1966 in British radio explained

This is a list of events from British radio in 1966.

Events

January

• 20 January – Radio Caroline ship loses its anchor in a storm, drifts and runs aground on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea.

February

• No events

March

• No events

April

• 17 April – The first regular stereo radio transmissions begin, from the Wrotham transmitter.

May

• 3 May – Pirate radio stations Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio commence broadcasting on AM, with a combined potential 100,000 watts, from the same ship (MV Olga Patricia) anchored off the south coast of England in international waters.

June

• 20 June – Radio City affair: Major Oliver Smedley and a team board Shivering Sands Army Fort off the Kent coast, home of Radio City (pirate radio station) (run by Reginald Calvert), to reposses a transmitter supplied but not paid for. The next day, Calvert visits Smedley's home in Saffron Walden over the issue and is shot dead in a struggle.^[1]

July

• No events

August

• No events

September

• 27 September – Irish radio personality Terry Wogan makes his debut on the BBC, broadcasting on the Light Programme.

October

• 27 October – Welsh writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas makes a notable tribute to the children of Aberfan following the Aberfan disaster of 21 October, broadcast across the UK on the BBC Home Service's Today morning programme.^[2]

November

• No events

December

• No events

Unknown

• Britain's first student radio station, the University of Kent's UKC Radio is founded, initially as an audio feed through the radiator system. It airs until 2006.

Station debuts

• 3 May
  • Swinging Radio England (1966)
  • Britain Radio (1966–1967)
• 4 June – Radio 270 (1966–1967)
• Autumn – UKC Radio (1966–Present)

Programme debuts

• 7 January (pilot); 23 April (series run) – Listen to This Space on the BBC Home Service (1966–1967)^{[3] [4]}
• March –The Embassy Lark on the BBC Light Programme (1966–1968)

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)
• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (1964–1973)
• Petticoat Line (1965–1979)
• Round the Horne (1965–1968)
• The World at One (1965–Present)

Births

• 19 January – Henry Naylor, comedy writer, director and performer
• 8 February – Sarah Montague, journalist and broadcast presenter
• 11 March – Paddy O'Connell, broadcast presenter
• 1 April – Chris Evans, disc jockey and television presenter
• 12 July – Tamsin Greig, actress
• 25 August – Tracy Ann Oberman, actress
• 31 August – Alice Oswald, BBC Radio 4 poet in residence
• 9 September – Nikki Bedi, née Moolgaoker, broadcast presenter
• 15 September – Claire Sturgess, disc jockey and voiceover artist
• 26 October – Judge Jules (Julius O'Riordan), dance music DJ and producer
• 30 November – Andy Parsons, comedian
• 31 December – Carlos (Carl Emms), disc jockey
• Jamie Crick, radio music presenter (died 2023)
• Daljit Nagra, BBC Radio 4 poet in residence
• Alan Smith, radio news presenter

Deaths

• 11 April – A. B. Campbell, naval officer and broadcaster (born 1881)
• 2 June – Stephen King-Hall, naval officer, politician and broadcaster (born 1893)
• 21 July – A. G. Street, broadcaster on country matters (born 1892)
• 2 December – Giles Cooper, broadcast dramatist (born 1918)

See also

• 1966 in British music
• 1966 in British television
• 1966 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1966

Notes and References

1. Book: Pirate Radio: Then and Now. Mike. von Joel. Stuart. Henry. Blandford Press. Poole. 1984. 0-7137-1497-2.
2. Web site: Gwyn Thomas on Aberfan, 1966. BBC. 2020-05-06.
3. Web site: Andy. Walmsley. That Was the Week - Part 1. Random radio jottings. 2015-03-17. 2023-12-24.
4. Book: Parsons, Nicholas. Nicholas Parsons

   . Nicholas Parsons: With Just a Touch of Hesitation, Repetition and Deviation: My Life in Comedy. Nicholas Parsons. Random House. 2010. 978-1-907-19522-8. 25.