1986 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 1986.

List of years in British radio (table)
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In British television 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 In British music 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 In British film 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
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Events

• The Home Office sanctions six experiments of split programming on Independent Local Radio. Up to ten hours a week of split programming was allowed. These include Welsh language programmes on Marcher Sound, Asian programming on Leicester Sound and rugby league commentary on Viking Radio.

January

• 5 January – Michael Parkinson takes over as host of Desert Island Discs following the death last year of Roy Plomley.[1]

February

• No events

March

• No events

April

• 7 April – Derek Jameson takes over The Radio 2 Breakfast Show breakfast show from Ken Bruce.
• 13 April – Bruno Brookes replaces Richard Skinner as host of BBC Radio 1's Top 40 show.
• 18 April – Mike Read presents his final Radio 1 Breakfast Show after five years in the hot seat.

May

• 5 May – Mike Smith takes over the Radio 1 breakfast show.[2] The same day also sees Radio 1 begin broadcasting on weekdays 30 minutes earlier, at 5.30am.

June

• 28 June – Radio Victory goes off air. The previous year the Independent Broadcasting Authority announced that it wasn't going to renew its licence. This was the first time that the Authority had decided not to renew the licence of an incumbent station. Radio Victory stopped broadcasting at around midday after more than ten years on air.

July

• 24 July – Pirate Radio 4 returns for a second run of three more editions and is again broadcast on the VHF/FM frequencies of BBC Radio 4 with the usual Radio 4 schedule continuing on long wave. The programme is shorter in length than last year, being on air from 9.05am until 10.45am.

August

• 25 August – An early evening service of specialist music programmes launches on the BBC's four local radio stations in Yorkshire. The programmes are broadcast on weeknights between 6pm and 7.30pm.

September

• 30 September – BBC Radio Jersey begins experimental broadcasting of States of Jersey proceedings. The broadcasts are made a permanent feature from 25 November.

October

• 1 October – Downtown Radio's broadcast area is expanded when it begins broadcasting to the north western area of Northern Ireland.
• 12 October – After three months of non-stop music, Ocean Sound begins broadcasting. Replacing Radio Victory in East Hampshire, but also introducing commercial radio to Southampton, Winchester and the Isle of Wight, the station transmits with split frequencies; Ocean Sound West on 103.2FM and 1557AM and Ocean Sound East on 97.5FM (former 95FM transmitter for Radio Victory) and 1170AM, the former AM transmitter of the former ILR station.

November

• November – Following its purchase of Northants 96, Chiltern Radio launches a networked service called ’’The Hot FM’’. The service is broadcast on three ILR licenses.

December

• 24 December – John Timpson presents The Today programme for the final time.[3]
• 28 December – Apna Hi Ghar Samajhiye (Make Yourself at Home) is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 for the final time. It had been broadcast on Radio 4 and the BBC Home Service every Sunday morning since 1965.

Station debuts

• 12 October – Ocean Sound
• 5 November – BBC Radio Essex
• 30 November – Northants 96

Changes of station frequency

Station	Moved from	Moved to
Viking Radio	102.7FM	96.9FM
BBC Radio Humberside	96.9FM	95.9FM
Radio Tees	95.0FM	96.6FM
BBC Radio Cleveland	96.6FM	95.0FM
Leicester Sound	97.1FM	103.2FM
BRMB	94.8FM	96.4FM

Closing this year

• 28 June – Radio Victory (1975–1986)

Programme debuts

• Unknown – Loose Ends on BBC Radio 4 (1986–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)
• Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
• Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)

1960s

• Farming Today (1960–Present)
• 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)

1970s

• PM (1970–Present)
• Start the Week (1970–Present)
• Week Ending (1970–1998)
• You and Yours (1970–Present)
• I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (1972–Present)
• Good Morning Scotland (1973–Present)
• Kaleidoscope (1973–1998)
• Newsbeat (1973–Present)
• The News Huddlines (1975–2001)
• File on 4 (1977–Present)
• Money Box (1977–Present)
• The News Quiz (1977–Present)
• Breakaway (1979–1998)
• Feedback (1979–Present)
• The Food Programme (1979–Present)
• Science in Action (1979–Present)

1980s

• Radio Active (1980–1987)
• In Business (1983–Present)
• Sounds of the 60s (1983–Present)
• Delve Special (1984–1987)
• After Henry (1985–1989)

Ending this year

• Unknown – Pirate Radio Four on BBC Radio 4 (1985–1986)

Births

• 25 February – Jameela Jamil, model and broadcast presenter
• 8 July – Alice Levine, broadcast presenter and style guru

Deaths

• 19 March – Elisabeth Barker, 75, current affairs radio administrator

See also

• 1986 in British music
• 1986 in British television
• 1986 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1986

References

1. BBC Genome Project – BBC Radio 4 listings 5 January 1986
2. BBC Genome Project BBC Radio 1 listings 5 May 1986
3. BBC Genome Project – Radio 4 listings 24 December 1986