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In November 1967 the first BBC Local Radio station was launched, following a successful campaign to establish the service by "founding father" Frank Gillard. He had been strongly influenced by what he had seen during a tour of U.S. broadcasters in 1954. Radio historians often cite 1 Pennsylvania station, WVPO, as having particularly impressed him. But little is known about WVPO and less still is known of the other stations, which could share some credit for influencing Gillard. Using local newspaper reports and documents held at the BBC's Written Archive Centre, this paper looks at the American influence on BBC Local Radio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]