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So it's TTFN for the JY prog
01:00 Mon 21st Jan 2002 | People & Places
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A.� No. To translate, it's not goodbye to Sir Jimmy Young's radio programme - not for a while yet, any way. The veteran broadcaster will end his Radio 2 programme at the end of this year, after apparently succumbing to months of pressure from BBC bosses to make way for new blood. But he will then get a new 12-month contract for a weekend current affairs show. < xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
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Q.� Who will succeed him
A.� Nothing has been decided, although favourite is Jeremy Vine, the Newsnight presenter who has been filling in for the noon to 2pm slot while Sir Jimmy has been away. Other names have been mentioned.
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Q.� Why has he had to go
A.� Well, that's the BBC for you. Young's show - a mix of music and current affairs - has been continually successful, attracting 5.3 million listeners. Sir Jimmy - he was knighted in the New Year's Honours - has become a radio institution. But he's 80 and the Beeb hierarchy believe somebody younger should be introducing such a prestige show.
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The BBC bosses' plot to oust him emerged last year when Nicky Campbell, the Radio 5 Live presenter, claimed he had been offered the job as Sir Jimmy's replacement but had turned it down. Plans to remove him were dropped after thousands of listeners, including MPs, complained. The matter was even debated in Parliament.
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Q.� So what does JY think about all this
A.� In a statement hr said: 'I've thoroughly enjoyed 28 years of presenting the Prog and I'm looking forward to one more year.' Introducing a weekend programme would be 'a new challenge' and he was confident it would play a key role in setting the news agenda. But he wouldn't enlarge on his comments. Leaving the show after the announcement, he told reporters: 'There is a statement. Let's leave it at that, shall we '
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Q.� Career
A.� The son of a miner, he was born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, in 1921. He served seven years in the RAF before turning to broadcasting in 1949. He combined this with a successful singing career in the 1950s and had three No 1s, including Unchained Melody. He became a founding DJ with Radio 1 in 1967 and moved to Radio 2 in July, 1973.
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Q.� And then there are those infernal catchphrases...
A.� I hoped you wouldn't mention them. Apart from 'the prog' and 'TTFN' (Ta-ta for now), there was 'What's the recipe today Jim ' and (aagh!) 'Orft we jolly well go!'
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Q.� And those political interviews ...
A.� Yes - he was pretty good at them, too. He often got the big guns to open up, notably Margaret Thatcher, whom he interviewed 14 times. That's one of the reasons why Jeremy Vine is tipped to succeed: he's good at the heavyweight political interviews.
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Q.� Any other names in the frame
A. John Inverdale, the sports presenter; David Aaronovitch, the media and political commentator; and Eamonn Holmes, the GMTV presenter, who also introduces BBC's National Lottery show. Happily, Chris Evans and Noel Edmonds are at 100-1 outsiders.
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Steve Cunningham
