LOCAL radio is to have a new night owl.
Jon Harle, from Birtley, Gateshead, is presenting a new late-night phone-in and chat show, featuring live music on BBC Radio Cleveland, Newcastle and Cumbria.
The father-of-two's previous clocking off time, of 10pm on Tuesdays, becomes the starting time of a programme which will run every weeknight through to 1am.
He is taking his present format of unusual stories and humorous records to his later slot.
"It always surprises me what stories people have to tell local radio," said Jon, anchor man for the new programme, Northern Nights.
"I get letters and emails from people who've listened to my shows over a number of years - including one man who served Diane Dors breakfast in bed and another who gave a rabbit sandwich to the Queen Mother."
Olwyn Hocking, the head of regional and local programmes for the North-East and Cumbria, described the development as "tremendous".
She said: "Jon is a great local presenter and likes nothing more than chatting to his listeners."
Radio Cleveland presenter Sue Sweeney takes over Jon's old Tuesday slot.
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