[1] Riley's radio career started in 1980, when he joined Birmingham's BRMB as a graduate trainee.

On a wider industry level, Riley held main board memberships of The Radio Centre (formerly the CRCA and RAB) for over ten years.

He advised media company boards on strategy matters, and at the end of 2007 was named Executive Chairman of a bid for EMAP Radio, backed by Private Equity group Vitruvian Partners.

[2] In January 2012, Riley announced that all these stations apart from Gem 106 would be rebranded as 'Free Radio' in order to give Orion better marketing opportunities.

[5] When Bauer acquired a number of radio groups in February 2019, they were placed into a hold separate whilst the Competition and Markets Authority investigated the deal.