BROADCASTERS came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an “experimental” local radio station that evolved to become BBC Sussex.

Some 60 guests, including some of BBC Radio Brighton’s original presenters and management, enjoyed a meal and speeches at Donatello Italian restaurant in the city to mark the occasion yesterday.

Radio Brighton was part of the first wave of local stations launched by the BBC, and first took to the air on February 14, 1968.

Veteran broadcast journalist John Henty, who was one of the original members of Radio Brighton’s team, helped organise the anniversary event with fellow broadcaster Neil Coppendale.

Mr Henty said: “It is a miracle to get everyone together for the anniversary.

“It had to be in Brighton. It is celebrating what was very much local radio.

“In those days we had programmes focusing on pigeon fanciers, greenhouse growers and Sunday soccer enthusiasts.

“They were all individual programmes, largely to do with Brighton, before it expanded.

“The thing that nobody knows or people forget is that it was part of an experiment.

“If it failed then there would be no local BBC radio stations anywhere in the UK.

“As it was a successful experiment you now have numerous BBC radio stations.

“It is a joyous occasion and we are very proud of the radio station for what it was and what it did.”

After changing to a medium wave frequency, the station stopped broadcasting on 88.1 MHz VHF, swapping to 95.3 MHz on VHF.

The change meant that the station’s transmission range was reduced to only cover Brighton and Hove and nearby suburbs, before later growing to cover Worthing as well.

Radio Brighton became known as BBC Radio Sussex in 1983 after a series of expansions saw coverage spread across the whole county.

BBC Radio Sussex was part of a merger with BBC Radio Surrey in 1994, forming BBC Southern Counties Radio, before once again taking back the county’s name in its title and being renamed BBC Sussex in 2009.

Former programme organiser for Radio Brighton David Waine said: “I think to begin with none of us knew what we were doing.

“It started with a completely clean slate. The genius of what happened – and we must thank Bob Gunnell for that – was his passion for community.

“He got so many people involved that he slowly built up a significant audience and the station became very much a sort of activator for the community.

“He was very clear that this wasn’t the BBC talking to local people, this was local people talking to local people.”

A number of reporters and presenters cut their teeth in the industry at Radio Brighton, including Jeremy Paxman, Kate Adie, Des Lynam and BBC TV News special reporter Gavin Hewitt.

BBC Sussex presenter Neil Pringle said it was fantastic to see so many people at the event who “made local radio what it is”.

He said: “When I came along the whole thing was more or less up and running and we had to make sure we didn’t lose the listeners that this lot had created.

“Fifty years is a remarkable length of time for any institution, let alone the BBC.

“It even started off being financed by the local authority, which I don’t think would happen these days, so it is lovely to see so many people here who have been a part of that.”

Brighton Museum will be putting on a display to celebrate the anniversary from March 24 to July 1.

It will contain objects and stories from the early years of BBC Local Radio.

The display, On the Air: 50 years of BBC Radio Brighton, is being organised in collaboration with Mr Henty and others who were involved in making BBC Radio Brighton a success.