BBC Light Programme explained

BBC Light Programme
Image Alt:	A photograph of Broadcasting House showing the art deco styling of the main facade was made from Portland stone.
Country:	United Kingdom
Headquarters:	Broadcasting House, London, England
Owner:	BBC
Language:	English
Replaced:	BBC General Forces Programme
Replaced By:	BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 2

The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2.^[1] It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the long wave frequency which had earlier been used^[2] – prior to the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939 – by the BBC National Programme.^[3]

The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime BBC General Forces Programme which had gained many civilian listeners in Britain as well as members of the British Armed Forces.^[4]

History

The long wave signal on 200 kHz / 1500 metres was transmitted from Droitwich in the English Midlands (as it still is today for BBC Radio 4, although adjusted slightly to 198 kHz / 1515 metres from 1 February 1988)^{[5] [6]} and gave fairly good coverage of most of the United Kingdom, although a number of low-power medium wave transmitters (using 1215 kHz / 247 metres) were added later to fill in local blank spots.^{[7] [8]} Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, the Light Programme (along with the BBC's two other national stations – the BBC Home Service and the BBC Third Programme) gradually became available on what was known at the time as VHF, as the BBC developed a network of local FM transmitters.^[8]

From its first day of broadcasting in 1945 until Monday 2 September 1957, the Light Programme would be on the air from 9.00 am until midnight each day, apart from Sundays when it would come on the air at 8.00 am until 11.00 pm.^[9]

There was, however, a period of a year when the Light Programme was forced to end its broadcasting day one hour earlier at 11.00 pm. This commenced in mid-February 1947 as an effect from the appalling winter of 1946–1947 which saw a fuel shortage in the country with the government enforcing electricity saving measures, one of which was losing one hour of broadcasting per day from the Light Programme.^[10] Even after the fuel shortage had ended by spring 1947, the 11.00 pm closedown each night continued as BBC Radio found itself in financial problems and needed to save money. The midnight closedown of the Light Programme resumed one year later from Sunday 11 April 1948.^{[11] [12]} The long-running soap opera The Archers was first heard nationally on the Light Programme on New Year's Day 1951,^[13] although a week-long pilot version had been broadcast on the Midlands Home Service in 1950.^[14]

From Monday 2 September 1957, the Light Programme's broadcasting hours would start to increase, with a new early morning start time of 7.00 am until midnight, later moving to 6.30 am^[15] from Monday 29 September 1958.

In 1964, broadcasting hours were increased even more, with a new morning start time of 5.30 am from Monday 31 August. Up until September 1964, the Light Programme would always end its broadcasting day at midnight; however this changed on Sunday 27 September 1964, when a new closedown time of 2.02 am was introduced.^{[16] [17] [18] [19] [15]}

The Light Programme closed down for the last time at 2.03 am on Saturday 30 September 1967.^{[20] [21]} At 5.30 am, it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and at 7.00 am by BBC Radio 1 on medium wave.^{[22] [21]}

Programming

Some programmes broadcast from the Light Programme still continue today, such as Junior Choice,^[23] The Archers,^[24] Pick of the Pops,^[25] Desert Island Discs^[26] and Woman's Hour.^[27] Other programmes included:

• The Al Read Show^[28]
• Appointment with Fear^{[29] [17]}
• The Archers (1951–1967)^[15]
• The Beatles Invite You to Take a Ticket to Ride (1965)^[30]
• Beyond Our Ken^[28]
• Billy Cotton Band Show
• Breakfast Special^[20]
• The Clitheroe Kid^{[1] [28]}
• Dick Barton – Special Agent^{[31] [9]}
• Does the Team Think?^[28]
• Desert Island Discs (1945–1946)
• Easy Beat (1960–1967)^[32]
• Educating Archie^[28]
• Family Favourites^[9] (1945–1967)
• Friday Night Is Music Night^{[31] [20]} (1953–1967)
• From Us to You^[32] (1964)
• The Goon Show ^{[9] [28]}
• Hancock's Half Hour^{[1] [31] [28]}
• Have a Go!^{[31] [9]}
• Housewives' Choice^{[33] [31] [9]}
• Ignorance is Bliss^{[9] [28]}
• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
• It's That Man Again ^[9]
• Journey into Space (1953–1958)
• Junior Choice (1954–1967)^[34]
• Life with the Lyons
• Listen with Mother^{[31] [17]} (1950–1964)
• Meet the Huggetts^[35]
• Movie-Go-Round^[36]
• Midday Spin^[37]
• Mrs Dale's Diary (1948–1967)^{[33] [31] [9]}
• Much Binding in the Marsh^{[31] [9] [28]}
• Music While You Work^{[38] [20]}
• The Navy Lark^{[1] [28]}
• Orbiter X^[39]
• Pick of the Pops (1955–1967)^{[31] [34]}
• Parade of the Pops^[32] (1960–1967)
• Paul Temple^[40]
• The Public Ear^[41]
• Pop Go the Beatles (1963)^[41]
• Radio Newsreel^{[15] [9]}
• Ray's a Laugh
• Richard Attenborough's Record Rendezvous^[42]
• Riders of the Range^[43]
• Round the Horne (1965–1967)
• Roundabout^{[33] [20]}
• Saturday Club (1957–1967)^[34]
• Shadow of Sumuru^[44]
• The Showband Show^[45]
• Side by Side^[32]
• Sing Something Simple (1959–1967)^[34]
• The Sunday Half-Hour (1945–1967)
• The Slide^[46]
• Sports Report^[9]
• Take It from Here^[9]
• Teenager's Turn – Here We Go^[32]
• Top Gear (1964–1967; a music show unrelated to the car franchise)
• Variety Bandbox
• Waterlogged Spa^[47]
• Welsh Rarebit^[9]
• Woman's Hour (1946–1967)^{[33] [15] [9]}
• Workers' Playtime ^{[28] [34]}
• Your Hundred Best Tunes^[34]

Presenters

• Barry Alldis^[48]
• Marjorie Anderson
• Richard Attenborough^[49]
• Tony Blackburn
• Tim Brinton^[50]
• Michael Brooke
• Desmond Carrington^[51]
• Sam Costa^[34]
• Bill Crozier^[52]
• Alan Dell^[34]
• Robert Dougall^[53]
• David Dunhill
• John Dunn^[54]
• Don Durbridge^[55]
• Simon Dee^[56]
• Franklin Engelmann^[34]
• Peter Fettes^[57]
• Alan Freeman
• Keith Fordyce^[34]
• Tim Gudgin^[58]
• Peter Haigh^[38]
• Colin Hamilton^[59]
• David Hamilton^[20]
• Paul Hollingdale^[60]
• David Jacobs^{[61] [34]}
• Brian Matthew^[34]
• Jean Metcalfe^{[61] [34] [52]}
• Sandy MacPherson^{[2] [34]}
• Roger Moffat^{[62] [32]}
• Ray Moore^[63]
• Pete Murray^{[33] [61]}
• Annie Nightingale^[64]
• Ray Orchard^[65]
• Robin Richmond^[66]
• Phillip Slessor
• Douglas Smith^[67]
• Ken Sykora^[68]
• David Symonds^[69]
• John Webster^[70]
• Roy Williams^[70]
• Bruce Wyndham^[71]
• Terry Wogan^[61]
• Jimmy Young^[61]

External links

• Radio Rewind – The 1500m Light Programme

Notes and References

1. Web site: BBC Light Programme. British Comedy Guide. 2024-02-28.
2. Web site: BBC Light Programme Launch. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-28.
3. Web site: Close down of Television service for the duration of the War. BBC. 2024-02-28.
4. Web site: Forces of Light. 2001-08-15. The Transdiffusion. Hancock. Dafydd. 2024-02-28.
5. Web site: Radio 4's long wave goodbye. Sabbagh. Dan. 2011-10-09. The Guardian. 2024-02-28.
6. Web site: Droitwich Calling. Phillips. John F.. December 2006. BBCeng.info. 2024-02-28. }
7. Web site: Absolute Radio to switch off all AM transmitters across the UK. Martin. Roy. 2023-01-04. RadioToday. 2024-02-28.
8. BBC Sound Broadcasting: Its Engineering Development. August 1962. BBC. 2024-02-28. 28, 30-31, 35, 94.
9. Book: Briggs, Asa. Sound and Vision. The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom. IV. 1979. Oxford University Press. 55-56, 61, 113, 543-545, 849. 2024-02-28.
10. Web site: The Sunday Post: The 1947 Fuel Crisis and the BBC. Martin. Andrew. 2017-03-05. BBC. 2024-02-29.
11. News: SUNDAY Light Programme. Radio Times. 1278. 1948-04-09. BBC Genome. 2024-02-28. 9.
12. News: MONDAY Light Programme. Radio Times. 1221. 1947-03-07. 11. BBC Genome. 2024-02-28.
13. News: William Smethurst: the man who turned The Archers into a cult. https://web.archive.org/web/20140131140416/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4703411/William-Smethurst-the-man-who-turned-The-Archers-into-a-cult.html. dead. 31 January 2014. Gillian. Reynolds. 24 August 1996. The Telegraph. UK.
14. Web site: The Archers pilot episode - 65th anniversary. Smith. Andrew. 2015-05-29. BBC. 2024-02-29.
15. Web site: The new look in radio. Gillard. Frank. Manduell. John. Graham. Russ J.. 2017-03-13. Transdiffusion. 2024-02-28.
16. Web site: Light Programme – 26 September 1964. BBC Genome. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
17. Web site: Light Programme – 2 September 1957 . BBC Genome. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
18. Web site: Light Programme – 29 September 1958. BBC Genome. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
19. Web site: Light Programme – 29 July 1945. BBC Genome. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
20. Web site: BBC Light Programme schedule for 29 September 1967. BBC Genome. 20 January 2023.
21. Web site: History of Radio Transmission in the UK. Frequency Finder UK. 2024-02-28. 3, 9.
22. Web site: Why create Radio 1?. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
23. Web site: Junior Choice. BBC. 2024-02-29.
24. Web site: The Archers. BBC. 2024-02-29.
25. Web site: Pick of the Pops. BBC. 2024-02-29.
26. Web site: Desert Island Discs. BBC. 2024-02-29.
27. Web site: Woman's Hour. BBC. 2024-02-29.
28. Web site: Light Programme Comedy. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
29. An Aristocratic Plod, Erstwhile Commandos and Ladies who Craved Excitement: Hammer Films' Post-War BBC Crime Series and Serial Adaptations. Mann. David. Scope. 18. October 2010. 3.
30. Web site: The BBC celebrates The Beatles. BBC. 2024-02-29.
31. Book: Cain, John. The BBC: 70 years of broadcasting. 1992. BBC. 2024-02-28. 60-62, 146.
32. Web site: Light Programme Demise. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
33. Web site: Tonight's BBC Radio... in 1964. Graham. Russ J.. Bowden-Smith. Kif. 2019-07-31. Transdiffusion. 2024-02-28.
34. Web site: Light Programme Music. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
35. Web site: Meet the Huggetts. British Comedy Guide. 2024-02-29.
36. Web site: Movie-Go-Round. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
37. Web site: Midday Spin. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
38. Web site: The new pattern of sound broadcasting. Wellington. Lindsay. 2022-09-30. Transdiffusion. 2024-02-29.
39. Web site: 7th Dimension: Orbiter X. BBC. 2024-02-29.
40. Web site: Light Programme Drama. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
41. Web site: Live at the BBC. The Paul McCarthy Project. 2024-02-29.
42. Web site: Richard Attenborough's Record Rendezvous. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
43. Web site: Riders of the Range. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
44. Book: BBC Year Book 1947. 1947. BBC. 48.
45. Web site: Show Band Show. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
46. Web site: The Slide: 1: Moment of Silence. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
47. Web site: Waterlogged Spa. British Comedy Guide. 2024-02-29.
48. Web site: Barry Alldis. Radio Rewind. 2024-02-29.
49. Web site: Broadcast - BBC Programme Index. Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
50. Web site: Programme Index - January 1, 1965. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
51. Web site: Desmond Carrington. BBC. 2024-02-29.
52. Web site: Two-Way Family Favourites. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
53. Web site: Schedule: Sunday, 1 June 1952. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
54. Web site: Obituary: John Dunn. The Guardian. 2004-11-30. Barker. Dennis. 2024-02-29.
55. Web site: Tributes paid to former BBC Radio 2 host. 2012-06-26. Radio Today. 2024-02-29.
56. Web site: Simon Dee's rise and fall in pictures. 2009. The Guardian. 2024-02-29.
57. Web site: Schedule - Friday, 9 December 1949. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
58. Web site: BBC's Tim Gudgin calls time with: Airdrie United 11, Gala Fairydean 0. Bagchi. Rob. 2011-11-19. The Guardian. 2024-02-29.
59. Web site: The Beatles live: Sydney Stadium, Sydney. 2024-01-24. Beatles Bible. 2024-02-29.
60. Web site: Obituary: Paul Hollingdale. 2017-08-09. The Times. 2024-02-29.
61. Book: Potter, Simon J.. This is the BBC: Entertaining the Nation, Speaking for Britain, 1922-2022. 2022-04-14. 10.1093/oso/9780192898524.001.0001. Oxford University Press. 9780192898524. 116-121, 148, 171-174.
62. Web site: The Radio 2 Timeline. BBC. 2024-02-29.
63. Web site: Ray Moore. Radiocafe. 2024-02-29.
64. Web site: RIP Annie Nightingale: Trailblazing DJ and the ‘Coolest Woman Who Ever Graced the Airwaves'. Utton. 2024-01-12. Dominic. Q Magazine. 2024-02-29.
65. Web site: Schedule: Saturday 27 June 1964. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
66. Web site: Schedule: Tuesday 1 March 1949. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.
67. Web site: How bona! Round The Horne named best radio comedy ever. Chortle. 2019-02-12. 2024-02-29.
68. Web site: Obituary : Ken Sykora. 2006-03-24. Barker. Dennis. The Guardian. 2024-02-29.
69. Web site: Ocean sound and me. Harding. Tony. 2022-07-15. Transdiffusion. 2024-02-29.
70. Web site: The story of announcers and announcing over thirty years. Pedrick. Gale. 2022-03-04. Transdiffusion. 2024-02-29.
71. Web site: Schedule: Saturday 23 September 1967. BBC Genome. 2024-02-29.