[Swprograms] From the AP

LONDON (AP) _ LONGTIME B-B-C DISC JOCKEY JOHN PEEL HAS DIED.

THE B-B-C SAYS PEEL DIED OF A HEART ATTACK YESTERDAY WHILE VACATIONING IN PERU WITH HIS WIFE.

HIS PROGRAM ON B-B-C RADIO ONE WAS HUGELY INFLUENTIAL ON ROCK AND POP FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. HE BECAME KNOWN TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE ON B-B-C'S WORLD SERVICE AND WAS OFTEN THE FIRST TO PLAY DEMOS BY LITTLE-KNOWN BANDS.

HE PROMOTED REGGAE, HIP-HOP AND PUNK ON THE SOMETIMES CONSERVATIVE BROADCASTER AND CHAMPIONED ACTS LIKE JIMI HENDRIX.

HE WAS BORN JOHN RAVENSCROFT NEAR LIVERPOOL IN 1939. HE BEGAN HIS BROADCASTING CAREER IN DALLAS IN 1961 AS HOST OF THE ``KATS KARAVAN'' RHYTHM-AND-BLUES SHOW ON THE OLD W-R-R A-M.

HE JOINED THE BBC IN 1967, BROADCASTING ON RADIO 1 AND INTERNATIONALLY ON THE WORLD SERVICE.