Peter Thornton, (1945-2002)
Michael Rhodes
development of commercial radio, died in London, 30 November, 2002. He
was 57.
PPeter Thornton was born at Basingstoke, Hampshire, 9 August, 1945, &
was educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School, Basingstoke, and studied
journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic.
Career: started his professional career as a reporter in Dartford,
followed by a period with a news agency in Maidstone; moved to London
in the mid-1960s, working initially for the Daily Sketch. In 1968 he
moved to The Daily Telegraph, where he spent much of his time
explaining and reporting on the developing crisis in Northern Ireland,
and also as aviation correspondent, covering the first flight of
Concorde from Toulouse.
In 1973 he joined Britain's first commercial radio station, the
London-based, all-news channel LBC and from 1977 was editor of
Independent Radio News, the national news provider to the independent
radio network.
In September 1983 he was made editorial director of both LBC and IRN,
later combining that with the post of managing director, part of the
executive team who led the station's successful application for a
second franchise. He was also managing director of the pioneering
television news service British Satellite Broadcasting from 1989 to
1990.
He resigned from LBC in late 1990; for a while operated as a freelance
radio consultant, while working with his friend and former colleague
Ron Onions on compiling a bid to win back the London news radio
franchise — a bid which succeeded in September 1993.
The now twin stations on the FM and AM wavelengths were relaunched in
October 1994 as London News Radio and London Talkback Radio. However,
in November of that year Thornton was forced by ill health (he had two
triple heart bypasses) to resign from the station and he moved to
France, where he lived until his death.
He was married to Gabriella Cortazzi, but the union ended in divorce.
He is survived by Lesley Judd, his partner of 12 years.
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Michael Rhodes