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1986 in British radio

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List of years in British radio (table)
In British television
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
In British music
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
+...

This is a list of events in British radio during 1986.

Events

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  • The Home Office sanctions six experiments of split programming on Independent Local Radio. Up to ten hours a week of split programming is allowed. These include Welsh language programmes on Marcher Sound, Asian programming on Leicester Sound and rugby league commentary on Viking Radio.
  • A European-wide re-organisation of band 2 of the VHF band comes into effect in July 1987. In preparation for this, 1986 sees many local stations change their VHF/FM frequency.

January

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February

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  • No events

March

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April

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May

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  • 5 May – Mike Smith takes over the Radio 1 breakfast show.[2] The same day also sees Radio 1 begin broadcasting on weekdays 30 minutes earlier, at 5:30 am.

June

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  • 28 June – At midday, Portsmouth station Radio Victory stops broadcasting after more than ten years on air, three months before its broadcast licence is due to expire. The previous year the Independent Broadcasting Authority had announced that it would not renew the station's licence.

July

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  • 24 July – Pirate Radio 4 returns for a second run of three more editions and is again broadcast on the VHF/FM frequencies of BBC Radio 4 with the usual Radio 4 schedule continuing on long wave. The programme is shorter in length than last year, being on air from 9:05 am until 10:45 am.

August

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  • 25 August – An early evening service of specialist music programmes launches on the BBC's four local radio stations in Yorkshire. The programmes are broadcast on weeknights between 6 pm and 7:30 pm.

September

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  • 30 September – BBC Radio Jersey begins experimental broadcasting of States of Jersey proceedings. The broadcasts are made a permanent feature from 25 November.

October

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  • 1 October – Downtown Radio's broadcast area is expanded when it begins broadcasting to the north western area of Northern Ireland.
  • 12 October – Ocean Sound begins broadcasting. It replaces Radio Victory in East Hampshire, but also covers Southampton, Winchester and the Isle of Wight. Ocean Sound launches as a split frequency service – Ocean Sound West on 103.2 FM and 1557 AM and Ocean Sound East operates as the replacement for Radio Victory on 97.5 FM and 1170 AM – due to management identifying two potential audiences: one familiar with commercial radio (in the East area), and one largely acquainted with the BBC (the West area). Ocean Sound East launches with a livelier sound than the West service although both services share breakfast and evening programmes with split programming airing during daytime.

November

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  • November – Following its purchase of Northants 96, Chiltern Radio launches a networked service called The Hot FM. The service is broadcast on three ILR licenses with local programming restricted to mid-mornings.
  • 30 November – Northants 96 launches at 10 am and becomes part of The Hot FM.

December

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Station debuts

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Changes of station frequency

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Station Moved from Moved to
Radio Hallam 95.9 (Rotherham), 95.2 (Sheffield) 96.1 (Rotherham), 97.4 (Sheffield)
Signal Radio 104.3 102.6
Pennine Radio 95.2 97.5
BBC Radio Cleveland 96.6FM 95.0FM
Radio Tees 95.0FM 96.6FM
BBC Radio Humberside 96.9FM 95.9FM
Viking Radio 102.7FM 96.9FM
BRMB 94.8FM 96.4FM
Leicester Sound 97.1FM 103.2FM
Severn Sound 95.0FM 102.4FM
Southern Sound 103.5FM 103.4FM

Programme debuts

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Continuing radio programmes

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1940s

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1950s

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1960s

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1970s

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1980s

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Ending this year

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Closing this year

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Births

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  • 25 February – Jameela Jamil, model and broadcast presenter
  • 8 July – Alice Levine, broadcast presenter and style guru
  • 9 September – Nikki Bedi née Vijaykar, broadcast presenter

Deaths

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  • 19 March – Elisabeth Barker, 75, current affairs radio administrator
  • 8 December – Henry Reed, 72, radio dramatist, poet, parodist, translator and journalist

See also

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References

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