User:Jim Craigie/Martyn C. Webster

Andrew Martyn C. Webster (30 October 1902 – 28 March 1983) was a BBC radio drama producer and announcer.

Background
Martyn Webster was the son of Alfred Webster, the Glasgow stained glass artist, and his wife, Maude Cochrane. His other brothers were Gordon Webster, also a stained glass artist, and Comyn Webster,

Career
He joined the BBC's Glasgow station, 5SC, on 11 September 1926 as a dramatic producer and announcer, as well as performing as 'Uncle Martyn' on Children's Corner

At that point he was the chief announcer, though by 1928 he shared announcing duties with Rex Kingsley.

The then Northern Area Director, David Cleghorn Thomson, desired him as having "a slightly Highland accent".

He is responsible for starting the 'Radioptimists', the BBC's Scottish concert party. As well as leading it, he was well-known to listeners for appearing in it as "Gerald Martin".

By 1929, his duties also included dramatic effects, SOS messages and liaison with external dramatic organisations.

In 1930 he was one of the staff who moved across to the new headquarters at Scottish Broadcasting House, Edinburgh.

For six months he ran the Scottish Children's Hour.

In London, in 1932, he produced the first light show for the Empire Programme.

In 1933 he transferred to the Midland Region in Birmingham as drama producer/variety assistant, where he was in charge on many notable productions. These included the Melluish burlesques, the Paul Temple thrillers, 'At the Langley's' and many musical comedies. He also revived the Radioptimists in Birmingham.

In 1943 he transferred to London to become one of the BBC's drama producers at head office.

He produced the thriller series Appointment With Fear from 1943, but most notably he was responsible for the first daily serial broadcast on British radio, Dick Barton Special Agent. First broadcast on 7 October 1946, within months it gained a massive following and made its lead actor Noel Johnson essentially Britain's first "soap" star!

On 28 October 1967, Webster produced his last Saturday Night Theatre before he retired from the BBC.

He died in on 28 March 1983 in the Camden area of London after a long illness.

Radio Plays
Notes: 

Sources:
 * BBC
 * Martyn C. Webster's radio play listing at Diversity website
 * Martyn C. Webster's radio play listing at RadioListings website
 * Martyn C. Webster's radio play listing at Audio Drama Wiki