1948 in British radio explained

This is a list of events from British radio in 1948.

Events

January

• 3 January – Sports Report, the world's longest-running sports radio programme,^[1] debuts on the BBC Light Programme.
• 5 January – The first episode of Mrs Dale's Diary, the first significant British radio serial drama, is broadcast on the Light Programme.
• 28 January – The Copleston–Russell debate, a debate between Bertrand Russell and Frederick Copleston on the existence of God, is broadcast by the BBC.

February

• No events.

March

• 23 March – Radio comedy Take It from Here, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden and starring Jimmy Edwards, is first broadcast on the Light Programme; this first series is set in a fictitious commercial radio station office.

April

• 21 April – Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 is premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at the Royal Albert Hall in London and broadcast on the Home Service.^[2]

May to September

• No events.

October

• 12 October – Topical debate programme Any Questions? is first broadcast on the West of England Home Service^[3] chaired by Freddie Grisewood; originally intended to run for six fortnightly editions only, it will still be on the air weekly (on BBC Radio 4 nationally) 75 years later.

November

• No events.

December

• 26 December – The first series of the BBC's annual Reith Lectures, Bertrand Russell on Authority and the Individual, begins broadcasting on the Home Service.^[4]
• 28 December – For the second series of Take It from Here, writers Muir and Norden begin to adopt its familiar three-part sketch show format.^{[5] [6]}

Undated

• Steuart Wilson becomes head of music at the BBC^[7] and Harman Grisewood replaces George Barnes as controller of the BBC Third Programme.

Debuts

• 3 January – Sports Report (BBC Light Programme, 1948–Present)
• 5 January – Mrs Dale's Diary (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1969)
• 23 March – Take It from Here (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1960)
• 1 May – Top of the Form (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1986)
• 12 October – Any Questions? (BBC Home Service, 1948–Present)
• The McCooeys (1948–1955)

Programme endings

• 29 March – Monday Night at Eight (BBC Home Service, 1937–1948)

Continuing radio programmes

1930s

• In Town Tonight (1933–1960)

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)

Births

• 8 March – Gyles Brandreth, writer, broadcaster and politician
• 14 April – Rob Cowan, classical music presenter
• 29 May – Michael Berkeley, composer and classical music broadcaster
• 9 June – Nick Clarke, news presenter (died 2006)
• 18 June – Philip Jackson, actor^[8]
• 25 August – Harriett Gilbert, radio arts presenter
• 30 August – Robin Lustig, radio news presenter
• 22 December – Noel Edmonds, broadcast presenter and producer
• Paul Lewis, financial broadcaster

See also

• 1948 in British music
• 1948 in British television
• 1948 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1948

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sports Report at 70: Presenters' memories, royal recognition & THAT theme tune. BBC Sport. 2018-01-05. 2018-01-05.
2. Book: Doctor, Jenny. Vaughan Williams, Boult, and the BBC. The Cambridge Companion to Vaughan Williams. 249–274. 10.1017/CCO9781139043243.017. Cambridge University Press. 2013 . Frogley, Alain . Thomson, Aidan J..
3. Book: Kynaston, David. David Kynaston

   . David Kynaston. Austerity Britain 1945–1951. London. Bloomsbury. 2007. 978-0-7475-7985-4.

4. Web site: 1940s. The BBC Story. BBC. 2010-06-26. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111218080301/http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/factsheets/1940s.pdf. 2011-12-18.
5. Web site: Take It From Here. British Comedy. 2020-10-27.
6. Web site: Radio: Take It From Here. Mark. McKay. Laughterlog.com. 2020-10-27. 2009-02-07.
7. Book: Kennedy, Michael. Michael Kennedy (music critic)

   . Michael Kennedy (music critic). 1987. Adrian Boult. London. Hamish Hamilton. 0-333-48752-4. 215.

8. Web site: Philip Jackson. Aveleyman.com. 2021-02-17.