Richard Allinson

Richard John McNeill Allinson (born 12 October 1958) is an English broadcaster with Magic 105.4 FM and Creative Director of Magnum Opus Broadcasting. He started his broadcasting with a 3-year stint at Bailrigg FM, known at that time as University Radio Bailrigg (URB), whilst studying for a BA Hons in Economics at Lancaster University. He was firstly Treasurer and then became President of URB.

Allinson was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire. He attended Tudor Grange Grammar School for Boys in Solihull. He rejected a career in the legal profession and, in August 1980, took up broadcasting on London's Capital Radio, presenting their Chart Show. He also presented the Early Breakfast show for some of this period. Following on from Capital's Chart Show, in 1984 he took over the late-night 10pm-midnight slot. In 1987 he took over the Weekday 2–4.30pm slot, followed by the weekday Early Breakfast show 4–6.30am in 1990. In addition to this, in around 1994 he worked alongside Julia Carling on the satellite music television channel VH1, where they hosted a live show together.

Allinson joined BBC Radio 2 in 1997, presenting the Monday – Thursday late night show from 10.30pm-Midnight, which included a mix of music and guests.

In early 1999, Allinson briefly took over the weekday drivetime show from 5-7pm whilst regular presenter Johnnie Walker was off air due to health-related issues, with various guest presenters taking over the late show, but in mid-1999, Richard returned to the late night show.

In addition to his late night show, in 2000, Allinson also took over a Saturday afternoon show from 3.30–6.30pm, where he introduced the 'Radio Wall Of Sound' This was where listeners could ring in, listen to a selection of snippets of tunes until they liked one particularly, for it to play as quickly as they'd shouted 'play' or made some other noise dictated by the host after the caller had been probed about their life. They were rewarded with a CD album of their choice.

Allinson stepped down from the late night slot in June 2004, so he could concentrate on fronting Radio 2's 'Live & Exclusive' series & 'Sold on Song' projects. With record producer Steve Levine he formed Magnum Opus Broadcasting to "create programming and content we wanted to hear – but could not find – on the radio. Alongside this, he still continued with his Saturday afternoon show, which was cut down to 2 hours in September 2004 & went out from 4-6pm every Saturday.

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