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SELECTIVE RADIO HISTORY |
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1874 - 1980 |
1981 - 2006 | |
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1874 Marconi is born 1896 Marconi comes to London and registers his patent for wirless broadcasting 1922 18th October : British Broadcasting Company formed 1st November: British Broadcasting Licence of 10 shillings introduced 15th November: First Broadcasts from Birmingham and Manchester 14th November: John Reith made General Manager of BBC 1923 8th January: First outside broadcast 18th January: Licence from Postmaster-General issued to British Broadcasting Company Ltd 1st May: Savoy Hill Studios opened at the BBC 28th September: Radio Times first published 1924 6th January: First religious service at BBC 23rd April: First broadcast by King George V 12th June: First disc-jockey programme 1925 6th April: 2LO transmitter moved from Marconi House to roof of Selfridges 1926 31st December: British Broadcasting Company dissolved 1927 1st January: British Broadcasting Corporation established by Royal Charter 1928 2nd January: First broadcast by BBC Dance Orchestra - Jack Payne 1929 19th July: First edition of the children's programme "Toytown" complete with Larry the Lamb is broadcast 1930 9th March: Start of regional scheme at BBC Radio offering alternative radio programmes 1931 9th May: Mr Middleton's first gardening programme at BBC 1932 12th March: First broadcast from Broadcasting House in London 1933 18th November: In Town Tonight programme launched on BBC Radio 1934 15th January: Radio Luxembourg starts to beam commercially sponsored music shows and adverts to the UK. 7th October: Droitwich high power long wave transmitter at the BBC replaced Daventry 5XX 1935 6th April: Alistair Cooke launches a radio programme at the BBC called the American Half Hour, this lead in time to the famous programme titled Letter From America 1936 20th January: Lord Reith at BBC announces the death of King George V 1937 20th July: Marconi dies
1938 5th January: Band Waggon programme starts on BBC Radio 30th September: Chamberlain's return from Munich Meeting live on radio. 1939 12th July: ITMA begins on BBC radio with Tommy Handley 1st September: Television service closed down and the Home Service replaces the national and regional programmes 3rd September: Neville Chamberlain and King George V1 broadcast declaration of war on BBC rado. 1940 7th January: Forces programme began 15th October: Bomb hits Broadcasting House during the 9 oclock news and 7 people are killed 19th November: Transmitter in Birmingham destroyed by bombs Desert Island Discs begins on the BBC 1943 BBC Japanese short wave service begins 1945 BBC Forces Programme is renamed the Light Programme 1946 BBC Third Programme starts up
1947 Round Britain Quiz and Gardener's Question Time start on the BBC 1948 Transistor is discovered, becomes the main boon of sixties radio making portable sets viable 1949 Book at Bedtime and Morning Story begin at the BBC 1951 Archers begin on the BBC 1953 Friday Night is Music Night starts on the BBC 1957 Today programme starts on BBC Radio 1958 BBC Radiophonic Workshop is formed to provide background music and effects for radio and television programmes electronically. 1959 Sing Something Simple, Your Hundred Best Tunes and Pick of the Week start on BBC Radio 1961 Afternoon Theatre and In Touch start on BBC Home Service 1962 Start of experimental broadcasts in stereo, and the great Alan Freeman takes over Pick of the Pops on the Light Programme from the BBC
1964 Radio Caroline starts broadcasting from the MV. Fredrica and becomes the UK's first legal offshore radio station (later classed by the press as a "pirate" a label few of the stations bothered to challenge because is gave their cause some mystery and intrigue!) Radio Atlanta follows Caroline from the soon to become world famous vessel the Mi Amigo Radio Sutch is started on a shoesting budget by Screaming Lord Sutch from the Shivering Sands fort which he claimed for his own Radio London sails in from the states at the end of the year and on the 23rd December starts broadcasting, they bring with them a new blend of professional programming and
1967 August 14th Marine Offences Bill passed which outlawed the British offshore radio stations. Big L or Radio London on 266 closed early at 3pm. Radio Caroline continues defiantly at midnight with a joint broadcast by Johnnie Walker and Robbie Dale
1968 BBC Radio Brighton starts broadcasting Savilles Travels begins on Radio 1 (now then, now then, hows about that?)
1969 Prince Charles gives his first radio interview to Jack De Manio on the Today Programme
1970 Kenny Everett is sacked from Radio 1 for a joke about a politician's wife World Tonight and PM among a range of new programmes start on Radio 4
1971 Radio licence was abolished - the Television licence has had to cover the cost of the BBC since this date
1972 Sound Broadcasting Act Published First five ILR commercial licences advertised
1973 Radio one road show started this year 8th October: London Broadcasting, first all news commercial radio station with phone-ins start transmissions in London. October 16th: Capital Radio in London, first commercial music station in UK opens up transmission
1974 Annan Committee starts to review future of UK broadcasting scene BRMB, Hallam, Metro, Piccadilly Radio and Swansea Sound start broadcasting as commercial radio stations in the UK
1975 Pennine, Plymouth Sound, Radio Trent begin commercial broadcasting in the UK
1976 19 independent local radio stations on air, the transmitters owned and operated by the IBA
1977 Recommendations of the Annan Committee published
1978 Government White Paper rejects the Annan Committee's recommendations Report from Home Office Radio working party recommends 9 more Independent radio station's Broadcasting from parliament begins on the BBC and ILR stations (commercial radio)
1979 Second report of Home office radio working party recommends 15 more ILR stations (this is a miracle considering up until 1973 the BBC was the only organisation allowed to broadcast in the United Kingdom legally, and the British tax payer had to foot the bill for this body of people to sit and discuss this!) The Sony Walkman cassette is launched - radios eventually added on to them, a real boon to radio anoraks on the move!
1980 Broadcasting Act is given Royal Assent The radio working party comes up with another blinder of an idea ... 25 more ILR stations!
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1981 26 commercial stations now on air in the UK Home Secretary William Whitelaw announces approval of a further 25 commercial local radio stations in UK Mi Amigo, Radio Caroline's
1982 LBC's licence is re-advertised, for London news and information. The station had in fact established itself as a very creditable phone in station.
1983 Radio Caroline comes back on air from the Ross Revenge.
1986 Low power special event licences for special event stations launched.
1987 BBC 647 starts broadcasts, relaying the World Service in English to the UK and Europe
1988 Radio Authority planned Local radio allowed to split their am and fm frequencies into separate stations BBC Radio collection is launched - producing cassettes, and later cds of classic radio broadcasts for people to listen to. I recommend the many Goon Shows plus the Kenny Everrett documentary. Julian and Sandy and Rambling Sid Rumpo also have two amazing tapes.
1989 21 incremental, smaller, radio licences adverticed. Peacock Report published Atlantic 252 starts broadcasting from Ireland on the long wave
1990 First specialist incremental station in London Jazz FM is launched. Broadcasting Act gets royal assent, and amongst other more important rulings, makes it impossible for Radio Caroline to continue broadcasting from international waters.
1991 Radio Authority established. From here on all stations would have to build their own transmitters and find a suitable site for the masts. The IBA did all of this and rented the equipment and expertise Classic FM is launched, the first national commercial radio station in the UK. 1992 Virgin Radio awarded the second national licence. Green Paper on the future of the BBC's future published.
1993 Virgin Radio launched. 1994 The third national radio station Talk Radio UK is awarded a licence. 1995 Talk Radio starts broadcasting with a bold team of "shock jocks" including Caesar the Geezer, and even solicitor Gary Jacobs from LBC ! 1996 Freely radiating low powered am experiments for student and hospital radio announced. Broadcasting act is given the royal go ahead. 1998 First national digital commercial multiplex licence advertised. 219 commercial radio licences issued 2000th Restricted service licence issued. BBC Launches
2000 January 11th Kelvin MacKenzie decides to relaunch Talk Radio as “Britain’s only all-sport commercial radio station” 24th January Capital launches national digital station Life 1st February Greg Dyke promises to rid the BBC of Birt-imposed Consultants and spend the £10 million which will be saved on making programmes 22nd February it is announced that the licence fee for the BBC will rise by £3 in April and be linked to RPI + 1.5% March - Helen Boaden to be new controller BBC Radio 4 15th March Talksport ask Office of Fair Trading to investigate BBC's use of dominant position acquiring sports events 31st March Greg Dyke plans to create "One BBC"
2002 11th March 6 Music from the BBC launches on dab digital radio with a rock format 16th August Launch of BBC 1 Xtra on dab digital radio with rap and r&b music 15th December BBC 7 launches on dab digital radio with Talk, comedy, drama and speech
2004 January: Director general Greg Dyke quit as the BBC's crisis deepens in the wake of Lord Hutton's damning verdict. Mr Dyke's decision to step down follows BBC chairman Gavyn Davies' resignation on Wednesday, shortly after the law lord's report was published.An emotional Mr Dyke told reporters he hoped their departures meant "a line can be drawn under this whole episode".The pair quit after the most serious claims in Andrew Gilligan's BBC's reports were branded "unfounded".Downing Street says it still believes the BBC should apologise for broadcasting a "false allegation".Lord Hutton's report cleared the government of "sexing up" its Iraq weapons dossier with unreliable intelligence. February:
Ofcom has announced proposals for the creation of community radio in May: The Government has
announced that Michael Grade has been appointed July 9th Offshore broadcaster Tony Allan dies - worked on Radio Scotland, Caroline RNI and many other Irish radio and also in television presentation - one of offshore radio's great presenters July: Radio DJ Tony
Blackburn celebrated his 40th anniversary on the airwaves on 26th October: John Peel the broadcaster dies. A shock to everyone - first with US radio then the offshore station Radio London in sixties then after that solidly with BBC Radio 1 until the very end. 28th November: John Dunn
- one of the best known voices on BBC Radio 2 - died following a
battle with cancer. December: Sales of DAB digital radio sets are set to soar past one millionunits by January, buoyed by Christmas trade, the BBC predicts. The announcement comes as the BBC's vision for the future of DAB digital radio - as submitted to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport - is published as part of the Government's review of digital radio.
2005 January: Ofcom and the
Office of Fair Trading have given the official go ahead The current
total raised through UK Radio Aid is put at £3,286,700 February The
BBC has relaunched its internet Radio Player to make almost every
GWR has launched a new Digital
radio Station - the UK's first dedicated 'chill' radio
format. Ofcom announced proposals to reform licensing rules to reduce the regulatory burden for maritime radio users. Ofcom plans to make ships’ radio licences valid for the entire life of the vessel, and to make these licences available on a self-service basis and free of charge, when issued online via a new dedicated web-based service. March 6th :The radio industry is mourning the death of Rock DJ Tommy Vance who died in the early hours of Sunday morning. The former Radio 1 DJ died in a Kent hospital three days after suffering from a stroke. Communications
regulator - Ofcom has awarded the first full time Radio 4 presenter John Ebdon
dies April 7th:This weekend sees the launch of RTI - the new International Radio service headed by Eric Wiltsher and backed by business man - Jan Telensky. The Pan - European station will have its heart in Poprad - Slovakia but will have satellite broadcasters supplying programmes from the UK with local output in affiliated stations in Central Europe. The BBC is to podcast up to 20 more
radio shows - including sections of the Today programme and selected Radio 1
speech content - as it May The
winners of the 23rd Sony Radio Academy Awards, were announced
on Monday evening at London's Grosvenor House. As well as
the Gold, Silver and Bronze Winners of the 32 categories, Big L returns courtesy of Ray Anderson and colleagues on Sky and 1395 KHzJ June
July Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Kevin Connelly, Phil Cornwell and Mark Perry
return to the network home of Dead Ringers for a brand new series of
November BBC Radio is facing the threat of
industrial action over its plans to
create a new layer of radio production staff that broadcasting union December Ted Allbeury died on 4 December 2005 aged 88 - pirate radio entrepreneur, KING and Radio 390. Also a famous writer
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