Jimmy Mack (broadcaster)

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Jimmy Mack MBE (1934-2004, born James F. McRitchie) was a Scottish broadcaster, best known for his work on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio Clyde.

Jimmy was born in Greenock, Scotland on 26 June 1934. He was educated at Lenzie Academy and Bathgate Academy. He worked for the Guardian Royal Exchange insurance company from 1956 until 1970; his broadcasting career started in 1965 on the pirate radio station Radio Scotland 242, which was closed down in 1967 under the provisions of the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act (in British legislation). Thereafter he joined the BBC in Glasgow, including working as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2's "Night Ride" programme.

He moved to Kent, England in 1970, becoming a presenter on the Chatham-based BBC Radio Medway (now BBC Radio Kent), plus occasional broadcasts on BBC Radio 2. He also produced some programmes for BBC Radio 4, such as "You and Yours".

The launch of BBC Radio Scotland in 1978 saw Jimmy return to Scotland (in 1979), becoming presenter of the mid-morning programme in 1978 (The Jimmy Mack Show), which in 1988 broadcast live from the Glasgow Garden Festival for a total of 108 consecutive outside broadcasts, a possible record for such a programme.

He also became well-known on television in Scotland, with programmes for the BBC as well as Grampian Television and Scotland Today for STV.

In 1990 he left Radio Scotland to work for the West of Scotland commercial station Radio Clyde, becoming one of the station's main presenters. He was patron of the Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association. His charity work led to him being awarded the MBE in 1996. He continued to broadcast on Radio Clyde until two weeks before his death (from cancer) on 3 July 2004. He was married, with a son and a daughter.