DJobit: Mike Smith

Mike Smith - who died yesterday - was the Radio One breakfast DJ at the point where I stopped listening to the Radio One breakfast show.

It wasn't because of him - in fact, his reworking of the programme with a soft-but-still-noticeable news agenda was rather well done and arguably lives on in Five Live. It was just reaching that point where you find Today a bit more compelling. (And then, during its glorious reign, Danny Baker's Morning Edition; and then Today again.)

You wouldn't say he was the most exciting of broadcasters, but his hands were definitely safe. (And, knowing what we know now, who could blame Radio One management for wanting someone a little more trustworthy?)

A series of solid performances - across CBTV, Radio One, Breakfast Time, sidekicking for Noel Edmonds and straight-facedly spooking the nation on Ghostwatch - before deciding he'd had enough of being on the presenter side and took to doing aerial photography work instead. For a full, generous overview of his work, you could do worse than dip into TV Cream's appreciation of Mike Smith from a couple of weeks back.

Mike Smith was 59; he died following complications after heart surgery.