1949 in British radio

none October 2023 1949 British radio British television British music This is a list of events from British radio in 1949. Events January 9 January – The death today in London of comedian Tommy Handley is announced after the Sunday evening repeat of his popular series It's That Man Again by the Director General of the BBC, Sir William Haley, who insists on making the announcement himself; ITMA is immediately cancelledTook Barry Barry Took Laughter in the Air 1981 London Robson Books; BBC 978-0-86051-149-6 and succeeded by Ray's a Laugh with Ted Ray,A Concise History of British Radio, 1922–2002 Sean Street Sean Street https://books.google.com/books?id=y7jo0IcUZeoC&q=%22Ray%27s+a+Laugh%22+%22first+broadcast%22+1949&pg=PA103 2002 Tiverton Kelly 9781903053140 103 while Take It from Here takes over its repeat slot.Take It From Here http://britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/tifh.htm British Comedy 2020-10-27 February 2 February – Parody travelogue "Balham - Gateway to the South", written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, is first broadcast as a comedy sketch narrated by Peter Sellers in the second edition of Third Division on the BBC Third Programme.Norden Denis Denis Norden Dowd Vincent 5 August 2016 Denis Norden Recalls Comedy Pioneer Early Years https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36975138 live https://web.archive.org/web/20220828154147/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36975138 28 August 2022 30 August 2024 BBC News March 26 March – The Boat Race 1949 is memorable for a blooper in which BBC commentator John Snagge, on a launch whose engine has failed,https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-john-snagge-1344505.html The Independent London Obituary: John Snagge 1996-03-28 Leonard Miall Leonard Miall 2015-03-07 announces "I can't see who's in the lead, but it's either Oxford or Cambridge."Hello Again: Nine Decades of Radio Voices Simon Elmes 82 9780099559788 Arrow London 2013 28 March – Astronomer Fred Hoyle coins the term Big Bang during a BBC Third Programme broadcast (although describing the model as "unsatisfactory").22 August 2001 'Big bang' astronomer dies https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1503721.stm BBC News 7 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081208220913/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1503721.stm 8 December 2008 liveCroswell Ken 1995 Chapter 9 The Alchemy of the Heavens Anchor Books 0-385-47213-7 registration https://archive.org/details/alchemyofheavens00crosMitton Simon 2005 Fred Hoyle: a Life in Science 127 Aurum Press 1-85410-961-8 April to August No events. September 5 September – Wagnerian tenor Walter Widdop makes his last appearance at the BBC Proms, singing an aria from Lohengrin, only one day before his sudden death. October to December No events. Undated The BBC issues to its staff BBC Variety Programmes Policy Guide, for writers & producers (the "little green book"), setting out what are and are not permissible topics and language in entertainment programmes.189–90 J. P. Davidson Planet Word Michael Joseph London 2011 978-0-718-15774-6 Debuts 26 January – Third Division on the BBC Third Programme (26 January–2 March) 31 January – A Book at Bedtime (1949 – present) 6 March – Billy Cotton Band Show (1949–1968) 4 April – Ray's a Laugh (1949–1961) 13 May – The McCooeys on the BBC Home Service in Northern Ireland (1949–1956)McCooeys Your Place & Mine https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/archive/A783533.shtml BBC Radio Ulster 2026-06-07 Continuing radio programmes 1930s In Town Tonight (1933–1960) 1940s Music While You Work (1940–1967)Music While You Work https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/june/music-while-you-work/ www.bbc.com 1 November 2024 Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018) Desert Island Discs (1942 – present) Family Favourites (1945–1980) Down Your Way (1946–1992) Have A Go (1946–1967) Housewives' Choice (1946–1967) Letter from America (1946–2004) Woman's Hour (1946 – present) Twenty Questions (1947–1976) Any Questions? (1948 – present) Mrs Dale's Diary (1948–1969) Take It from Here (1948–1960) Ending this year 6 January – It's That Man Again (1939–1949) Births 7 February – Les Ross, né Meakin, midlands DJ 12 March – David Mellor, politician and radio presenter 2 April – Paul Gambaccini, American-born music presenter 11 April – David Stafford, writer and broadcaster (died 2023) 20 April – Paul Heiney, broadcaster 7 August – Matthew Parris, South African-born political writer and broadcaster, previously MP 2 September – Moira Stuart, broadcast presenter 25 November – Isabel Hilton, Scottish-born journalist and broadcaster 12 December – Bill Nighy, actor Philip Dodd, creative arts academic and broadcaster Deaths 9 January – Tommy Handley, comedian (born 1892) 10 June – Sir Frederick Ogilvie, broadcasting executive and university administrator (born 1893) 9 July – Peter Waring, comedian and fraudster, suicide (born 1916) See also 1949 in British music 1949 in British television 1949 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1949 References Category:Years in British radio Radio