List of longest-running radio programmes

These are the longest-running radio programmes – those which were broadcast regularly for many decades.

Pilots, special broadcasts and repeats after the continuous run are not counted in the primary statistic. Title changes are acceptable if the format and presentation is otherwise continuous.

• 
  The Shipping Forecast starts with "Sailing By" and the following recitation of the sea zones, which started in 1924, is now considered a traditional lullaby.^[1]
• 
  The Grand Ole Opry started its weekly broadcasts as the WSM Barn Dance on WSM in 1925. The photo shows a performance in 1944.
• 
  A daily church service has been broadcast by the BBC since 1928.^[2] For 43 years, this came from All Souls Church next to Broadcasting House.^[3]

List

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Programme	Years	Longest serving years	Station	First broadcast	Last broadcast	Number of broadcasts	Notes and citations
Shipping Forecast	101	40 by Peter Jefferson	BBC	1 January 1924		over 130,000	Shipping forecasts were first broadcast by telegraph in 1859 and the first radio broadcast in the current format was broadcast in 1924.[4][5]
Grand Ole Opry	99	67 by Jimmy Dickens	WSM	28 November 1925		Over 5,000	Live country music[6]
Choral Evensong	98		BBC	7 October 1926			Longest running live outside broadcast programme in radio history. Generally comprising Anglican evensong, occasionally Roman Catholic vespers. Initially broadcast on BBC Home Service, later branded BBC Radio 4, until 8 April 1970 when the programme moved to BBC Radio 3.
The Daily Service	97	43 by All Souls Church, Langham Place	BBC	2 January 1928		over 33,500	Live church sermon, bible reading, and choral music[2]
Music & the Spoken Word	96	40 by Richard L. Evans[7]	KSL	15 July 1929[7]		over 4,700	The choir started broadcasting occasional rehearsals on KZN in 1922 but were wary of radio's quality and the current weekly programme did not start until 1929[7]
Voice of Prophecy	95	40 by H. M. S. Richards	syndicated	19 October 1929			Seventh-day Adventist religious program. Previously broadcast nationally on the Mutual Broadcasting System (1942-1947), ABC Radio (1947-1956), NBC Radio Network (beginning in 1956).[8]
Folkemusikktimen	94	26 by Rolf Myklebust (1952-1978)	NRK	7 March 1931		4,700+	Weekly folk music program[9]
Metropolitan Opera	93	44 by Milton Cross (1931-1975)	NBC Blue Network (1931-1945), ABC (1944-1958), CBS Radio (1958-1960), syndicated (1960–present) CBC Radio (1934-present)	25 December 1931		1,500+	Longest-running continuous classical music program in radio history[10]
Chapter a Day	93	75 by Karl Schmidt	WPR (WHA (AM))	25 July 1932 (possibly earlier)			Daily reading of books from various genres in half-hour increments. Summer program until 1939 and has been year-round since then. Some records suggest it may have first aired on WHA (AM) in the late 1920s. Carried on Wisconsin Public Radio since that network began in 1932 as Wisconsin Educational Radio.
Mahishasura Mardini	92	Birendra Krishna Bhadra, live until 1966 when a recording was made	All India Radio	11 October 1932			An annual religious recital of the Chandipath for Durga Puja which started in the 1930s.[11][12][13]
Julehilsen til Grønland	92		DR	December 1932			Christmas greeting to Greenland. Televised since 1983.
The King's/Queen's Christmas Message	92	69 by Elizabeth II	BBC	25 December 1932		89 (as of 2024)	Broadcast internationally on the BBC World Service and by various Commonwealth broadcasters. Not broadcast in 1936, 1938, and 1969.
(WWVA) Jamboree	92		WWVA to 2007 WWOV-LP since 2014	7 January 1933			Originally a weekly show, now limited to semi-annual specials and reruns[14]
The Haven of Rest/Haven Today	91	37 by Paul Myers	syndicated	16 March 1934			Christian evangelical. Called Haven Today since 2001, is a mix of music, Biblical teaching, interviews and current events. Based in California.
Rambling with Gambling	91	34 by John B. Gambling	WOR	1925	2016		Hosted by three generations of hosts all named "John Gambling." Known as The John Gambling Show from 2000 to 2016 for legal reasons.
Make Believe Ballroom	90	29 by William B Williams	WNEW until 1992, currently on WGMC, syndicated since 1940	3 February 1935			Popularized the concept of radio disc jockeys playing recorded music. Name of show was dropped in the 1970s, but restored in 1979.
The Lutheran Hour	90	33 by Oswald Hoffmann		2 October 1930/3 February 1935			Program originally broadcast from 2 October 1930 to 11 June 1931 and began its continuous run on 3 February 1935.[15]
A Voz do Brasil	90			22 July 1935			National government sponsored weekly information programme. Originated as Programa Nacional, renamed A Hora do Brasil in January 1938 when it became a mandatory broadcast; known as Voz do Brasil since 1971.
La Hora Nacional	88			25 July 1937			Weekly government-sponsored cultural and information broadcast required to be aired by all Mexican radio stations.
CBS World News Roundup	87	25 by Dallas Townsend	CBS News Radio	13 March 1938[16]			Broadcast on which Edward R. Murrow made his debut. Began as a special to report the Nazi occupation of Austria and again during the Sudetenland crisis, evolved into a daily broadcast during World War II.[17]
Lørdagsbarnetimen	86		NRK	20 December 1924	11 September 2010		A weekly children's radio program. Off the air during World War II. By the time of its final broadcast it had become the world's longest-running regular weekly radio series.[18]
Back to the Bible	85–86	41 by Theodore Epp		1939	2020		Has been only available as a podcast since 2020.
National Research Council Time Signal	83		CBC Radio	November 5, 1939	October 9, 2023[19]		Aired daily marking 1 pm, Eastern Time
King Biscuit Time	83	67 by "Sunshine" Sonny Payne	KFFA	21 November 1941		over 17,000	Longest running daily American radio program[20]
Voci del Grigioni italiano	83		RSI	25 November 1941		4,000 approx.	Guinness World Record: "Longest running factual weekly radio programme"[21]
Desert Island Discs	83	43 by Roy Plomley	BBC	29 January 1942		over 3,200	[22]
Renfro Valley Gatherin'	81–82		Syndicated	1943			Features short stories, monologues, and a house band performing folk, gospel, and traditional country music.[23]
The Country Hour	79		ABC Radio	3 December 1945			Australia's longest running radio program. Started as a national program, currently seven separate state-based editions[24] broadcast on all regional ABC Local Radio stations weekdays from 12pm to 1pm.[25]Features rural and regional news, with a heavy focus on the agricultural industry.[26]
Arbeidsvitaminen	79		NPO Radio 5	19 February 1946			Music request programme
Hot Air	78	30 by Bob Smith	CBC Vancouver	24 May 1947			CBC Radio's longest-running show features jazz from all eras.[27][28]
Sports Report	77	39 by James Alexander Gordon	BBC	3 January 1948			The show started listing classified football results in the early 1950s but this ceased in 2022.[29][30]
Any Questions	76	32 by Jonathan Dimbleby	BBC Radio 4	12 October 1948			The longest running live discussion programme in the UK, Any Questions?, began in the West Region on 12 October 1948. It moved to the Home Service on 13 June 1950[31]
Your Story Hour	76		syndicated	27 March 1949			Children's Radio dramas based on the Bible, historical heroes, and true-to-life adventures.
Unshackled!	74		syndicated	23 September 1950		over 6,500	Religious anthology series.[32]
Midnite Jamboree	74		WSM	31 May 1947		3,807+	Interruptions in continuous run in 2015,[33] 2020, and 2022.
The Fisheries Broadcast	74		CBN (CBC Radio Newfoundland)	5 March 1951			Originally The Fisherman's Broadcast and now The Broadcast, daily "explores the stories of people in Newfoundland and Labrador who work in jobs or live in communities that depend on the sea."[34]
The Archers	74	63 by June Spencer as Peggy Woolley	BBC	1 January 1951		over 18,740	Longest-running Soap opera in the world. Set in rural England.[35]
The Baptist Bible Hour	72	70 by Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr.	WCVX, syndicated across the United States	February 2, 1953		Over 5,000	Daily Baptist sermon and choral singing, broadcast from Cincinnati, Ohio[36]
The Midnight Special	72	37 by Rich Warren (including 13 years as a co-host)	WFMT	23 May 1953			Saturday night folk music program originally hosted by future film director Mike Nichols. Syndicated nationally since 1971.[37][38]
Folksong Festival	70	70 by Oscar Brand	WNYC	9 December 1945	24 September 2016	3,600 approx.	Guinness World Record: "Longest running weekly radio programme (same host)"[39]
Matysiakowie	68		Polskie Radio	15 December 1956			Weekly 25-minute kitchen sink drama.
Farming Today	64		BBC	20 September 1960			Agricultural news
The Happy Station Show	61	35 by Eddy Startz	PCJJ (1928-1940, 1946–47), Radio Netherlands (1947-1995)	18 November 1928	17 September 1995		Long-running shortwave radio light entertainment programme from Holland in English and Spanish. Had an audience of as high as 100 million in the 1930s[40] and 25 million in the 1970s.[41] Off the air during World War II.
The Big Broadcast	61	26 by John Hickman	WAMU	15 February 1964		3,100+ approx.	The show features a collection of radio from the golden age, the 30s, 40s, and 50s.[42]
Cross Country Checkup	60	21 by Rex Murphy	CBC Radio	16 May 1965			Weekly national phone-in show.
Ideas	59	20 by Paul Kennedy	CBC Radio	10 October 1965			A nightly hour-long scholarly documentary programme.
Letter from America	57	57 by Alistair Cooke	BBC	24 March 1946	20 February 2004	2,869	Longest-running speech radio programme hosted by one individual.[43]
Night Vision	57	51 by Pastor George W. Bogle Sr.	WMUZ-FM	15 September 1967		16,500 approx.	A live call-in broadcast for prayer. Began in 1967 as Evangel Echos, changed name to Night Vision in 2005.[44]
Eighteenth Floor Block C	57		Commercial Radio Hong Kong	3 July 1968			A social satire set in a local Hong Kong diner where customers discuss politics and current events.[45]
As It Happens	56	18 by Mary Lou Finlay	CBC Radio	18 November 1968			A nightly current affairs newsmaker interview programme.[46]
The World Tomorrow	52	32 by Herbert W. Armstrong	syndicated in North America, Radio Luxembourg to Europe (1953-1980s)	7 January 1934	ca. 1986		Called the Radio Church of God until 1939. Continued on television until 1994. Presented predominantly by Garner Ted Armstrong from 1958 to 1978 and by Herbert W. Armstrong until 1958 and from 1978 until his death in 1986.
Your Hundred Best Tunes	47	44 by Alan Keith	BBC	15 November 1959	21 January 2007	2,500 approx.	Popular works which were mostly classical excerpts, choral works, opera and ballads.[47]

See also

• Radio portal

• Lists of longest-running shows internationally:
  • List of longest-running television shows by category
  • List of longest-running Australian television series
  • List of longest-running Indian television series
  • List of longest-running Philippine television series
  • List of longest-running Spanish television series
  • List of longest-running UK television programmes
• Lists of longest-running U.S. shows by broadcast type:
  • List of longest-running U.S. broadcast network television series
  • List of longest-running U.S. cable television series
  • List of longest-running U.S. first-run syndicated television series
  • List of longest-running U.S. primetime television series