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IAN PERRY

Ian began practicing his broadcasting as a young boy with a hi-fi, a microphone and a few hundred records, and would happily spend many hours recording tracks and interspersing them with a spot of banter. 

Quite who he was actually broadcasting to is a mystery to even Ian himself !

Apart from broadcasting and music, Ian’s hobbies include socialising, pets and computing, TV's 'WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?', 'DEAL or NO DEAL' & 'HARRY HILL's TV BURP' and motoring - despite the company's problems, he remains a loyal ROVER fan, and is now on his fourth model - infact, many people he knows have subsequently gone out and bought a ROVER since he's owned one!

By the late 80’s, Ian joined his local Derby hospital radio service, RADIO LINK, and spent the best part of ten years working to raise money for the station at outdoor events and during several sponsored broadcasts.  He also worked the equipment at roadshows, carnivals and fetes around the area, as well as producing and presenting both general music and entertainment shows and specialist and sports programming for patients in hospital, whom Ian always remembered he was serving when on-air.  During this time, Ian took his first steps into FM radio, with regular stints on the Radio Cracker project station based nearby.

Also during his work at Radio Link, Ian spent two and a half years working at BBC RADIO DERBY producing and presenting music reviews on David Halls’ Saturday Night Dance Party, and subsequently, Devon Daley’s Saturday Sort Out.  Ian was able to act as a critic for the tracks and albums he introduced and reviewed, as well as tempting the listener with questions leading to a chance to win the items featured.  Changes in the sourcing of programming at the station led to the end of this period, of which Ian describes as a privilege, a pleasure and very memorable indeed.

Over recent years, Ian has continued his involvement in local radio in the county.  In 1996, he was invited to present a weekend Friday overnight slot on VALLEY RADIO in Ripley, Derbyshire, as well as a Sunday afternoon show.  Before travelling to take up the overnight, Ian also appeared on Chesterfield's TRUST FM, presenting a Friday 9-Midnight slot, before dashing off to Ripley for a 2:00am start.  Ian took a seat on the TRUST FM board which worked on their albeit unsuccessful full-time licence application. 

In January 1997, the VALLEY RADIO team relocated to neighbouring Derby City to launch the ASWAS Radio Group and, on-air, the PRIDE FM brand for a five-year project.  He very quickly took up the Station Chairman (latterly Director) post through election, and was licence holder for a total of six short-term broadcasts.  These included a Millennium licence, one of only 25 issued by the Radio Authority nationwide, which culminated in the station being the first match sponsor of the new Millennium at Derby County's Pride Park - a 2-0 win over Watford.  In 2002, there was also a special Jubilee licence which covered 25 years of Derby City Status, 50 years of HM The Queen's reign, and 75 years of Derby Cathedral.  The Jubilee service received commendation in the Radio Authority's 2002 report.

On-air with PRIDE-FM, he presented programmes including Drivetime, a Saturday evening entertainment show, and a Sunday afternoon easy-listening slot, the latter of which was created through listener demand.  The sixth PRIDE FM broadcast included the attendance of Craig Strong, Steve Merike and Chris Baird and culminated in live commentary of HM The Queen's visit to Pride Park Stadium - co-presented by Ian.  Together with his colleagues, the commentary was ranked by many as being of a higher quality to that provided by BBC Local Radio. 

During 2003, Ian led ASWAS Radio Group negotiations with Derby County FC to establish an AM-based match day radio service in the wake of the closure of the club's contractor-led satellite service - RAMPAGE RADIO.  Although the budgets were agreed for the service, the sudden arrival of a new club management consortium led to the project being abandoned by mutual consent.

Today, Ian continues to lead the radio group under the newly established EREWASH SOUND title, serving the underserved Derbyshire borough.  Following a hugely successful first broadcast in the Summer of 2005, station management are now working to secure a full-time 5-year licence for the area, whilst utilising the short-term licence options in the interim. 

So, with all this radio experience, why isn't Ian doing it full time?  Ian answers: "..it's not as secure as the day job (which is non-radio orientated by the way) and I prefer a little more job security anyway.  Besides, by operating ASWAS RADIO GROUP, it's still working in radio  - at least I can freely implement experiments and give the people of Erewash what they want and deserve - a radio station just for Erewash.  So, I get the best of both worlds...job security and work on a darn satisfying radio station....I'd just like it to be on-air all the time...still, you never know....!"

Ian is a big fan of 'real local radio' giving a high ranking to stations who 'do radio like radio should be done' including, Lincs FM, Centre-FM, OAK 107, and Radio Two, the latter providing Ian's background as he grew up.  He is a strong believer that radio is habit forming and suggests that '...if only the public actually touched the tuning dial on their radio, they'd actually find something else that is likely to more listenable than the stuff they've been conned into thinking is actually the best they're going to get'   

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