1964 in British radio

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.

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.

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 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.

June

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

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.

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.
• 19 September – The programme for the Last Night of the Proms includes Alan Rawsthorne's Piano Concerto no 1, played by Malcolm Binns.
• 26 September – The Light Programme begins broadcasting during the early morning and closes at 2am instead of midnight.

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.
• 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)
• 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)
• 26 July – Play it Cool on the BBC Light Programme (1964)

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

• Music While You Work (1940–1967)
• 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
• 12 November – Mohit Bakaya, Controller of BBC Radio 4
• 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)
• 10 December – Charles Samuel Franklin, radio pioneer (born 1879)

References

References

1. (18 January 2024). "York Hospital Radio marks 60 years of broadcasting". Radio Today.
2. "Don't Get Mad, Get Even". Radio Caroline.
3. (31 March 2010). "Radio Sutch & City in Pictures & Audio Part 1". Bob Le-Roi.
4. (2 December 2013). "Manx Radio marks 50 years of broadcasting". Radio Today.
5. "Radio at Sea 1".
6. [http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=9858&name_role1=1&bcorder=1&comp_id=289642 ArkivMusik.]
7. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ef49rz Prom 49 – Last Night of the Proms 1964]. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
8. "Light Programme – 26 September 1964". BBC Genome.
9. "Light Programme – 2 September 1957". BBC Genome.
10. "Light Programme – 29 September 1958". BBC Genome.
11. (21 December 2020). "Radio Caroline finally gets go ahead for Queen’s message".
12. Slide, Anthony. (2023). "Just a Regular Bloke: the Ted Ray Story". BearManor.
13. "Music While You Work".
14. (8 April 2011). "Historical Dictionary of English Music: ca. 1400–1958". Scarecrow Press.
15. "Charles Samuel Franklin".