's first voice on air 30 years ago, and recalls the nerves and drama involved when a planned balloon launch didn't quite go to plan: "On that first morning I was in the studio in Shrewsbury presenting the breakfast show and linking regularly to a couple of colleagues at Attingham Park who were supposed to go up in a hot air balloon. In fact the weather meant the balloon didn't get off the ground but fortunately the station's launch was much more successful."
To mark the 30-year anniversary she will appear on the Breakfast Show once more this Thursday - this time being interviewed about that big opening day.
April 23 will also bring back memories for her colleague Bob Calver who was the station's first news editor. Bob said: "We'd put together a really strong team, including Diane, and lots of hard work had gone into day one but there were still a few nerves amid the excitement."
Diane was at BBC Radio Shropshire until 1988 when she moved on to become a presenter/reporter with BBC Midlands Today. Bob left a year later to become a Home Duty Editor for the BBC's national radio networks.
"We've kept up our links with the station through our work at Birmingham City University," Diane added. "Several of our former broadcast journalism students have gone on to work there and the current Managing Editor has been a guest lecturer."