London Talkback Radio started when LBC split into two part in October 1989. It took the populist phone-in element of LBC and spread it across a whole station. The target audience was older, female and downmarket. Initially it was a separate station from 5.30am - 9pm seven days a week (6am on weekends).

After about nine months the company was in crisis and the schedule collapsed in with LBC Crown FM as it was evolving into LBC Newstalk, so the only separate programming was 6-9am and 4-7pm. The separate station identities were retained and, surprisingly, their separate demographic profiles stayed consistent.

After a couple of years the station re-established itself as a separate low-cost service from 5.30am - 9pm on weekdays.

It was always the poor relation of the FM station but remained true to itself and the brand. London Talkback Radio was the successful part of the 1989 relaunch.

The weekday programme schedule in 1993

0530 - 0900 Douglas Cameron

0900 - 1300 Pete Murray

1300 - 1700 Steve Allen

1700 - 2100 Mike Dickin