1970 in British radio

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This is a list of events in British radio during 1970.

Events[]

January[]

• 23 January – Radio North Sea International begins test broadcasts.

February[]

• 8 February – DJ Annie Nightingale presents her first show on BBC Radio 1; she will still be broadcasting on the channel more than 50 years later.
• 11 February – "Pirate" radio station Radio North Sea International begins regular broadcasts to the UK from Mebo II off the Dutch coast.^[1]

March[]

• 24 March – RNSI's ship Mebo II anchors in international waters off Clacton.^[2]

April[]

• 3 April – Any Questions is broadcast on Radio 2 for the final time. Previously, BBC Radio 4 has carried only the Saturday lunchtime repeat; now both the Friday evening and Saturday lunchtime airings of the programme will be heard on Radio 4.
• 4 April
  • BBC Radio’s sports coverage (other than Test cricket) transfers from BBC Radio 3 to BBC Radio 2 and the first edition of Sport on 2 is broadcast.
  • BBC Radio 4 begins broadcasting satirical radio current affairs sketch show Week Ending, which becomes a "training ground" for comedy writers and producers.^[3]
• 5 April – Your Hundred Best Tunes moves from BBC Radio 4 to BBC Radio 2.
• 6 April – On BBC Radio 4, programmes which will still be running more than 50 years later are introduced:
  • The first edition of PM, the early evening news and current affairs programme, airs.
  • The first Thought for the Day is broadcast, replacing ‘’Ten to Eight’’.
  • The first edition of Start the Week is broadcast, with Richard Baker as presenter.
• 10 April – First broadcast of Radio 4's current affairs programme Analysis, another programme which will still be running more than 50 years later.
• 15 April – The UK government begins jamming Radio North Sea International.^[2]

May[]

• No events

June[]

• 13–20 June – Radio North Sea International rebrands as Radio Caroline International during the general election campaign.^[1]

July[]

• July – Kenny Everett is dismissed by BBC Radio 1 after making cheeky remarks about the Transport Minister's wife following a news item.

August[]

• No events.

September[]

• 1 September – United Biscuits launches its own radio station United Biscuits Network which is broadcast round the clock to the company's four factories.^[4]
• September – BBC Radio 4 begins broadcasting the Sunday morning religious magazine programme, which will still be running more than 50 years later.

October[]

• 5 October – The daily consumer affairs programme You and Yours debuts on Radio 4; it will still be running more than 50 years later.
• 9 October – Round Table, a weekly programme discussions the week’s new releases, is broadcast for the first time on Radio 1. Emperor Rosko is the programme’s host.
• October – The In Concert brand begins to be used on BBC Radio 1.

November[]

• No events.

December[]

• No events.

Station debuts[]

• 2 January – BBC Radio Newcastle
• 10 September – BBC Radio Manchester
• 1 September – United Biscuits Network (1970–1979)
• 4 September – BBC Radio Bristol
• 6 October – BBC Radio London (1970–1988)
• 29 October – BBC Radio Oxford
• 9 November – BBC Radio Birmingham
• 18 December – BBC Radio Medway
• 31 December – BBC Radio Solent, Radio Teesside

Programme debuts[]

• 4 April – Week Ending on BBC Radio 4 (1970–1998)
• 6 April – Start the Week on BBC Radio 4 (1970–Present)
• 6 April – PM on BBC Radio 4 (1970–Present)
• September – Sunday on BBC Radio 4 (1970–Present)
• 5 October – You and Yours on BBC Radio 4 (1970–Present)

Continuing radio programmes[]

1940s[]

• Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018)
• Desert Island Discs (1942–Present)
• Down Your Way (1946–1992)
• Letter from America (1946–2004)
• Woman's Hour (1946–Present)
• A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present)

1950s[]

• The Archers (1950–Present)
• The Today Programme (1957–Present)
• The Navy Lark (1959–1977)
• Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
• Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)

1960s[]

• Farming Today (1960–Present)
• In Touch (1961–Present)
• The Men from the Ministry (1962–1977)
• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (1964–1973)
• Petticoat Line (1965–1979)
• The World at One (1965–Present)
• The Official Chart (1967–Present)
• Just a Minute (1967–Present)
• The Living World (1968–Present)
• The Organist Entertains (1969–2018)

Births[]

• 2 January – Bam Bam (Peter Jarrod Poulton), radio presenter
• 14 February – Simon Pegg, comedian, film and television actor and writer, radio personality
• 15 February – Jonny Dymond, journalist and presenter
• 27 February – Fi Glover, journalist and presenter
• 18 June – Katie Derham, radio presenter
• 23 November – Zoe Ball, television and radio presenter
• 25 November – Emma B, radio presenter
• 2 December – Jo Russell, radio presenter
• Verity Sharp, music presenter

See also[]

• 1970 in British music
• 1970 in British television
• 1970 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1970

References[]