Image: Copyright © Dave Hunt / CC BY-NC-ND
Having first joined BBC Radio 2 in 1976, Sarah Kennedy was the last voice heard before the final closedown, before the station switched to 24-hour broadcasting in 1979. After spending a few years presenting various television shows in the 1980s, she rejoined Radio 2 to present a new weekday morning show – the Dawn Patrol – in 1992.
The programme was broadcast originally between 5am and 7am, which after a schedule change in 1994 was moved to 6am to 7:30am. The Dawn Patrol was moved back to its former 5am slot in January this year, and it has now been announced that Kennedy is to leave the station.
In other words – the sun has set on Sarah Kennedy’s Dawn Patrol!
She said:
After 17 years of early starts, the temptation of destroying my alarm clock has proved too much to resist and as I have been spared for this long, it’s time for a change. I shall miss my Dawn Patrollers – their wit, wisdom and warmth, more than I can put into words. After I’ve taken a long-earned rest, I’m looking forward to new opportunities, hopefully inside and outside broadcasting.
I have been listening to the programme since I started listening to Radio 2 in 2003; her show was one of the first shows I heard. Personally, I have enjoyed listening over the past 7 years. I have especially enjoyed hearing her talking about her cats on air a lot, and hearing comments from listeners who have tuned in online from all over the world.
Interestingly, one poster to the Radio 2 Message Board comments:
I wonder what’s triggered this? Sarah’s last show ended with her usual sign off – she obviously wasn’t planning to leave that Friday morning.
When most presenters are going to leave it’s announced and something made of their last few weeks – Sir Terry being the obvious recent example.
I hope Sarah is well.
Rob499
Posting on the R2 Message Board
So what’s going to happen in the future? Well, Lynn Parsons has been hosting for the last few weeks, and will continue to do so for the next four weeks. New plans for the morning schedule will be announced “in due course“.
