1964 in British radio

This is a list of events from British radio in 1964.

Events

January

• 5 January – Alan Freeman returns as host of Pick of the Pops.
• 26 January – York Hospital Radio goes on air with its first programme.^[1]

February

• No events

March

• 27 March – Children's Hour (renamed For the Young) is broadcast for the last time, on the BBC Home Service.
• 28 March – Radio Caroline, a "pirate" radio station set up by Ronan O'Rahilly broadcasting from MV Caroline anchored in international waters off Felixstowe, debuts as Europe's first all-day English-language pop music station.^[2]

April

• 3 April – The radio comedy series I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again makes its debut, on the BBC Home Service.

May

• 12 May – "Pirate" radio station Radio Atlanta begins broadcasting from MV Mi Amigo anchored off Frinton; in July its operations are merged with Radio Caroline.
• 27 May – Screaming Lord Sutch begins broadcasting from "pirate" station Radio Sutch on Shivering Sands Army Fort offshore in the Thames Estuary; he soon sells the operation to his manager Reginald Calvert who renames it Radio City.^[3]

June

• 29 June – Launch of Manx Radio, the Isle of Man's national radio station.^[4]

July

• 6 July – MV Caroline takes up a new anchorage on Bahama Bank off the Isle of Man and begins broadcasting as Radio Caroline North.^[5]

August

• 13 August – The world premiere of Mahler's Tenth Symphony, the unfinished work completed by Deryck Cooke, is given at the BBC Proms, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Berthold Goldschmidt.
• 30 August – The Third Programme begins broadcasting during the day on Sundays.
• 31 August –
  • Farming Today moves from Network Three to the BBC Home Service where it takes over the early-morning slot previously occupied by Farm Bulletin.
  • The Light Programme begins its day an hour earlier, at 5.30am.

September

• 3 September – Priaulx Rainier's Cello Concerto is given its première at The Proms by Jacqueline du Pré and the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Norman Del Mar.^[6]
• 19 September – The programme for the Last Night of the Proms includes Alan Rawsthorne's Piano Concerto no 1, played by Malcolm Binns.^[7]
• 26 September – The Light Programme begins broadcasting during the early morning and closes at 2am instead of midnight.^[8][9][10]

October

• 6 October – The variety programme Workers' Playtime is aired for the last time, on the Light Programme.

November

• No events

December

• 1 December – Radio Caroline publicity officer David Block contacts the BBC to request a copy of the Queen's Christmas Message with the intention of broadcasting it on Christmas Day, but is turned down because Radio Caroline is not an authorised broadcaster.^[11]
• 12 December – The Third programme begins broadcasting on weekdays, providing a music service from 8am to 2pm
• 23 December – The "pirate" station Wonderful Radio London goes on air broadcasting from MV Galaxy anchored off Frinton with a Fab 40 playlist of popular records.

Station debuts

• 26 January – York Hospital Radio (1964 – present)^[1]
• 28 March – Radio Caroline (1964 – present)
• 29 June – Manx Radio (1964 – present)
• 23 December – Wonderful Radio London (1964–1967)

Programme debuts

• 17 March – Many a Slip on the BBC Home Service (1964–1979)
• 3 April – I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again on the BBC Home Service (1964–1973)
• 10 April – How's Your Father on the BBC Light Programme (series run 10 April–5 June)^[12]
• 26 July – Play it Cool on the BBC Light Programme (1964)

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

• Music While You Work (1940–1967)^[13]
• 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)
• The Dales (1948–1969)
• Billy Cotton Band Show (1949–1968)
• A Book at Bedtime (1949 – present)

1950s

• The Archers (1950 – present)
• Listen with Mother (1950–1982)
• From Our Own Correspondent (1955 – present)
• Pick of the Pops (1955 – present)
• The Clitheroe Kid (1957–1972)
• My Word! (1957–1988)
• Test Match Special (1957 – present)
• The Today Programme (1957 – present)
• The Navy Lark (1959–1977)
• Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
• Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)

1960s

• Farming Today (1960 – present)
• Easy Beat (1960–1967)
• In Touch (1961 – present)
• The Men from the Ministry (1962–1977)

Births

• 11 January – Tony Livesey, journalist and radio presenter
• 24 February – Andy Crane, television and radio presenter
• 1 April – Jez Nelson, jazz presenter and media producer
• 16 May
  • Rebecca Front, comic actress and scriptwriter
  • Milton Jones, comedian
• 23 June – Jane Garvey, radio presenter
• 27 June – Lynn Parsons, radio and television presenter
• 5 August – Rory Morrison, radio newsreader and continuity announcer (died 2013)
• 19 September – Patrick Marber, comedy performer and writer
• 27 September – Gilles Peterson, disc jockey
• 21 November – Liza Tarbuck, actress and radio and television presenter
• 28 November – Sian Williams, journalist and current affairs presenter
• Unknown – Peter Kerry, writer of drama for radio and television

Deaths

• 21 March – Nancy Spain, writer and broadcaster, died in aviation accident (born 1917)
• 28 September – Sir George Dyson, radio's "voice of music" (born 1883)^[14]
• 10 December – Charles Samuel Franklin, radio pioneer (born 1879)^[15]

See also

• 1964 in British music
• 1964 in British television
• 1964 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1964