Gavin McCoy

Biography

McCoy entered radio in the 1970s at BBC Radio Oxford whilst a student. Moving from there to Beacon Radio 303, and The Voice Of Peace in Israel. He later became a journalist-reporter at Radio 210 in Reading, Berkshire. This was also the home of Steve Wright, Mike Reid and Whispering Bob Harris.

McCoy won the prestigious Argos Consumer Journalism Award, for his reporting on public transport. He also won The Radio Industries Award for The Best Trailer.

Later moving away from journalism to music presentation, and eventually taking over the mid-morning show at the station. He hosted this for many years. From here he moved to BBC Radio Bedfordshire as part of the launch team. Gavin presented top rated weekday mid-morning and weekend shows.

It was here that he earned The Lions Club International Presidents Award For Humanitarian Services for his work on drug addiction awareness.

Australian consultant Craig Denyer recruited McCoy to take on the Breakfast Show at commercial Essex Radio. Gavin built this to record audience levels, also taking on the duties of Deputy Programme Controller and Head Of Music in the Southend station.

After a move to Great North Radio, he once again presented the Breakfast Show across the North East.

Headhunted by radio legend Richard Park, Gavin came south again to become Head of Capital Gold, London. Here Gavin's team included Tony Blackburn, Paul Burnett, Bob Stewart, Alan Freeman and other radio icons.

Gavin's next move was to work for DMGT (owners of The Daily Mail) who were building a set of stations to encircle London. He was then based at KFM Tonbridge, Kent where he was Programme Director.

With the birth of Saga Radio, Gavin moved back into London as the national Head Of Presentation for both PrimeTime Radio and Saga Digital. His broadcasting team included David Hamilton, Adrian John, Jenny Handley, Mike Allen, Don Durbridge & Bill Rennells. Over six years the two stations each won Sony Digital Station Of The Year Awards. Gavin hosted the Breakfast Show at PrimeTime Radio for the life of the station. Owner Roger De Haan closed both stations after disposing of parent company Saga Group in 2005.

McCoy was soon back on the air again at BBC Radio Wiltshire. Where he stayed until being recruited by GMG Radio to be Program Controller of Smooth Radio London. On air here were Graham Dean, Tony Blackburn, Lynn Parsons, Mark Goodier, Chris Tarrant and Fiona Phillips. The station achieved the best per listener hours of any music station in London, overtaking market leader Magic. (6.6 hrs Magic Smooth Radio 7.9).

In late 2008 McCoy became Format Consultant to Celador Radio. (Part of the Group that made Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire) He re-programmed The Coast 106. Gavins music format building and programming skills gave the station a 433% increase in audience in less than a year. This set an industry record.

In parallel to his management and on-air work Gavin is a prolific comedy writer. As a voice artist and performer, he wrote and performed the characters Sid the Manager, Gervaise The Hairdresser, Malcolm From The Arts Council, Fred Crosswell From The Essoldo Cinema. These appeared daily on The Steve Wright Show. In addition to this he became the station identification image voice of Capital Gold, XTRA AM, Radio Tay, Lincs FM Group, South City Radio, KFM, Dream 100. Magic 1152, City 194, Hospital Radio Colchester, Radio Kuwait and dozens more stations around the UK and abroad. He has also produced voice work for BBC Radio 1,2, and 4.

Gavin continues to write scripts, e-books on subjects as diverse as social media, self-confidence, radio, internet marketing, and performance skills.