Aircheck Tracker
Profile: Mike Ahern: Born in Liverpool on 30th September 1942, the now 5'10", blue-eyed, fair haired Mike was educated at St. Bedes Secondary Modern School until the age of 15. His first job on leaving school was based in a menswear shop but an accident with rather expensive suit resulted in the end of a three month career.
He also worked as a barman and as an office clerk before opening a Liverpool club called 'The Teen Beat Club' with a friend. Despite the huge level of success for the club, it had to close suddenly when the floor collapsed and the local council declared it unsafe for public use. (Probably due to the amount of people trying to get in!) Two little known facts are that Mike also worked in Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club and can apparently speak fluent Italian, Spanish, German, Greek and French.
Out at sea Radio Caroline had two radio ships at opposite ends of the country. Having spent time listening to the station whilst working as an engineer, he applied for a job, stating he wanted to be a DJ and felt he could do better. He received a reply stating that 40,000 others also wanted to be the same as him, and suggested that the station wouldn't wait for Mike to call, but they'd call him!
Smartly, Mike claimed that he was not one of the 40,000 but was infact, different because he was good! So, Caroline called his bluff and invited him to attend an audition. With £5 borrowed from his mum, he headed for Caroline House in London. After the interview, he travelled back not quite so sure of himself and dismissed the trip as a bad idea.
Four days later, Caroline management made the call to invite him to an interview - with expenses paid. A week later, he joined Caroline North off the Isle Of Man in a stay lasting from 1965 to 1966 before later jumping ship with fellow DJ Tom Lodge to boost the audience levels on Caroline South and make it sound more like it's sister station. Mike stayed from 1966 to 1967. As part of a press statement, Caroline bosses imagined up the story that prior to his stint at sea, Mike had been a grape picker in France - wrong! Known as 'Your DJ Mike A', he presented the 9:00am-12:00noon programme that was hugely popular with house wives. Amongst his theme tunes were Johnny & The Hurricanes' 'Buckeye' and 'Soul Sauce' by The Cal Trader Sextet.
His stay at Caroline ended, having regularly received over 1,000 letters per month in a bulging post bag, in the Spring of 1967 as various Government Acts started to take hold on offshore broadcasting - his departure was to make sure he was in the running for the BBC's new station Radio 1. Mike's one and only appearance on the new station was nine days into transmissions, 8th October 1967, presenting the second edition of 'Top Gear'. This was a co-hosting slot, which according to some sources was with Pete Drummond - Mike however, is of the opinion it was with ex-offshore jock, John Peel, and Mike should know. John Peel's AIRCHECK Tracker page shows that it was Peely who went on to present the show to wide acclaim - so it would seem Mike is right as we suggest.
Mike moved down under to Oz working on stations 7HT, 4BC, 3UZ, 6PM and 2KO but returned to the UK in the late eighties to take up slots on various stations around the country - namely Essex Radio, Radio Aire, Piccadilly Radio, Country 1035 and Capital Gold.
His later work for Capital Gold in particular lasted some five years from 1990 to 1995. After this, he became a London based correspondent for a major Australian radio station. From here, Mike eluded many people - but he was doing OK all along. He is reported to have been 'blown away' that so many people had taken an interest in his well being. Mike's agent Ingrid Hooper was the central focal point of information exchanges between Mike and the wide world.. Paul Rusling having retained her telephone number. He later appeared on Cambridge Cafe / Cambridge Red Radio - presenting the morning show - a change in station management signalled the end of his on-air work to date.
The former Radio 1 DJ was reported missing after last being seen at home in Ealing, London on January 3rd 2003. However, after a media call on Tuesday 14th January, 2003, he was found in a London hospital, 11 days after last being seen. His disappearance was the subject of concern amongst his friends as he had become more and more depressed in the preceding weeks. A spokesman said 'We don't know many details yet but he has been tracked down to hospital and we are told he is well enough to be discharged tomorrow' (Wednesday 15th). 'It is marvellous news and we are all delighted he is safe. At Capital Gold, Mike's producer was Paul Easton who said that his recent disappearance was out of character and his friends were worried.
Whereabouts: Mike's had a darn good holiday in Australia since and is back on fine form. Paul Easton has e-mailed us to say that Mike is now back in the UK and presents the Breakfast Show on North Norfolk Radio from 10th November 2003.