The Archers Ysanne Churchman, who played Grace, sent them a congratulatory card signed "Grace Archer". In 1996, William Smethurst recounted a conversation with Baseley in which he reveals his real motivation for killing off Grace Archer: Churchman was encouraging the other actors to join a trade union. The actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer continuously from the first trial series in 1950 until his death on 29 October 2009. His last "Archers" performance was recorded just two days before his death, and was broadcast on 22 November. He is cited in "Guinness World Records" as the longest-serving actor in a single soap
BBC Radio Bristol spent almost 30 years on the station between 1978 and 2007. The presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour Jenni Murray started her BBC career with Radio Bristol, as did the Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid. John Howard, who produced and co-wrote the stations award winning 1979 comedy programme 'That Was The West That Was', was a regular presenter on the station in the late 70s and went on to be one of the main presenters of "You and Yours" on BBC Radio 4. The doctor and comedian Dr Phil Hammond presented a Saturday morning show called "Saturday Surgery"