Timeline of BBC Radio News

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio News.

1920s[]

  • 1922
    • 18 October – The British Broadcasting Company is formed.
    • 14 November – First BBC broadcasts from London (station 2LO) and the opening day saw the broadcast of the very first BBC News bulletin.[1] Wishing to avoid competition, newspaper publishers persuaded the government to ban the BBC from broadcasting news before 7:00 pm, and to force it to use wire service copy instead of reporting on its own.[2]
  • 1923
    • No events.
  • 1924
    • No events.
  • 1925
    • No events.
  • 1926
    • 4 May – The General strike begins and the BBC broadcasts five news bulletins a day as no newspapers are published.
  • 1927
    • No events.
  • 1928
    • No events.

1930s[]

  • 1930
    • No events.
  • 1931
    • No events.
  • 1932
    • No events.
  • 1933
    • No events.
  • 1934
    • Following it gaining the right to edit its own bulletins, the BBC creates its own news operation.
  • 1935
    • No events.
  • 1936
    • No events.
  • 1937
    • No events.
  • 1938
    • 3 January – The BBC begins broadcasting its first foreign-language radio service, in Arabic.

1940s[]

  • 1940
    • 11 May – The BBC starts a news service in Hindi.
  • 1941
    • No events.
  • 1942
    • No events.
  • 1943
    • No events.
  • 1944
    • No events.
  • 1946
    • BBC Radio bulletins began to be began simulcast on television, with a still picture of Big Ben.[2]
  • 1947
    • No events.
  • 1949
    • September – Any Questions? becomes a weekly programme, still broadcast for the West Country but with a national repeat six days later.

1950s[]

  • 1951
    • No events.
  • 1952
    • No events.
  • 1953
    • 2 June – The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey is broadcast by the BBC and is broadcast on both the Home Service and on The Light Programme.
  • 1956
    • No events.
  • 1957
    • 28 October – The Today programme is broadcast on the Home Service for the first time. It is intended as an alternative series of “topical talks”, broadcast as an alternative to light music. It is broadcast n two 20-minute slots.[5]
  • 1958
    • No events.
  • 1959
    • No events.

1960s[]

  • 1960
    • 19 September – A new evening news and comment programme called Ten O’Clock debuts on the Home Service.[6]
  • 1961
    • No events.
  • 1962
    • No events.
  • 1963
    • 31 August – The Today programme becomes part of the BBC's current affairs department and starts to adopt a more newsier format.
  • 1964
    • No events.
  • 1965
    • 4 October – The World at One is broadcast on the Home Service for the first time.
  • 1966
    • No events.
  • 1967
    • 17 September – The World This Weekend is broadcast on the Home Service for the first time.
    • 30 September – BBC Radio 1 is launched, and a news service consisting of bulletins on the half-hour, as opposed to on the hour, is created for the new station. At the same time, the Light Programme, the third network (Network Three / the Third Programme), and the Home Service are renamed Radios 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
  • 1968
    • No events.
  • 1969
    • 10 July – The BBC publishes a report called "Broadcasting in the Seventies" proposing the reorganisation of programmes on the national networks and replacing regional broadcasting on BBC Radio 4 with BBC Local Radio.

1970s[]

  • 1970
    • 3 April – For the first time, both airings of Any Questions are broadcast on Radio 4. Previously, the station had only broadcast the Saturday repeat as the Friday night debut broadcast had been on BBC Radio 2.
    • 6 April – The first editions of PM and The World Tonight are broadcast on Radio 4.
    • 10 April – The first broadcast of a new news and current affairs programme Analysis.
  • 1971
    • No events.
  • 1972
    • No events.
  • 1974
    • No events.
  • 1976
    • No events.
  • 1977
    • 2 May – BBC Radio 4 launches a new breakfast programme Up to the Hour. Consequently, The Today Programme is reduced from a continuous two-hour programme to two 25-minute slots.
    • 2 October – The first edition of personal finance programme ‘’Money Box is broadcast.
  • 1978
    • 3 April – Permanent radio broadcasts of proceedings in the House of Commons begin.[8] Radio 4 marks the first day with an afternoon of live coverage.[9] The station goes on to broadcast Prime Minister's Questions for the next year.
    • 3 July – After just over a year on air, Up to the Hour is cancelled. Consequently, Today once again becomes a continuous two-hour programme. Also, a new weekday 6 am News Briefing is introduced.
  • 1979
    • No events,

1980s[]

  • 1980
    • Summer – Due to the continued expansion of BBC Local Radio, regional news bulletins on Radio 4 end, apart from in the south west as this is now the only part of England still without any BBC local station.
  • 1981
    • No events.
  • 1983
    • 1 February – In Business is broadcast on Radio 4 for the first time.
  • 1984
    • No events.
  • 1985
    • No events.
  • 1986
    • No events.
  • 1987
    • 3 January – The Today programme is extended to six days a week when it launches a Saturday edition.
    • 9 February – The 9am and 5pm news bulletins on BBC Radio 3 are replaced by a ten-minute bulletin from the BBC World Service. The bulletins are titled World Service News.
  • 1988
    • 15 January – After less than a year, the World Service news bulletins broadcast on Radio 3 are axed.
    • June – After 66 years at Broadcasting House, the BBC Radio News operation moves to BBC Television Centre.[10]
  • 1989
    • No events.

1990s[]

  • 1990
    • 8 January – A new 30-minute news programme News 90 replaces the teatime edition of Newsbeat on Radio 1.
  • 1992
    • late March-7 April – For the first time, Radio 4 long wave opts out of the main Radio 4 schedule. It does so to provide additional coverage of the latest developments in the general election campaign. Previously, additional news coverage had been broadcast on FM.
  • 1993
    • Following the success of Radio 4 News FM in 1991, and of a similar service on Long Wave during the 1992 UK general election, the BBC considers launching a rolling news service on Radio 4's long wave frequency. The plan is widely opposed by listeners and the proposals are dropped. A new news and sport service BBC Radio 5 Live launches the following year.
  • 1994
    • 10 January – The teatime edition of Newsbeat returns to Radio 1 after four years away. The bulletin airs in its old slot – 5:30 pm to 5:45 pm.
    • 24 March – is broadcast on Radio 4 for the final time, ahead of its move to the new news and sport station BBC Radio 5 Live.
    • 28 March – At 5am, BBC Radio 5 Live launches. The new 24-hour station replaces the old service's educational and children's programmes with a new rolling news service, whilst retaining the sports programmes from the old Radio 5.
  • 1995
    • No events.
  • 1996
    • No events.
  • 1997
    • 31 August – Regular programming on the BBC's radio and television stations is abandoned to provide ongoing news coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Radio 4 airs a special programme from BBC Radio News, which is also carried on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 5 Live.[13]
    • 6 September – Live coverage of the funeral of Princess Diana is broadcast on all of the BBC national radio networks, as well as on all BBC Local and National radio stations.
  • 1998
    • 22 March – 5 Live's late night news bulletin News Extra and phone-in/talk show After Hours are broadcast for the final time. The next day a new three hour late show called Late Night Live launches and Up All Night is extended to become a four-hour show.
    • 6 April – As part of an extensive shake-up to BBC Radio 4's schedules, the weekday editions of The Today programme are extended by 30 minutes to three hours.[14], a Saturday edition of PM is launched and The Week in Westminster is replaced by a new programme, broadcast on Sunday late evenings called The Westminster Hour.
    • 19 April – A new Sunday morning current affairs programme Broadcasting House launches.[15]
  • 1999
    • 3 April – The first edition of a weekend world news programme Global is broadcast on Radio 5 Live.[16]
    • 4 April – Radio 5 Live launches a new "Sunday Service of Sunday morning political news".

2000s[]

  • 2000
    • No events.
  • 2001
    • No events.
  • 2002
    • 6 April – The Weekend News debuts on Radio 5 Live. The new programme replaces Global.
    • 29 April – Wake Up to Money, which had previously been part of Morning Reports, becomes a programme in its own right and is extended from 15 to 30 minutes. Consequently, Morning Reports now broadcasts for 30 minutes.
    • 2002 sees the launch of four new digital spin-off stations, two of which carry news. BBC Radio 1Xtra habits own specific news service called 1Xtra News and BBC Radio 6 Music broadcasts news bulletins at half past the hour.
  • 2003
    • No events.
  • 2004
    • No events.
  • 2005
    • No events.
  • 2006
    • 23 April – The Radio 4 UK Theme is used for the last time, amid controversy over its axing by Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer. It is axed to make way for a 'pacy news briefing'.
  • 2007
    • 29 July – Long running obituary programme Brief Lives is broadcast on Radio 5 Live for the final time.[17]
    • 12 October – iPM is broadcast for the first time. It airs after the Saturday edition of the main programme.
  • 2008
    • No events.
  • 2009
    • 9 January – The Midday News is broadcast on Radio 5 Live for the final time.

2010s[]

  • 2010
    • 5 September – Long running evening news programme The Weekend News ends and is replaced by hour-long programmes, including 5 Live Investigates, Pienaar's Politics and a new business show On the Money.[18]
  • 2012
    • September – Cuts result in BBC Radio 1Xtra losing its news service 1Xtra News. Instead, the station simulcasts the Newsbeat bulletins broadcast on sister station Radio 1 with bespoke bulletins only broadcast during the weekday breakfast show.[19]
  • 2013
    • 16 May – Debut of Question Time Extra Time on BBC Radio 5 Live. The programme, including an audio broadcast of the evening's edition of BBC One's Question Time, is presented by Stephen Nolan and John Pienaar, who take a look at the topics raised by Question Time.[20]
  • 2014
    • Wake Up to Money on Radio 5 Live is extended from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Consequently, Morning Reports is shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.
  • 2015
    • No events.
  • 2016
    • No events.
  • 2017
    • No events.
  • 2018
    • No events.
  • 2019
    • No events.

2020s[]

  • 2020
    • 29 January – BBC News announces it will shed 450 posts, including roles from BBC Radio 5 Live, as part of £80m worth of savings being made by the BBC.[21]
    • 20 March – Rhod Sharp presents Up All Night on BBC Radio 5 Live for the final time. He had presented the programme since the station's first night on air, more than 25 years earlier.
    • 23 March – In order to prioritise resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, 5 Live suspends overnight programmes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. and carries the output of BBC Radio London.[22] This continues until early July when 5 Live resumes its overnight programming on weekdays with Dotun Adebayo replacing Rhod Sharp, and the programme no longer being called Up All Night.
    • April – Due to COVID-19, BBC Radio 5 Live's news bulletins are shared with BBC Radio 2. Three minute bulletins are broadcast on the hour, with extended five minute bulletins at breakfast and on weekday early evenings.
    • Having been on air since Radio 5 Live launched, Morning Reports, the 5am news bulletin, is axed as part of cost cutting measures. The bulletin is replaced by an extended Wake Up to Money, which now broadcasts for the full 5am hour.[23]
    • 10 December – BBC Radio 5 Live's Question Time Extra Time is broadcast for the final time.
  • 2021
    • No events.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Burke, Professor of Cultural History and Fellow of Emmanuel College Peter; Briggs, Asa; Burke, Peter (2005-07-29). A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet. Polity. ISBN 978-0-7456-3511-8.
  2. ^ a b Crisell, Andrew (1997). An Introductory History of British Broadcasting. Routledge. pp. 15, 26–27, 92. ISBN 0-415-12802-1.
  3. ^ BBC History
  4. ^ "Today in Parliament at 70: Britain's 'longest-running soap opera'". BBC News. 18 October 2015.
  5. ^ BBC Genome Project - BBC Home Service listings 28 October 1957
  6. ^ Chignell, Hugh (2011-09-02). Public Issue Radio: Talks, News and Current Affairs in the Twentieth Century. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-24739-0.
  7. ^ "1975: First live broadcast of Parliament". BBC News. 9 June 1975. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  8. ^ "Significant events of 1978". The National Archives. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  9. ^ "BBC Radio 4 FM – 3 April 1978 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ^ "BBC NEWS – New era for BBC radio news". BBC News. 26 June 1998. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
  11. ^ "Dictionary definition of 'stunt up'". Retrieved 2009-12-30. refers Sheena McDonald, "Scud-FM goes critical—BBC gears up for round-the-clock news service", page 25, The Guardian 17 August 1992
  12. ^ Franklin, Bob (31 March 2005). Key Concepts in Journalism Studies. Sage. ISBN 0-7619-4482-6.
  13. ^ "Peter Allen: BBC 5 live should speak for the 'have-nots'". BBC News. BBC. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  14. ^ "BBC News | UK | New image for BBC Radio 4". news.bbc.co.uk.
  15. ^ BBC Genome Project - BBC Radio 4 listings 19 April 1998
  16. ^ "Radio 5 – 3 April 1999 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  17. ^ Deans, Jason (31 January 2007). "More job cuts at the BBC as Radio Five Live closes two shows". Retrieved 14 June 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  18. ^ Radio 5 Live launches new look to Sunday evenings featuring cream of business, politics and current affairs BBC Press Office, 10 August 2010
  19. ^ Deans, Jason (27 March 2012). "BBC News cuts – at a glance". The Guardian.
  20. ^ "BBC Radio 5 live – Question Time Extra Time, 16/05/2013". BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  21. ^ "BBC News to close 450 posts as part of £80m savings drive". BBC News. BBC. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  22. ^ "BBC Radio 5 Live to take Radio London overnight shows". Radio Today. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Morning Reports to end on BBC Radio 5 Live". Radio Today. January 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
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