2006 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 2006.

Events

January

• 23 January – Former XFM presenter Christian O'Connell joins Virgin Radio to present The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show.^[1]

February

• 6 February – BRMB's second "Two Strangers and a Wedding" competition ends with the marriage of Craig Cooper and Rebecca Duffy at Birmingham's Hotel du Vin.^[2]
• 28 February – Radio 2 Drivetime presenter Johnnie Walker announces he will leave the show after seven years. He will present his last show at the end of March.^[3]

March

• 2 March – Chris Evans is announced as Johnnie Walker's replacement on BBC Radio 2's Drivetime show.^[4]
• 31 March – Johnnie Walker presents his last drivetime show on Radio 2.

April

• 9 April – Russell Brand presents his first Saturday night Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2.
• 18 April – Chris Evans takes over Radio 2's Drivetime show from Johnnie Walker.^[4]
• 19 April – London's 102.2 Smooth FM gives away $118,454 to a listener from Essex who correctly identifies their Secret Song as Diana Ross's My Old Piano. The Secret Song had been running since November 2005 and, at this time is the biggest cash prize on radio this century.^[5]
• 23 April – The Radio 4 UK Theme is used for the last time, amid controversy over its axing by Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer. The decision to axe the Theme, which had been used since 1978, to make way for a 'pacy news briefing' led to widespread coverage in the media and even debate in Parliament.
• 29 April – In some areas Centre FM is renamed as Touch FM.
• April – The timeslot for Bob Harris's Saturday evening show on Radio 2 is moved forward an hour, meaning it airs from 11pm-2am instead of 10pm-1am.

May

• No events

June

• No events

July

• 25 July – A Secret Song competition on Manchester's 100.4 Smooth FM is won by a listener who correctly identifies the track as Razzamatazz by Quincy Jones. The competition had been running since 27 March with the prize money standing at £86,500 at the time it was won.^[6]

August

• 27 August – Sue Lawley presents her final edition of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs after eighteen years. Her last castaway is the actress Joan Plowright.^[7]

September

• 6 September- Kiss 100 is relaunched after a decline in listening figures, dance stations Vibe 101 and Vibe 105-108 are also rebranded to Kiss.

October

• 1 October – Kirsty Young takes over as presenter of Desert Island Discs. Her first guest is children's author and illustrator Quentin Blake.^[8]

November

• 18 November – Russell Brand joins Radio 2 to present a regular weekly programme.^[9]
• November – CTR 105.6 in Maidstone, Kent, is purchased by the KM Group, taking the number of KM-owned stations in Kent to 7.

December

• December – GMG Radio purchases the Saga Radio Group.^[10]

Unknown

• Galaxy 102.2 is renamed Galaxy Birmingham in line with other Galaxy radio stations.

Station debuts

• 14 February – Talk 107
• 25 February – Touch FM (Banbury)
• 29 June – 99.9 Radio Norwich
• 15 August – Gaydio
• 2 September – Brunel FM (2006–2010)
• 18 December – Radio Music Shop
• 25 December – theJazz^[11][12]

Closing this year

Deaths

• 21 October – Paul Walters, 59, BBC radio and TV producer^[13]
• 23 November – Nick Clarke, 58, radio and television presenter and journalist^[14]
• 27 November – Alan Freeman, 79, disc jockey and radio personality^[15]

References