1980 in radio

1980 in radio involved some significant events.

Events

• 20 March – The pirate radio ship Radio Caroline sinks.
• April – WDLM, a religious station based in East Moline, Illinois, adds an FM signal at 89.3 MHz. It acts as both a repeater of WDLM's AM signal (at 960 AM, which has been on the air since 1960) and adds additional programming.
• 29 October – President Carter on a visit to Pittsburgh gives a nationally broadcast campaign interview to KDKA-AM of that city.
• 8 December – Former Beatle John Lennon is shot to death outside of his New York City apartment by the killer Mark David Chapman.

Debuts

• Alex Bennett returns to his native San Francisco to host a comedy-oriented morning show for album-oriented rock station KMEL. The show will last for the next 17 years on three different area radio stations.

Closings

• 11 February – Sears Radio Theater ends its run on CBS. Episodes are rebroadcast later in 1980 on Mutual as Mutual Radio Theater.^[1]

Births

• 20 July – Énora Malagré, French broadcast presenter
• 9 October – Sarah X Dylan, broadcast personality in Portland, Oregon, United States, producer of The Rick Emerson Show on KUFO
• 4 November – Laura Stylez, American radio personality

Deaths

• 7 January – Irene Beasley, American singer and master of ceremonies best known for her work on old-time radio (born 1904).^[2]
• 29 January – Jimmy Durante, American singer, pianist, comedian and actor (born 1893).^[3]
• 1 February – Jack Bailey, American actor and daytime game show host (born 1907).^[3]
• 4 February – Art Ballinger, American actor, announcer and commercial spokesman (born 1898).^[3]
• 11 April – Florence Lake, American actress (born 1904).
• 4 May – Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson, Scottish pianist, composer and broadcaster (born 1920).^[4]
• 24 July – Peter Sellers, English actor, comedian and radio personality (born 1925).
• 22 August – Norman Shelley, English radio actor (born 1903).
• 4 October – Charme Allen, American actress and pianist best known for her work on old-time radio (born 1890).^[5][6]
• 20 October – Isobel Barnett, British broadcasting personality (born 1918; suicide).
• 8 December:
  • Charles Parker, English documentary producer (born 1919).
  • John Lennon, English musician, radio personality and member of the Beatles (born 1940; shot).

See also

• Radio broadcasting