Vale Lyal Richardson, Radio and TV pioneer

Lyal Richardson, a veteran broadcaster who was a part of Sunshine FM 104.9 for 10 years, has passed away at the age of 92.

Richardson was the second DJ in Australia, starting in 1940s.

Bay FM 99.3 broadcaster and host of Sydney’s first Top 40 show in the 1950s Graham Webb, reflected on air that Richardson helped him find his first radio job at 2TM in Tamworth.

 



“Then when I’d proven myself I was back in Sydney and he got me to work for him. He was at 2KY doing a show called ‘toast of a town’,”
said Richardson.

 

In 1959 Richardson started a TV show called the ‘Westinghouse World of Sports’. This was the first fully integrated sports program on television. He had previously been a commentator and race announcer.

 

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Richardson was part of ‘Saturday Night’ on the ABC with John West. His segment was called ‘sentimental journey’, and predominately played big band songs.

 

When he entered his nvarchar(15)ieth year, Richardson became one of the oldest living disk jockeys in the world.