2009 in British radio

none December 2022 2009 British radio British television British music This is a list of events in British radio during 2009. Events January 5 January – Chiltern Radio, Hereward FM, Radio Broadland, Q103, Northants 96, SGR Colchester, SGR Ipswich, and Horizon Radio are all rebranded as Heart after earlier being acquired by Global Radio. https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2009/jan/05/globalradio-commercialradio Global Radio's Heart rebrand: what do you think? Guardian.co.uk 5 January 2009 1 January 2010 London John Plunkett 105.7 Smooth Radio have signed former BRMB presenter Tammy Gooding to present the drivetime show. She takes up the role from today, and replaces Nigel Williams who has moved to 102.2 Smooth Radio in London.https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Smooth+move+for+Tammy+Gooding%3B+CREATIVE-a0191460431 Smooth move for Tammy Gooding Trinity Mirror The Birmingham Post 5 January 2009 23 September 2018 24 January – Jonathan Ross returns to his Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 after finishing his 12-week suspension following his role in the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7815399.stm Line-up announced for Ross return BBC 2009-01-07 2009-12-18 27 January – Bob Shennan is appointed as Controller of BBC Radio 2 following the resignation of Lesley Douglas. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jan/27/bob-shennan-named-radio-2-controller Bob Shennan named Radio 2 controller Guardian Media 27 January 2009 18 December 2009 London Leigh Holmwood He takes up the position in February. February 2 February – Joanne Malin joins BBC Radio WM to present her mid-morning show.https://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2008/10/24/jo_malin_joins_bbc_wm_feature.shtml Birmingham – BBC WM – Joanne Malin joins BBC WM BBC 14 October 2008 6 January 2012https://www.bbc.co.uk/wm/programmes/schedules/2009/02/02 WM Programmes – Schedule, Monday 2 February 2009 BBC 6 January 2012 20 February – Radio 1's Minimix launches. 21 February – A radio adaptation of Alan Bennett's drama The Lady in the Van starring Maggie Smith and Bennett premieres on BBC Radio 4. March 1 March – The final edition of chart show Fresh 40 is broadcast. 13 March – BBC Radio 2 confirms plans to overhaul its weekend schedule from April. This will include Paul O'Grady, Alan Carr and Emma Forbes joining the network to present shows, while the Saturday afternoon comedy hour will move to Thursday evenings. The changes will also see Johnnie Walker present Sounds of the 70s on Sunday afternoon.John Plunkett https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/mar/13/paul-ogrady-alan-carr-emma-forbes Paul O'Grady, Alan Carr and Emma Forbes in at Radio 2 guardian.co.uk The Guardian 13 March 2009 1 February 2012 23 March – Fox FM, GWR FM Bath, GWR Bristol, GWR FM Wiltshire, Champion 103, 2CR, Essex FM, Gemini FM, Severn Sound, Ocean FM, Lantern FM, Coast 96.3, Plymouth Sound, Orchard FM, South Hams Radio, Wirral's Buzz and 2-Ten FM are all rebranded as Heart. 30 March – BBC Southern Counties Radio closes resulting in the return of BBC Surrey and BBC Sussex as stand-alone separate stations. Century 105 is re-branded as Real Radio North West.http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4197 End of an Era for Century Radio Today 18 Dec 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090123002223/http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4197 2009-01-23 April 1 April – Ownership of Touch FM (Banbury) is transferred to Banbury Broadcasting Company Ltd. The station is renamed Banbury Sound on 1 June.RadioToday.co.uk – Banbury Sound launches https://web.archive.org/web/20090603073254/http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4792 2009-06-03 , 1 June 2009 3 April – Les Ross presents his final weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio WM as he prepares to retire from radio http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/postfeatures/2009/04/02/les-ross-ready-to-hang-up-his-headphones-65233-23292163/ Les Ross ready to hang up his headphones Birmingham Post Graham Young 2 April 2009 31 December 2009 3 May 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100503002640/http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/postfeatures/2009/04/02/les-ross-ready-to-hang-up-his-headphones-65233-23292163/ dead (but will return to the airwaves in December). 4 April – BBC Radio Swindon, which had opted out of BBC Radio Wiltshire, is closed. The two stations are merged as BBC Wiltshire. 16 April – Huddersfield station Pennine FM stops broadcasting after going into administration.http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/commercial-radio-station-pennine-fm-5021766 Commercial radio station Pennine FM goes bust Apr 17, 2009 YorkshireLive Dec 13, 2022 Undated in April – The third broadcast of Pirate BBC Essex takes place over the Easter holiday weekend. The broadcast began five days after the release of the comedy movie The Boat that Rocked which was set on a 1960s pirate radio station.Ship ahoy, it's Tony Blackburn! https://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2009/02/20/pirate_bbc_essex_feature.shtml Essex – Local Radio – Ship ahoy, it's Tony Blackburn! BBC 2009-02-20 2015-09-27 May Undated in May – Orion Media purchases BRMB, Mercia, Wyvern, Beacon in the West Midlands and Heart 106 in the East Midlands from Global Radio for a sale price worth £37.5 million. http://radiotoday.co.uk/2009/07/midlands-radio-sale-cleared/ Midlands radio sale cleared Radio Today 2 July 2009 9 September 2012 7 May – Pennine FM is bought by Pennine Media Ltdhttp://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.5153 RadioToday on 2009 station sale 14 September 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120229061705/http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.5153 29 February 2012 dead and returns to the air as Pennine FM, Huddersfield's More Music Station 22 May – The BBC says that Jonathan Ross's Radio 2 show will no longer be broadcast live following complaints about a joke he made on an edition of the programme which some listeners interpreted as being anti-gay. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/jonathan-ross-will-no-longer-record-live-after-gay-jibe-1689453.html Jonathan Ross will no longer record live after gay jibe The Independent 22 May 2009 18 December 2009 London 26 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090526081646/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/jonathan-ross-will-no-longer-record-live-after-gay-jibe-1689453.html dead 24 May – Children's magazine show Go4It is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 for the final time.BBC Genome Project – BBC Radio 4 listings 24 May 2009 The reason given is that it does not attract enough young listeners and that less than 1 in 20 of the show's audience is aged between 4 and 14, with the average age of the listeners being between 52 and 55. Consequently, there are now no children's programmes on BBC analogue radio. 30 May – Mo Dutta leaves Radio 2. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/may/27/zoe-ball-saturday-bbc-radio-2 Zoe Ball to host Saturday early breakfast show on Radio 2 The Guardian John Plunkett 27 May 2009 18 December 2009 London June 1 June – Birdsong Radio, a digital radio station broadcast from 2008 as a filler on the Digital One platform following the closure of Oneword goes off air with the launch of Amazing Radio. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8076381.stm Birdsong radio taken off the air BBC BBC News 1 June 2009 11 February 2012 6 June – Zoë Ball joins Radio 2 as a weekend presenter. 7 June – Emma Forbes joins Radio 2 as a weekend presenter. Rich Clarke presents the final edition of Hit40UK, which is succeeded by The Big Top 40 Show the following Sunday. 13 June – Singer Emma Bunton begins hosting her own pre-recorded Saturday drive timehttp://news.carrentals.co.uk/emma-bunton-protects-bump-at-heart-fm-fundraiser-34241795.html Emma Bunton protects bump at Heart FM fundraiser Hannah Westfield News.carrentals.co.uk 5 March 2011 12 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20111006011650/http://news.carrentals.co.uk/emma-bunton-protects-bump-at-heart-fm-fundraiser-34241795.html 6 October 2011 dead radio show on Heart in the Saturday afternoon slot 4pm – 7pm. She will also present the Friday drivetime show on London's Heart 106.2. http://radiotoday.co.uk/2009/06/emma-bunton-signs-to-heart/ Emma Bunton signs to Heart Radio Today 1 June 2009 12 February 2012 14 June – Launch of The Big Top 40 Show, a chart show broadcast on commercial radio stations in the UK, and based on a combination of airplay and music download figures provided by iTunes. 15 June – Commercial radio's chart show Hit40UK is relaunched as The Big Top 40 Show. 18 June – It is announced that the media executive Steve Orchard has bought the CN Group of Midland radio stations, having established the Quidem group. The stations involved in the purchase are: 107.3 Touch FM, 102 Touch FM, 96.2 Touch FM, 101.6 & 102.4 Touch FM and 107.1 Rugby FM. 21 June – BBC Radio Shropshire presenter Matthew Carr, presenter of the station's Country Music Show and The Wrekin Wrangler, described as the "toughest quiz on radio", presents his final show before retiring after 23 years with the station.https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/06/18/much-loved-voice-to-sign-off/ Much-loved voice to sign off www.shropshirestar.com Dec 13, 2022 22 June – Invicta FM, Southern FM and 103.4 Marcher Sound are rebranded as Heart. July 1 July – Premiere of the Torchwood drama "Asylum" on BBC Radio 4. 2 July – Debut of the Torchwood drama "Golden Age" on BBC Radio 4. 3 July – Debut of the Torchwood drama "The Dead Line" on BBC Radio 4. 15 July – Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy causes controversy after describing the late Enoch Powell as "the best Prime Minister this country never had" on her Dawn Patrol programme, and is later reprimanded for the remarks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8158074.stm Kennedy rapped for Powell comment BBC News 19 July 2009 14 February 2012 25 July – Chris Tarrant presents his last Saturday morning show for GMG Radio. 26 July – Malcolm Laycock presents his final edition of Sunday Night at 10 on BBC Radio 2. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5967370/Radio-2-listeners-appalled-at-presenters-sudden-departure.html Radio 2 listeners 'appalled' at presenter's sudden departure Daily Telegraph Caroline Gammell 4 August 2009 18 December 2009 London 29 July – Conservative leader David Cameron apologizes for any offence caused after using the word "twat" on live radio during a breakfast radio show interview on Absolute Radio. http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/djs_shows/shows/breakfast/blog/index.html?id=122192&mode=post&s=1 David Cameron on Absolute Radio Absolute Radio 13 March 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090801045420/http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/djs_shows/shows/breakfast/blog/index.html?id=122192&mode=post&s=1 1 August 2009 dead dmy-all https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jul/29/david-cameron-apology-radio-twitter David Cameron says sorry for 'twat' comment during radio interview The Guardian Haroon Siddique 29 July 2009 13 March 2010 London https://web.archive.org/web/20100424003316/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/29/david-cameron-apology-radio-twitter 24 April 2010 live August 2 August – Jazz singer Clare Teal takes over as presenter of Sunday Night at 10. 15 August – Former Radio 2 presenter Malcolm Laycock criticises the network's management for abandoning its older listeners and claims he was constructively dismissed by the station, although Radio 2 denies this to be the case. Laycock resigned from his position following a long-running dispute with his producer over the content of his show, and because of issues regarding his salary.June 2020 Undated in August – London station Club Asia goes into administration and is taken over by the Litt Corporation, owners of rival station Sunrise Radio. The station is relaunched as Buzz Asia.http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/radio/change-control/club_buzz_asia.pdf Ofcom change of control review 23 August 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110811000756/http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/radio/change-control/club_buzz_asia.pdf 11 August 2011 dead dmy-all September 14 September – All programmes, apart from weekday/Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons, are networked across the KMFM network 18 September – Jo Whiley presents her final weekday program for BBC Radio 1. https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5glJr4020gJ-2sWdqGptl0DfI5Mcg Whiley bows out with full house Pres Association 18 September 2009 18 December 2009June 2024 medicmedic 21 September – Fearne Cotton takes over Jo Whiley's old mid-morning show on Radio 1. 27 September – Reggie Yates becomes the sole presenter of The Official Chart. October No events November 2 November – Alpha 103.2, Minster Northallerton and Durham FM are merged into a single station called Star Radio North East. 10 November – Thirteen stations owned by GMG Radio take part in an eighteen-hour on-air appeal to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity. The event raises almost £200,000.http://radiotoday.co.uk/2009/11/gmg-radio-raises-a200k-for-heroes/ GMG Radio raises £200k for heroes Radio Today 12 November 2009 14 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20111218103316/http://radiotoday.co.uk/2009/11/gmg-radio-raises-a200k-for-heroes/ 2011-12-18 dead December 1 December – Touch Radio is rebranded to Touch FM. 7 December – Les Ross returns to the airwaves when he becomes the presenter of the Big City Breakfast Show on Birmingham's Big City Radio 89.1.http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/12/07/legendary-dj-les-ross-mbe-comes-out-of-retirement-for-third-time-97319-25337804/ Legendary DJ Les Ross MBE comes out of retirement for third time Birmingham Mail Graham Young 7 December 2009 31 December 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120923180134/http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/12/07/legendary-dj-les-ross-mbe-comes-out-of-retirement-for-third-time-97319-25337804/ 23 September 2012 13 December – Emma Forbes announces that she is to leave her Radio 2 Sunday morning show. 18 December – After 27 years, Sir Terry Wogan presents his final breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8420157.stm Sir Terry Wogan bids farewell to show BBC News 18 December 2009 18 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091224064256/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8420157.stm 24 December 2009 live 25 December – Tom Binns cuts off a broadcast of the Queen's Speech while presenting a Christmas Day show on Birmingham's BRMB with the comment "two words: bore ing", an action that leads to him being sacked from the station.http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/cmu-beef-of-the-week-235-tom-binns-v-simon-bates/ CMU Beef Of The Week #235: Tom Binns v Simon Bates Complete Music Update 12 December 2014 9 May 2015 18 May 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094643/http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/cmu-beef-of-the-week-235-tom-binns-v-simon-bates/ dead http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8434956.stm Birmingham DJ loses job over 'boring' Queen's Speech BBC BBC News 30 December 2009 9 May 2015 Unknown Aston FM in Birmingham changes its name to Big City Radio. Station debuts 10 January – Vixen 101 February – Felixstowe Radio 30 March – BBC Surrey and BBC Sussex 1 June – Amazing Radio 1 June – Banbury Sound 20 June – 96.5 Bolton FM 4 December – Absolute 80s Programme debuts 29 March – ElvenQuest on BBC Radio 4 (2009–2013) 5 April – Paul O'Grady on the Wireless on BBC Radio 2 (2009–2022) 31 May – Americana on BBC Radio 4 (2009–2011) 4 June – Newsjack on BBC7 (later BBC Radio 4 Extra) (2009–Present) 5 June – Electric Ink on BBC Radio 4 (2009–2010) 23 July – Bigipedia on BBC Radio 4 (2009–2011) 21 September – Fearne Cotton (2009–2015) Alan and Mel's Summer Escape on BBC Radio 2 (2009–2020) Returning this year after a break of one year or longer 5 April – Sounds of the 70s (2000–2008, 2009–Present) Continuing radio programmes 1940s Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018) Desert Island Discs (1942–Present) Woman's Hour (1946–Present) A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present) 1950s The Archers (1950–Present) The Today Programme (1957–Present) 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) You and Yours (1970–Present) I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (1972–Present) Good Morning Scotland (1973–Present) Newsbeat (1973–Present) File on 4 (1977–Present) Money Box (1977–Present) The News Quiz (1977–Present) Feedback (1979–Present) The Food Programme (1979–Present) Science in Action (1979–Present) 1980s Steve Wright in the Afternoon (1981–1993, 1999–2022) In Business (1983–Present) Sounds of the 60s (1983–Present) Loose Ends (1986–Present) 1990s The Moral Maze (1990–Present) Essential Selection (1991–Present) Essential Mix (1993–Present) Up All Night (1994–Present) Wake Up to Money (1994–Present) Private Passions (1995–Present) The David Jacobs Collection (1996–2013) Sunday Night at 10 (1998–2013) In Our Time (1998–Present) Material World (1998–Present) Scott Mills (1998–2022) The Now Show (1998–Present) Jonathan Ross (1999–2010) 2000s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2000–Present) Big John @ Breakfast (2000–Present) Kermode and Mayo's Film Review (2001–2022) The Big Toe Radio Show (2002–2011) A Kist o Wurds (2002–Present) Fighting Talk (2003–Present) Jeremy Vine (2003–Present) The Chris Moyles Show (2004–2012) Annie Mac (2004–2021) The Jo Whiley Show (2001–2011) Elaine Paige on Sunday (2004–Present) The Bottom Line (2006–Present) The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show (2006–Present) The Unbelievable Truth (2006–Present) The Radcliffe and Maconie Show (2007–Present) Act Your Age (2008–2010) Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show (2008–2017) The Strand (2008–2013) The Media Show (2008–Present) Ending this year 5 November – The Penny Dreadfuls Present... (2008–2009) 18 December – Wake Up to Wogan (1993–2009) 24 December – Chris Evans Drivetime (2006–2009) Go4It (2001–2009) Closing this year Date Station Debut30 January107.3 Abbey FM200630 MarchBBC Southern Counties Radio19941 AprilMersey 106.720013 AprilTime 107.31999Time 106.8199030 AprilValleys Radio199628 MayFocal Radio2008http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4782.2 Farewell, Focal Radio Radio Today 28 May 2009 7 April 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110718085642/http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4782.2 18 July 2011 1 JuneBirdsong Radio20081 JulyMix 1072001 Deaths 29 January – Bill Frindall, 69, sportscaster and statistician 22 June – Steve Race, 88, pianist-composer and radio presenter 29 August – Simon Dee, 74, disc jockey and television interviewerDonna Bowater https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/123964/Fallen-Sixties-idol-Simon-Dee-dies-at-74 Fallen Sixties idol Simon Dee dies at 74 Daily Express 2009-08-31 2019-11-05 London 29 October – Norman Painting, 85, actor 8 November – Malcolm Laycock, 71, music broadcaster and producerPeter Vacher https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/nov/10/malcolm-laycock-obituary Malcolm Laycock Obituary The Guardian London 2009-11-10 2019-11-05 31 December – John Cushnie, 66, Northern Ireland landscape designer and gardening broadcaster References 2 Radio British Radio, 2009 In Category:Years in British radio