1988 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 1988.

List of years in British radio (table)
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Events

  • 1988 sees regular evening programming begin to appear on weeknights on BBC local radio. The programming tends to be regional rather than local with the same programme networked on all the stations in that area. Consequently, these stations are now providing local/regional programming on weeknights until midnight.

January

  • January
    • Sport bulletins are broadcast on BBC Radio 2 at breakfast for the first time. Previously, apart from a racing bulletin, sports news did not commence until lunchtime.
    • BBC Radio 1 has a ‘’More Music Day’’ which limited presenter chat to news, weather and travel. It has been designed as an answer to those thinking that DJs talk too much, but has not been repeated.
    • Radio Tees is relaunched as TFM.
  • 15 January – Less than a year after their introduction, the World Service News bulletins on BBC Radio 3 are broadcast for the final time.

February

  • 1 February – Radio 4's long-wave frequency is adjusted from 200 kHz to 198 kHz.[1]

March

  • 2 March – Soundtrack on BBC Radio 4 is inaugurated with broadcaster Glyn Worsnip’s autobiographical audio diary of living with a serious medical condition, A Lone Voice, attracting substantial listener engagement.[2][3][4]

April

May

June

  • 1 June – County Sound becomes the first station to introduce full time split programming on FM and AM. On FM, County Sound is renamed as County Sound Premier with a brand new oldies station called County Sound Gold launching on MW. This is to be the format used by most stations when they ended simulcasting with their chart and contemporary music format continuing on FM with a new oldies station launching on MW.

July

  • 1 July – The Superstation launches an overnight sustaining service on a number of ILR stations around the country at 10pm. The service would run until 6am each morning.
  • 2 July – Capital Gold starts broadcasting, initially as a weekend only service. Tony Blackburn launches the station on 1548AM at 7am.

August

  • 12 August – Radio Clyde launches a weekend-only chart music on FM, with the full Radio Clyde service continuing on MW.

September

  • 1 September –
    • The Radio 1 FM 'switch on' day which sees three new transmitters brought into service covering central Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands. With 65% of the UK now covered by the station's new FM frequency, the pop group Bros fly around the country in a helicopter to encourage listeners to switch over.[8]
    • To coincide with the switch-ons, Top of the Pops is simulcast on Radio 1 for the first time giving listeners the chance to hear the programme in stereo.[9]
  • 3 September – At midday, Manchester station Piccadilly Radio splits into two services. Piccadilly Radio is relaunched as an oldies station on MW called Piccadilly Gold with a new station, Key 103, launching on FM.
  • 20 September – The Radio Data System (RDS) launches, allowing car radios to retune automatically, display station identifiers and switch to local travel news.
  • 29 September –
    • BBC Radio 1 'borrows' BBC Radio 2's FM frequencies on a weeknight for the final time.
    • Radio 1 starts broadcasting on FM in South Wales and the west of England.[10]

October

November

December

  • 4 December – Ocean Sound creates two new radio stations as part of the relaxing of ILR licensing rules. Aimed as a direct competitor for BBC Radio 1, Power FM becomes the UK's first 24-hour non-stop chart hit music station, broadcasting to Southampton and Winchester using the 103.2FM frequency. The Gold AM replaces Ocean Sound on medium-wave. It is a pacey, lively radio station playing a mixture of music from the '60s and '70s. Ocean Sound continues its full service operation on the 96.7 FM and 97.5 FM frequencies.

Station debuts

Closing this year

Programme debuts

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Ending this year

Births

Deaths

See also

References

  1. "BBCEng.Info - Droitwich Calling". Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. Donovan, Paul (1992). The Radio Companion. Grafton. p. 251. ISBN 0-586-090126.
  3. Hendy, David (2008). Life on Air: A History of BBC Radio 4. Oxford University Press. pp. 378–9. ISBN 978-0-19-955024-1.
  4. Green, Ed (13 March 2017). "Remembering A Lone Voice - My Homage To Glyn Worsnip". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  5. BBC Genome Project
  6. "Mike Smith's Breakfast Show – BBC Radio 1 England – 17 May 1988 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  7. "Simon Mayo – BBC Radio 1 England – 23 May 1988 – BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  8. "Radio 1 History – Transmitters". Radio Rewind. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  9. BBC Genome Project Radio 1 listings 1 September 1988
  10. BBC Genome Project – BBC Radio 1 listings 29 September 1988
  11. BBC News reports on the announcement of a fifth national BBC radio network
  12. BBC Genome Project – BBC Radio 1 listings 25 November 1988
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