Cash Casino People 1

TERRY BATE

One of the two Canadian consultants brought in by Ronan O’Rahilly to revamp and regenerate Radio Caroline’s airtime sales in 1966, Terry Bate is credited with introducing Caroline Cash Casino.

Terry Bate was born and brought up in Chester and was educated at Christ's Hospital School near Horsham, in Sussex.

After five years service with the Royal Air Force, (he was Commanding Officer at RAF Masirah*, between 1954-1955) Terry Bate resigned his commission and moved to Canada where he worked for many years in television and radio, initially as a writer and broadcaster and then through promotion and sales into management.

He returned to the United Kingdom in 1966, to take sales management control of Radio Caroline, turning the station’s losses into profits. It was during this time that he devised the Caroline Cash Casino competition, as well as other ‘spin off’ sponsored competitions such as Partners in Profit and Lucky Birthday Bonanza.

In 1971, in partnership with Beaverbrook Newspapers he founded a commercial radio management consultancy which established the group that became Radio Clyde in Glasgow. He was also a founder member of Metro Radio in Newcastle, Radio Trent in Nottingham and Pennine Radio in Bradford as well as a partner in the application that led to the success of the Radio City in Liverpool, and served for a time as a director of Capital Radio in London.

During the 1970's he acquired a stake in, and joined the Board of Data Communications Corporation (DCC) Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee, which subsequently became the largest supplier of television automation systems in the U.S.

As a result of his investment in DCC, he then launched Broadcast Data Services Ltd., the first company in the UK to offer automated data systems to television and radio stations- early clients included London Weekend Television and Anglia Television.

Terry was also the owner of the largest radio sales and management company during the 1970's and 80's - Broadcast Marketing Services Ltd. (BMS) - which was the first successful national sales house for UK commercial radio. With its own production studios, BMS also launched the first Radio Creative Awards in 1976.

After selling all his UK interests Terry Bate retired to Canada in 1980, only to return in 1986 when commercial radio was in the midst of depression, facing increasing losses with the resultant failure of a number of stations. He re-purchased a major stake in BMS, his original media sales and management company, which at this time was producing significant losses.

In addition he also acquired substantial holdings in various commercial radio stations, both existing and new. After three years of significant growth and profitability, Terry Bate sold the majority of his UK holdings and semi-retired again.

In 1993 he launched Radio Calypso, a Mediterranean commercial radio station, with studios on the island of Gozo and transmitters in Malta. He sold his interests in Radio Calypso in July 1996.

In 1996 he acquired a 25% interest in The Television Corporation plc, becoming initially Chief Executive and subsequently Executive Chairman.

Terry Bate is a director and major shareholder for Malta-based Multiplus Ltd., the first international digital terrestrial television operation in Europe.

In 2005 he was elected to the Board of Interep – America’s largest independent advertising sales and marketing company specialising in radio, Internet and complementary media,

He is a Governor of Christ's Hospital School and is a member of the Reform Club, the Naval and Military Club, the Christ's Hospital Club and the Royal Television Society.

* NOTE Masirah was a name later used by Terry Bate in Canada (Masirah Sales) when representing Radio Caroline in the early 1980s before and after the station returned from the Ross Revenge)