Richard Astbury

The old telex machine at BFBS Cologne was given to dropping the odd letter, which is why a BFBS presenter once committed the immortal on-air gaffe: “At last 150 Germans have been killed on the autobahns over the weekend!” Having rediscovered the letter ‘e’, the presenter concerned, Richard Astbury, went on to become one of the biggest and most versatile stars of the BFBS network.

Ever the showman, Asters actually began his working life as an actor, in Rep in Birmingham. The broadcasting bug bit him firmly in an unmentionable place back in 1969, and he’s been entertaining BFBS listeners ever since.

In addition to two tours in Cyprus and two in Cologne, where he presented Family Favourites, Asters has managed BFBS stations in London, Berlin, Malta, Belize and the Falkland Islands. He has also managed Combined Services Entertainment and still found time to take a couple of years out in the 1980s to run Riviera Radio on the Italian/French border.

Asters musical tastes are truly eclectic. Every Sunday, he takes a break from the rock and pop stuff to present Asters’ Classics on BFBS Radio 2. Indeed, his love of classical music has seen him present a number of programmes for Classic FM in the UK.

As well as hearing Asters on BFBS Radio, you’ve probably seen him on BFBS TV as the anchorman of BFBS Reports. You may even own one of his records, from his days with Polydor in Germany! As he celebrates 35 years of Forces Broadcasting, Asters’ passion for BFBS remains undiluted: “I’ve enjoyed every single minute of my career”, he says, “and I don’t intend to stop until they change the locks!”

E-mail Asters: richard.astbury@bfbs.com