Tim Blackmore is Consultant Group Editorial Director of UBC Media Group, Chairman of Smooth Operations Ltd as well as Chairing the radio industry’s SONY Radio Academy Awards Committee.
Tim started his radio production career when he was one of four young people hired by the BBC’s Gramophone Department to help launch Radio One in 1967. Among many other shows he was responsible in 1971 for Noel Edmonds’ Sunday morning show which distinguished itself by its pioneering use of album tracks and listener involvement. He wrote and produced the 26 part ‘Story of Pop’ before leaving to join London’s Capital Radio in 1977.
Over the next six years he served as Head of Music and then as Head of Programmes, also presenting ‘The Capital Collection’, the station’s weekly Classical music programme. After an unsuccessful attempt to win the Mid Kent ILR licence, he created the annual Radio Academy Music Radio Conference and chaired the event for ten years.
He was appointed as the first Director of the Radio Academy, leaving in 1989 when with Simon Cole he launched the Unique Broadcasting Company, providing independent productions for the UK’s commercial radio sector. In 1992 the BBC began experimenting with independent productions for radio, and Unique soon won contracts with all five BBC Networks.
In 1999 the company floated as UBC Media Group PLC and used the investment to expand into Digital broadcasting. In 2004, after 15 years, Tim resigned from the staff and was appointed as the Group’s Consultant Editorial Director, and a non executive Director of UBC PLC.
In addition to his radio work Tim wrote and produced the Brits Award show for four years and the Ivor Novello Awards Show for 21 years. From 1983 until 2006 he managed the career of Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman. In 1994 Tim was awarded a Fellowship of the Radio Academy and in 1999 was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to independent radio production.
He lives in Wiltshire and is married with two children and six grandchildren.