Rick Houghton

Rick Houghton (b. 1973) is a British radio presenter and personality. He has worked in England and Dubai since 1989.

Houghton grew up in Crosby, Liverpool and developed interest in radio and broadcasting at the age of 11, he set up a mobile disco with school friends at the age of 13, Pulse Disco, which performed at private functions and weddings in the Liverpool area until 1988.

In 1987, aged 14, Houghton was answering phones and making tea at BBC Radio Merseyside in Liverpool, working with Kenni James, who had noticed Houghton peering through the studio window on Saturday afternoons. Houghton began answering phones for Pete Waterman's Saturday morning Hitman radio show at neighbouring Radio City, Liverpool's commercial station.

In 1989 Rick Houghton left Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby, aged 16 and began sending demo tapes to radio stations across the UK, the tapes had been made at Radio Merseyside's studios whilst volunteering there. He was noticed by Mark Seaman, programme controller at Plymouth Sound in Devon. Rick was interviewed and offered the evening show position.

In 1990 he returned to his native North West England and began presenting overnight shows on Preston's 97.4 Rock FM - the Managing Director was Dave Lincoln who took a shine to Rick's lively style of presentation. Emap had recently purchased Radio City in Liverpool and Kiss FM in London and had poached Dave Lincoln back to Radio City as their new Managing Director. One of Dave's first moves was to offer Rick the evening show at Radio City back in his hometown. Rick presented the evening show in Liverpool for 3 years and won recognition as one of the up and coming radio stars of his generation. Capital Radio in London began to show interest in him as did Key 103 in Manchester. In 1994 Rick was poached to present drive time at Manchesters Key 103. Houghton enjoyed record audience figures while at Key 103 and continued there until 1997, when after a difference of opinion over contract negotiations, he left the station.

Dubai

He moved to Dubai to work at the first commercial station there, Channel 4FM in Ajman. Houghton was the launch Programme Director and established the station's format and hired presenters and personel. He spent a year in the UAE and fearing a loss of momentum in his UK career returned to Rock FM in Preston in 1998 to present the weekday "mid-morning" show.

After 12 months Rick was tempted back to the Middle East, this time to launch 2 National stations Radio 1 & Radio 2, this project lasted 12 months and Rick and many others on the team came back to the UK after the managing company experienced problems with the contract and had to slim down operations. In 2000, Houghton teamed up again with Tony McKenzie, who offered Rick the drive time show on Metro Radio in Newcastle. While there Tony Horn left the station and Rick stayed for three months until a permanent replacement for Horn was found. Rick has since been flitting between the Middle East and working on Rock FM drivetime up until February 2008, where he returned to Dubai. After a year or so there, he returned to England in the spring of 2009, and has been doing cover work on several of the northwest's biggest radio stations, including Rock FM and Real Radio.