This is a list of events in British radio during 1997.
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Events
editJanuary
edit- 6 January – Leicester Sound moves frequency and increases transmitter power.
- January – Chris Evans leaves the Radio 1 Breakfast Show after being sacked.
- January – Tracks by the boy band East 17 are removed from the playlists of at least eleven radio stations following recent comments from their lead singer Brian Harvey about his use of the drug ecstasy. In an interview with Independent Radio News he had claimed to have taken twelve tablets in one evening and then driven, prompting condemnation in the House of Commons from Prime Minister John Major. Harvey was sacked from the band on 17 January, despite making a full apology for the comments.[1][2]
- 30 January – Speaking on BBC Radio 1 in defence of Brian Harvey, musician Noel Gallagher claims that drugs are "like getting up and having a cup of tea in the morning".[3]
February
edit- February – Emap launches a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across the north of England. They replace stations such as Great North Radio and Great Yorkshire Gold.
- 17 February –
- Mark and Lard become the Radio 1 breakfast show's new presenters.[4]
- Jo Whiley begins presenting a weekday lunchtime show on Radio 1.[5]
March
edit- 17 March – After broadcasting a temporary service called 1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire, Classic Gold launches in Bradford and Halifax/Huddersfield. The station is a simulcast of the Classic Gold network heard on MW in central and southern England with a local breakfast show supplemented by local news and information throughout the day.
April
edit- 5 April – Pick of the Pops returns to the BBC. The programme is aired on Saturday afternoons on Radio 2 with Alan Freeman returning as host.[6] The programme had last been on the BBC on BBC Radio 1 at the end of 1992 and throughout most of the intervening period it had been broadcast on Capital Gold.
May
edit- No events.
June
edit- 30 June – The British Forces Broadcasting Service ends its transmission to Hong Kong ahead of the colony's handover of Sovereignty to China.[7]
July
edit- 28 July – Chris Moyles becomes the new host of the Early Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 1.[8]
August
edit- August – Talk Radio broadcasts live sport for the first time when it begins its live coverage of the Football League.
- 31 August – Regular programming is interrupted to provide ongoing news coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Radios 2, 3, 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast a joint programme presented by Peter Allen and James Naughtie.[9]
September
edit- 1 September – BBC Southern Counties Radio is relaunched. The all-speech format is dropped and the station reverts to a more traditional mix of music and speech.
- 6 September – Many UK radio stations broadcast live coverage of the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
- 29 September – Following the purchase of Faze FM, owner of Kiss 102 and Kiss 105, by Chrysalis Radio, the dance music stations are renamed Galaxy 102 and Galaxy 105.
October
edit- 13 October – Mark and Lard are replaced as Radio 1 breakfast presenters by Zoë Ball and Kevin Greening.[10] Mark and Lard are moved to an afternoon presenting slot.[11] On the same day Chris Evans begins presenting a rival breakfast show on Virgin Radio.
November
edit- 17 November – Launch of the Broadcast Radio website.[12]
December
edit- 9 December – Chris Evans's media production company, Ginger Media Group buys Virgin Radio from Richard Branson for £85m. Branson had planned to sell the station to Capital Radio, but Evans, who had not wanted to work for the station, launched a rival bid.
Undated
edit- BBC News Centre, including radio news, relocates to Television Centre, London.
Station debuts
edit- 6 January – West FM
- February – 1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire
- 12 February –
- 14 February – Kiss 105
- 19 February –
- 17 March – Magic 1548
- 1 April – Wish FM
- 4 May – Yorkshire Dales Radio
- 23 May – Lochbroom FM
- 1 September –
- 21 September – KMFM Canterbury
- 23 September – Century 106
- 29 September – KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country
- 7 October – 107.7 The Wolf
- 11 October – KMFM Medway
- 12 October – Dune FM
- 20 October – European Klassik Rock
- 23 October – Star 107.7
- 17 November – Sovereign FM
- 22 November – Vibe 105–108
- 28 November – Star FM 107.2
- 6 December – Waves Radio
Changes of station frequency
editStation | Moved from | Moved to |
---|---|---|
Leicester Sound | 103.2FM | 105.4FM |
Programme debuts
edit- 14 November – Blue Jam on BBC Radio 1 (1997–1999)
- Unknown – Westway on the BBC World Service (1997–2005)
Continuing radio programmes
edit1940s
edit- Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018)
- Desert Island Discs (1942–Present)
- Letter from America (1946–2004)
- Woman's Hour (1946–Present)
- A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present)
1950s
edit- The Archers (1950–Present)
- The Today Programme (1957–Present)
- Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
- Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)
1960s
edit- Farming Today (1960–Present)
- In Touch (1961–Present)
- The World at One (1965–Present)
- The Official Chart (1967–Present)
- Just a Minute (1967–Present)
- The Living World (1968–Present)
- The Organist Entertains (1969–2018)
1970s
edit- PM (1970–Present)
- Start the Week (1970–Present)
- Week Ending (1970–1998)
- You and Yours (1970–Present)
- I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (1972–Present)
- Good Morning Scotland (1973–Present)
- Kaleidoscope (1973–1998)
- Newsbeat (1973–Present)
- The News Huddlines (1975–2001)
- File on 4 (1977–Present)
- Money Box (1977–Present)
- The News Quiz (1977–Present)
- Breakaway (1979–1998)
- Feedback (1979–Present)
- The Food Programme (1979–Present)
- Science in Action (1979–Present)
1980s
edit- In Business (1983–Present)
- Sounds of the 60s (1983–Present)
- Loose Ends (1986–Present)
1990s
edit- The Moral Maze (1990–Present)
- Essential Selection (1991–Present)
- No Commitments (1992–2007)
- The Pepsi Chart (1993–2002)
- Wake Up to Wogan (1993–2009)
- Essential Mix (1993–Present)
- Up All Night (1994–Present)
- Wake Up to Money (1994–Present)
- Julie Enfield Investigates (1994–1999)
- Private Passions (1995–Present)
- Chambers (1996–1999)
- Parkinson's Sunday Supplement (1996–2007)
- The David Jacobs Collection (1996–2013)
Ending this year
edit- 24 April – Harry Hill's Fruit Corner (1993–1997)
- June – Collins and Maconie's Hit Parade (1994–1997)
- December – Comedy Quiz (1996–1997)
Closing this year
edit- 12 February – Great Yorkshire Gold (1989–1997)
- 19 February – Great North Radio (1989–1997)
- 17 March – 1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire (1997)
Deaths
edit- 16 January – Ronald Mason, 70, radio drama producer
- 20 January – Dennis Main Wilson, 72, broadcast comedy producer
- 2 February – Godfrey Baseley, 92, radio executive
- 4 April – Mike Raven ((Austin) Churton Fairman), 72, DJ, actor and sculptor
- 26 June – Charlie Chester, 83, stand-up comedian and broadcast presenter
- 19 September – Jack May, 75, actor
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Wynn Davies, Patricia (18 January 1997). "East 17 singer sacked for making ecstasy remarks – News". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ "London Pop Star Apologizes For Ecstasy Remarks". MTV News. Mtv.com. 17 January 1997. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ "Drugs are like a cup of tea, says Noel – News". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 30 January 1997. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ "Mark Radcliffe – BBC Radio 1 England – 17 February 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Jo Whiley – BBC Radio 1 England – 17 February 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Alan Freeman – BBC Radio 2 – 5 April 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Hong Kong's farewell to the Archers ... from Pete and Dud". The Independent. Independent Print Ltd. 16 April 1997. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
- ^ "Chris Moyles – BBC Radio 1 England – 28 July 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Peter Allen: BBC 5 live should speak for the 'have-nots'". BBC News. BBC. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "Kevin Greening and Zoe Ball – BBC Radio 1 England – 13 October 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Mark Radcliffe – BBC Radio 1 England – 13 October 1997 – BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ UK, RadioToday (17 November 2022). "Broadcast Radio celebrates 25 years with upcoming release of Myriad 6". Retrieved 18 November 2022.