1924 in British radio explained

This is a list of events from British radio in 1924.

Events

January

• 1 January - The Meteorological Office issues its first broadcast Shipping Forecast, at this time called Weather Shipping.^[1]
• 15 January - The world's first original adult radio play, Danger by Richard Hughes, is broadcast by the British Broadcasting Company from its studios in London.

February

• 5 February - Hourly Greenwich Time Signal from Royal Greenwich Observatory is broadcast for the first time.^[2]
• 24 February - The first broadcasts from the British Broadcasting Company's 6FL Sheffield radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [4]}

March

• 28 March - First broadcasts from the 5PY Plymouth radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [5]}

April

• 23 April - First broadcast by King George V, opening the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium.^[6] It is recorded off-air by a listener using home-made equipment.

May

• 1 May - The first broadcasts from the 2EH Edinburgh radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [7]}
• 19 May - The British Broadcasting Company first broadcasts cellist Beatrice Harrison duetting live with a wild nightingale in her Surrey garden.^{[8] [9]}

June

• 11 June - First broadcasts from the 2LV Liverpool radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [10]}

July

• 8 July - First broadcasts from the 2LS Leeds radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [11]}

August

• 15 August - First broadcasts from the 6KH Hull radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [12]}

September

• 15 September - First broadcasts from the 2BE Belfast radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [13]}
• 16 September - First broadcasts from the 5NG Nottingham radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [14]}

October

• 13 October - The 1924 general election is the first in the United Kingdom to include party political broadcasts, the first being made today on the BBC by Ramsay MacDonald on behalf of the Labour Party.^[15]
• 21 October - First broadcasts from the 6ST Stoke radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [16]}

November

• 12 November - First broadcasts from the 2DE Dundee radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [17]}

December

• 12 December - First broadcasts from the 5SX Swansea radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [18]}
• 28 December - First broadcasts from the 5XX Daventry radio station listed in The Radio Times.^{[3] [19]}

Undated

• The Wireless Chorus, predecessor of the BBC Singers, is formed.

Births

• 11 February - Douglas Smith, radio announcer (died 1972)
• 3 April - Peter Hawkins, voice actor (died 2006)
• 20 April - Leslie Phillips, comic actor (died 2022)
• 23 April - Norman Painting, actor (died 2009)
• 1 May - Dennis Main Wilson, broadcast comedy producer (died 1997)
• 12 May - Tony Hancock, comedian (suicide 1968)
• 31 July - Garard Green, actor (died 2004)
• 15 November - Mike Raven, born (Austin) Churton Fairman, DJ, actor and sculptor (died 1997)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2007. Fact sheet No. 8 – The Shipping Forecast. National Meteorological Library and Archive. 3. 2010-11-10.
2. Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
3. Web site: Schedule Coverage. BBC Genome labs. BBC . 21 November 2020.
4. Web site: Listings 6FL Sheffield 24 February 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
5. Web site: Listings 5PY Plymouth 28 March 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
6. Book: The Lion Roars at Wembley. Donald R.. Knight. Alan D.. Sabey. D. R. Knight. New Barnet. 1984. 0-9509251-0-1.
7. Web site: Listings 2EH Edinburgh 1 May 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
8. Web site: The cello and the nightingale. Robert. Seatter. 2016-03-25. BBC. 2020-04-23.
9. Book: Harrison, Beatrice. The Cello and the Nightingale. Edinburgh. Canongate. 2024. 9781805300182.
10. Web site: Listings 2LV Liverpool 11 June 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
11. Web site: Listings 2LS Leeds 8 July 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
12. Web site: Listings 6KH Hull 15 August 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
13. Web site: Listings 2BE Belfast 15 September 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
14. Web site: Listings 5NG Nottingham 16 September 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
15. Book: Evans, Jeff. The Political Compendium. 2022. Zymurgy Publishing. Newcastle upon Tyne. 978-1-903506-49-3. 55.
16. Web site: Listings 6ST Stoke 21 October 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
17. Web site: Listings 2DE Dundee 12 November 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
18. Web site: Listings 5SX Swansea 12 December 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.
19. Web site: Listings 5XX Daventry 28 December 1924. BBC Genome. BBC. 21 November 2020.