Jenny Collins remembered as Radio Merseyside pioneer

Jenny Collins, a founding voice of BBC Radio Merseyside, has died aged 83.

Jenny was among the original team when BBC Radio Merseyside launched in 1967, taking calls from the station’s first listeners during the opening broadcast. That programme featured reports from the Wallasey Tunnel excavations by Vic Marmion and presentation from a party aboard the Royal Daffodil hosted by Keith Macklin.

She began her career as a reporter and presenter, hosting programmes including Junior Spin, before moving into senior editorial roles. Over time, Jenny became a Senior Producer and Programme Controller at the station, with responsibility for shaping output both on air and behind the scenes.

Her producing credits included Jazz Panorama and Write Now, reflecting a broad range of interests across speech and music programming. Away from Radio Merseyside, she was married to Steve Voce, a former BBC Radio 2 presenter and Jazz Journal columnist, who died in 2023.

Broadcaster Roger Lyon paid tribute, describing Jenny as “one of the founding members of Radio Merseyside” who worked “both in front of and behind the mike”. He recalled her time as Programme Controller and added that “she had a great broadcasting voice and was a genuinely lovely person”.

Jenny remained closely connected to the station throughout her life and returned as a guest around four years ago to reflect on her career and the early days of local radio in Liverpool.

Her contribution spans the formative years of BBC local radio, leaving a lasting mark on the sound and structure of broadcasting in the city.