Now with the clock ticking slowly up to 7 am it's going to be time to welcome Radio 1's first ever show on 247 metres medium wave whilst Breakfast Special continues on Radio 2. Ten seconds to go before Radio 1 Tony Blackburn and Radio 2 Paul Hollingdale. Standby for switching. Get tuned to Radio 1 or 2. 5, 4, 3, Radio 2, Radio 1, go!
And good morning everyone, and welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1…
30 September 1967. The BBC launches a pop radio station.
Radio 1 was launched at 7 am on Saturday, 30 September 1967, with DJ Tony Blackburn playing 'Flowers in the rain' by The Move. The station was established at the request of the British Government after the banning of pirate radio stations to fulfil a need in the UK for a legal pop music radio network. At the same time the BBC's other radio networks, called the 'Home', the 'Third' and the 'Light' programmes, were renamed Radios 4, 3 and 2.
BBC Radio has expanded since 1967 with the launch of new national radio networks for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1978 and the fifth national network (Radio 5Live) in August 1990. DAB digital radio was launched in 1995, adding further networks. Commercial radio began in 1973, and initially the stations were local, generally covering cities or counties. National commercial radio began in 1992. Today listeners in large urban areas in the UK have a choice of as many as 50 legal radio networks to listen to…plus literally thousands of others available via the internet.
The main images show Tony Blackburn and Broadcasting House in central London, home of BBC Radio.
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