1993 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 1993.

Events

January

• 4 January – Terry Wogan returns to the Radio 2 breakfast slot with Wake Up to Wogan.

February

• No events

March

• No events

April

• 5 April – BBC Radio Bedfordshire expands to cover the counties of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and is renamed BBC Three Counties Radio.
• 26 April – BBC Dorset FM launches as an opt-out station from BBC Radio Devon. The station broadcasts to the west and centre of the county – east Dorset was already covered by BBC Radio Solent. This is the last BBC local radio station to launch in an area previously not covered by a BBC local station.
• 30 April – Launch of Virgin 1215, Britain's second national commercial radio station, on the old Radio 3 mediumwave frequency.

May

• Test Match Special's broadcasting arrangements changed. The morning play was on BBC Radio 5, switching to BBC Radio 3 for the afternoon session.

June

• No events

July

• 25 July – The last Network Chart Show goes out on Independent Local Radio.
• July – Midland Radio Plc, which owns several stations, including BRMB, is acquired by GCap Media.

August

• 1 August – 'Doctor' Neil Fox introduces the first Pepsi Chart, a Sunday afternoon Top 40 Countdown show for commercial radio, and based on single sales and airplay. The programme was aired until December 2002.
• 16 August – Les Ross returns to the BRMB breakfast show following a shake up of scheduling at BRMB and its sister station Xtra AM.
• 16 August – 20 September – "Loud'n'proud", a series presented by DJ Paulette on BBC Radio 1, is the UK's first national radio series aimed at a gay audience.

September

• 3 September – Simon Mayo leaves the Radio 1 breakfast show after five years in the chair.
• September – The Radio Authority announces that it will not be renewing LBC's licence. The new licensee is to be London News Radio, a consortium led by former LBC staff and backed by Guinness Mahon.^[1].

October

• October – Matthew Bannister takes over from Johnny Beerling as controller of Radio 1 and immediately makes major changes to the station's output in order to attract a younger audience. Major changes are made to the presenter line-up with long standing DJs replaced with a raft of new younger presenters.
• October – December – Mark Goodier presents the Radio 1 breakfast show, but is replaced by Steve Wright in January 1994.
• October – BBC Radio Clwyd closes although local news opt-outs continue until 2002.
• October – Sunset 102 goes into liquidation.
• 30 October – The first Essential Mix is broadcast on BBC Radio 1.

November

• No events

December

• 23 December – BBC 2 broadcasts the Arena special "Radio Night", an ambitious simulcast with BBC Radio 4.
• 24 December – Steve Wright in the Afternoon finishes its 13-year run on Radio 1.

Unknown

• BBC GLR and BBC Radio Manchester stop broadcasting on MW.

Station debuts

• 18 January – Signal Gold
• 1 March – The Bay
• 5 April – BBC Three Counties Radio
• 14 April – CFM
• 26 April – BBC Dorset FM
• 30 April – Virgin 1215
• 1 May – Ten 17
• 21 May – Star FM
• May – Country Music Radio
• 1 July – Radio Maldwyn
• 27 August – Marcher Coast
• 4 September – Wessex FM
• 7 October – Yorkshire Coast Radio
• 17 October – SGR Colchester
• 21 October – Q102.9

Closing this year

• August – Sunset 102

Deaths

• 9 February – Richard Imison, 56, Script Editor for BBC Radio Drama (1963–1991)

See also

• 1993 in British music
• 1993 in British television
• 1993 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1993

References

1. ↑ LBC To Appeal Over Licence Decision, AM/FM News, September 1993.