1981 in British radio

none August 2019 1981 British radio British television British music This is a list of events in British radio during 1981. Events January 2 January – Dave Lee Travis presents his final edition of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show after two and a half years at the helm. 5 January – Mike Read succeeds Dave Lee Travis as presenter of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. February 11 February – BBC Radio London begins broadcasting in stereo, and begins carrying BBC Radio 1 during its mid-evening downtime on weekdays between 20.00 and 22.00. It reverts to BBC Radio 2 when Radio 1 begins its nightly 'borrow' of Radio 2's VHF frequency. 19 February–9 April – BBC Radio 3 makes the unusual move of broadcasting a sitcom when it airs campus comedy serial Patterson.Radio Times issue 2988 http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/efaa2a77ece64490a0134bfbe6961674 https://web.archive.org/web/20141030025111/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/efaa2a77ece64490a0134bfbe6961674 dead 30 October 2014 BBC Genome 31 August 2016 56 12 February 1981 March Undated in March – Garry Richardson first presents sports news on BBC Radio 4's Today programme; he will continue in this role until 2024.Garry Richardson: Broadcaster to leave BBC Radio 4's Today programme after 43 years https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/68740030 BBC 5 April 2024 5 April 2024 April to May No events. June 6 June – BBC Radio 1 broadcasts a live sporting event as a one-off occurrence. The kick-off time is during Radio 1's 'borrow' of Radio 2's VHF frequencies. Radio 1 would normally be off the air on Saturday evenings, and simulcasting Radio 2, so by broadcasting the game on Radio 1's frequencies, Radio 2 is able to broadcast both the sporting event and its usual 19.00 programme. July 4 July – BBC Radio Blackburn expands to cover all of Lancashire and is renamed accordingly. 27 July – Northsound Radio launched in Aberdeen from studios at 45 King's Gate. July – The Home Secretary approves proposals for the creation of Independent Local Radio services in 25 more areas.Extension of Independent Local Radio https://transdiffusion.org/2023/01/23/extension-of-independent-local-radio/ transdiffusion.org 11 February 2023 August No events. September 21 September – Steve Wright in the Afternoon is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 for the first time. 24 September – John Lade presents BBC Radio 3's Record Review for the final time. His last broadcast is the programme's 1,000th edition.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio3/1981-10-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20141017073915/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio3/1981-10-24 dead 17 October 2014 BBC Radio 3 – 24 October 1981 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2 October 2018 Paul Vaughan takes over the programme the following week. October October – BBC Radio Deeside is expanded to cover all of north east Wales and is renamed BBC Radio Clwyd 3 October – Kenny Everett rejoins the BBC to present a Saturday morning programme. 4 October – The first edition of All Time Greats, presented by Desmond Carrington, is broadcast on BBC Radio 2.https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/23a04939f0fc4618b82c6465582c9b86 https://web.archive.org/web/20181002215017/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/23a04939f0fc4618b82c6465582c9b86 dead 2 October 2018 Desmond Carrington – BBC Radio 2 – 4 October 1981 – BBC Genome genome.ch.bbc.co.uk 2 October 2018 The programme, broadcast on Sunday lunchtimes, remains on air until the late 2000s. 6–31 October – For four weeks, Radio 2’s overnight show, You and the Night and the Music, is replaced by 2’s Company with features a blend of music, drama, talks and documentaries from all the radio networks. November 2 November – CB radio in the United Kingdom becomes legal (for licence holders). 23 November – BBC Radio Birmingham expands to cover the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire and is relaunched as BBC Radio WM. December Undated in December – Three months after launching, Essex Radio expands into mid-Essex when it starts broadcasting from transmitters located near Chelmsford. Station debuts 27 July – Northsound Radio 1 September – Radio Aire 7 September – Centre Radio 12 September – Essex Radio 15 October – Chiltern Radio 27 October – Radio West 4 December – West Sound Radio Programme debuts 19 February – Patterson, BBC Radio 3 (1981) 8 March – The Lord of the Rings (radio series), BBC Radio 4 (1981) 21 September – Steve Wright in the Afternoon, originally billed as Steve Wright, BBC Radio 1 (1981–1993, 1999–2022) Tom Menard's Local Tales, BBC Radio 2 (1981–1987) 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) In Touch (1961 – 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) Births 13 January – Des Clarke, Scottish comedian and broadcast presenter 25 May – Huw Stephens, Welsh radio presenter 1 July – Clemency Burton-Hill, classical music presenter 3 September – Fearne Cotton, broadcast presenter Deaths 7 January – Alvar Liddell, 72, BBC Radio announcer and newsreader 10 February – Leonard Plugge, 91, commercial radio promoter and politician 15 March – Derek Roy, 58, comedian 13 April – Gwyn Thomas, 67, Welsh writer and broadcaster 23 September – Sam Costa, 71, crooner, voice actor and disc jockey 30 November – Val Gielgud, 81, pioneer director of broadcast drama See also 1981 in British music 1981 in British television 1981 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1981 References Radio British Radio, 1981 In Category:Years in British radio