Renowned Cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew MBE has shared his love of radio and
why it will always be vital as a medium of journalism.
He was speaking to students at Leeds Trinity University’s Journalism and Media Week.
Agnew, current host of Test Match Special (TMS), was BBC cricket correspondent for 34 years
and is known by many as the voice of cricket.
With previous knowledge of the sport, playing for Leicestershire for 13 years, he felt he was
destined for a career in cricket commentary, with previous experience at BBC radio Leicester.
Since 1991, he knew he was better for radio and took his opportunities. He said: ‘once a door
opens you’ve got to kick it open.’
Radio was where Agnew felt most comfortable, slowly becoming one of the voices of cricket.
When speaking about his love for radio, he said: ‘radio is company for people. You have to close
your eyes and imagine what’s going on.’
With radio, often what is said can be seen to resonate more than on TV broadcasts. Back in
2019, when Ben Stokes batted England to an inconceivable World Cup win, his commentary
became symbolic. He said: ‘that’s when you know you’ve got it.’
The digital landscape has changed massively across the board in journalism. Agnew has seen
the changes, with much more audience interaction now. In cricket, delays are common,
meaning there is a lot of dead air to fill. Agnew said: ‘during tests, we’re on 7-8 hours a day, 5
days a week, it’s like a soap opera. Dipping into the audience works.’
Radio versus broadcasting in the world of sport has long been a debate as to which medium
carries more power. This is prevalent when discussing the future of radio. Agnew said: ‘there’s a
famous song about how video killed the radio star. I’m on the radio and I’m still sitting here.’
Broadcast Journalism is a continuous crucial element in this field. Agnew believes its
convenience is why it’s so great. He said: ‘you can sit with your mates and have some beers,
that’s great. . .It’s a lazy way of following.’
In radio, the audience has to work their brains to get a picture of what’s going on. They have to
focus in depth to feel the energy of the match. Agnew said: ‘that’s why radio is so much more
powerful.’
As a veteran commentator, Agnew ended by sharing wisdom to potential future commentators.
He said: ‘let your character shine through.’
Agnew has recently finished writing a book called ‘my ten moments that shaped modern
cricket,’ and will be touring in 2027 with this, as well as some shows with cricket personality
Phil Tuffnell.