BBC veteran Laurie Margolis has quit the corporation after 50 years. The news of his retirement was revealed on Wednesday evening on BBC Radio 4 during the PM programme. His colleagues were quick to praise the 74-year-old and hailed him an 'absolute legend'.
BBC Breakfast star Jon Kay took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond to a video montage of his radio segments. He wrote: "Laurie Margolis aka G3UML. Leaving the BBC after 50 years.
"Everyone who’s worked in the News knows and respects him. Lovely chap. Remarkable career.
And what a story this is...
" West of England Correspondent Dan Johnson wrote: "An absolute legend of BBC News, one of the steadiest hands on the newsdesk and a total gentleman. "I got to know the name Laurie Margolis as soon as I started in local radio and he’s been an enormous pleasure to work with. We'll miss Laurie's unrivalled experience and ingenuity.
" Peter Ruddick, the Money and Work Reporter, posted: "I have only been at the BBC for eight years but there are names when you hear them, or see them, that make you feel instantly relaxed about the person's journalism. Laurie Margolis is one of them." The BBC journalist and radio star was the person to break the news about the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina in 1982.
He learned information about the invasion using amateur radio and broke the news in the UK on BBC Radio 4 PM at 5pm. He used a short-wave radio transceiver that was connected to a large aerial on the roof of a hotel.