Ricky - Broadcast
In March 2013 Ricky Salmon read his final news bulletin for BBC Radio 2. He had worked for the station for 15 years.
The previous year the BBC had decided to dispense with the services of almost all the long-serving staff and freelance Announcers including Fran Godfrey, Fenella Fudge and Charles Nove.
You can read the full story here.
Ricky read his last regular bulletin in September 2012:
And here is the audio of Ricky's last on-air chat with Janice Long:
Janice Long:
Here is a screen shot of BBC4's "Only Connect" quiz show shown just a few days later:
Ricky Salmon joined BBC Radio 2 in 1998, initially as a Newsreader for a few overnight shifts (reading for Janice Long and Alex Lester) while still working full-time at BBC Radio Solent.
During the years he gradually worked his way into more high-profile bulletins and, for many years, was heard every weekend reading news for Zoe Ball, Sounds of the Sixties and Graham Norton on Saturdays; Aled Jones, Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs and Michael Ball or Terry Wogan on Sundays. Ricky also worked from time to time with Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, Steve Wright, Chris Evans and Simon Mayo.
Since 2001, Ricky has been a Continuity Announcer for the World Radio Network. He was also a Continuity Announcer for Granada Plus TV (now ITV3) and a Newsreader and Continuity Announcer for BBC Radio 5.
Ricky is also a Voice and Presentation Skills Coach at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey. His previous training work includes the BBC Training Unit and Hammonds LLP in London.
Ricky Salmon qualified as a Broadcast Journalist in 1989 at Highbury College in Portsmouth, but before the course had finished, he was already working at Ocean Sound, Power FM and South Coast Radio in Fareham, Hampshire.
It was here that he learnt his craft, initially as a technical operator and Broadcast Assistant (compiling travel news, playing out pre-recorded programmes). During his time as a Flying Eye reporter, air sickness often got the better of him, earning him the name "Sicky Salmon". After some overnight presenting, he worked as the producer of a phone-in programme, and presenter of music programmes on South Coast Radio.
A lucky break got him into the old BBC Radio 5 as an Announcer - a very similar job to his most high-profile work at BBC Radio 2 - and at one time working in the same studio. During this time, Ricky also worked for AA Roadwatch, GWR, BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Wiltshire Sound.
When BBC Radio 5 changed into BBC Five Live, Ricky had the dubious honour of being the last voice on the station, closing it down for the final time. He worked at the new BBC Five Live as a trails producer for a while, before moving back to Fareham as a Senior Journalist for Ocean Sound.
A few months later, Ricky was back in London as an overnight presenter for LBC (then London News 97.3), moving back to Southampton a year later, this time as the presenter/producer of Drivetime at BBC Radio Solent.
After a few successful stints reading the news at BBC Radio 2, Ricky jumped at the chance of more and left BBC Radio Solent, and, alongside Newsreading at BBC Radio 2, worked as a Journalist at TalkSPORT and Virgin Radio.