The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream

light entertainment Light entertainment encompasses a broad range of television and radio programming that includes comedies, variety shows, game shows, quiz shows and the like. In the UK In the early days of the BBC, virtually all broadcast entertainment would b ...

and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

and

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the

long wave In radio, longwave (also spelled long wave or long-wave and commonly abbreviated LW) is the part of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave (MW) broadcasting band. The term is historic, datin ...

frequency which had earlier been used – prior to the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

on 1 September 1939 – by the

BBC National Programme The BBC National Programme was a radio service which was on the air from 9 March 1930 – replacing the earlier BBC's experimental station 5XX – until 1 September 1939 when it was subsumed into the BBC Home Service, two days before the outb ...

. The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime

BBC General Forces Programme The BBC General Forces Programme was a national radio station operating from 27 February 1944 until 31 December 1946. History Development Upon the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, the BBC closed both existing National and Regio ...

which had gained many civilian listeners in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

as well as members of the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

History

The long wave signal on 200 kHz / 1500 metres was transmitted from Droitwich in the

English Midlands The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshi ...

(as it still is today for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

, although adjusted slightly to 198 kHz / 1515 metres from 1 February 1988) and gave fairly good coverage of most of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, although a number of low-power

medium wave Medium wave (MW) is a part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytim ...

transmitters (using 1215 kHz / 247 metres) were added later to fill in local blank spots. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, the Light Programme (along with the BBC's two other national stations – the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

and the

BBC Third Programme The BBC Third Programme was a national radio station produced and broadcast from 1946 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 3. It first went on the air on 29 September 1946 and became one of the leading cultural and intellectual forces ...

) gradually became available on what was known at the time as VHF, as the BBC developed a network of local FM transmitters. 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. 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. Even after the fuel shortage had ended by spring 1947, the 11:00 pm closedown each night continued as

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

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. The long-running soap opera ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a British radio soap opera currently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word Radio broadcasting, channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now pr ...

'' was first heard nationally on the Light Programme on New Year's Day 1951, although a week-long pilot version had been broadcast on the Midlands Home Service in 1950. 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 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. The Light Programme closed down for the last time at 2:03 am on Saturday 30 September 1967. At 5:30 am, it was replaced by

and at 7:00 am by

on medium wave.

Programming

Some programmes broadcast from the Light Programme still continue today, such as ''

Junior Choice ''Junior Choice'' is a BBC Radio programme originally broadcast from 1954 until 1982 with Christmas specials from 2007 to present, with the exception of 2016. Originally broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9.10 to 9.55 ...

'', ''

Pick of the Pops ''Pick of the Pops'' is a long-running BBC Radio programme; it was based originally on the Top 20 from the UK singles chart and was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on 4 October 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 (simulcast on BBC Rad ...

'', ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

'' and ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History The first BBC programme for women was the programme cal ...

''. Other programmes included: * '' The Al Read Show'' * '' Appointment with Fear'' * ''

'' (1951–1967) * '' The Beatles Invite You to Take a Ticket to Ride'' (1965) * '' Beyond Our Ken'' * '' Billy Cotton Band Show'' * ''Breakfast Special'' * '' The Clitheroe Kid'' * ''

Dick Barton – Special Agent ''Dick Barton – Special Agent'' is a radio drama, radio thriller serial that was broadcast in the BBC Light Programme between 7 October 1946 and 30 March 1951. Produced and directed by Raymond Raikes, Neil Tuson, and Charles Lefaux, it was a ...

'' * '' Does the Team Think?'' * ''

'' (1945–1946) * '' Easy Beat'' (1960–1967) * '' Educating Archie'' * '' Family Favourites'' (1945–1967) * '' Friday Night Is Music Night'' (1953–1967) * ''From Us to You'' (1964) * ''

The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September ...

'' * ''

Hancock's Half Hour ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The radio series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James, Bill Kerr and,at various ...

'' * '' Have a Go!'' * '' Housewives' Choice'' * ''Ignorance is Bliss'' * ''

I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' (often abbreviated as ''ISIRTA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme that was developed from the 1964 University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Footlights revue, ''Cambridge Circus (comedy), Cambridge Circus ...

'' * ''

It's That Man Again ''It's That Man Again'' (commonly contracted to ''ITMA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran for twelve series from 1939 to 1949. The shows featured Tommy Handley in the central role, a fast-talking figure, around whom the other ch ...

'' * '' Journey into Space'' (1953–1958) * ''

'' (1954–1967) * '' Life with the Lyons'' * '' Listen with Mother'' (1950–1964) * ''Meet the Huggetts'' * ''Movie-Go-Round'' * ''Midday Spin'' * '' Mrs Dale's Diary'' (1948–1967) * ''

Much Binding in the Marsh ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh'' was a comedy show broadcast from 1944 to 1950 and 1951 to 1954 by BBC Radio and in 1950–1951 by Radio Luxembourg. It was written by and starred Richard Murdoch and Kenneth Horne as officers in a fictional RAF st ...

'' * '' Music While You Work'' * '' The Navy Lark'' * '' Orbiter X'' * ''

'' (1955–1967) * ''Parade of the Pops'' (1960–1967) * '' Paul Temple'' * ''The Public Ear'' * '' Pop Go the Beatles'' (1963) * ''

Radio Newsreel ''Radio Newsreel'' is a news programme produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation between 1940 and 1988. The 15-minute programme, which was eventually broadcast four times a day on the BBC World Service with a daily broadcast on the BBC ...

'' * ''

Ray's a Laugh ''Ray's a Laugh'' was a British BBC Radio comedy series starring Ted Ray (comedian), Ted Ray which ran from 1949 to 1961. According to latter-day historians of the era, the show was "hugely popular with the British public" and "one of the major ...

'' * '' Richard Attenborough's Record Rendezvous'' * ''Riders of the Range'' * ''

Round the Horne ''Round the Horne'' is a BBC Radio comedy programme starring Kenneth Horne, first transmitted in four series of weekly episodes from 1965 until 1968. The show was created by Barry Took and Marty Feldman, who wrote the first three series. The f ...

'' (1965–1967) * ''Roundabout'' * '' Saturday Club'' (1957–1967) * ''Shadow of Sumuru'' * ''The Showband Show'' * ''Side by Side'' * '' Sing Something Simple'' (1959–1967) * '' The Sunday Half-Hour'' (1945–1967) * '' The Slide'' * ''

Sports Report ''Sports Report'' is one of the longest-running programmes on British radio, and is the world's longest-running sports radio programme. It started on 3 January 1948, and has always been broadcast from 17:00 on Saturday evenings during the foo ...

'' * '' Take It from Here'' * ''Teenager's Turn – Here We Go'' * '' Top Gear'' (1964–1967; a music show unrelated to the car franchise) * '' Variety Bandbox'' * ''Waterlogged Spa'' * ''

Welsh Rarebit Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish of hot cheese sauce, often including ale, mustard, or Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread. The origins of the name are unknown, though the earliest recorded use is 1725 as "Welsh ra ...

'' * ''

'' (1946–1967) * '' Workers' Playtime'' * ''

Your Hundred Best Tunes ''Your Hundred Best Tunes'' was a BBC radio music programme, always broadcast on Sunday evenings, which presented popular works which were mostly classical excerpts, choral works, opera and ballads. The hundred tunes which made up the playlist w ...

Presenters

* Barry Alldis * Marjorie Anderson *

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, film director, and Film producer, producer. Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Acade ...

Tony Blackburn Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and television presenter, whose career spans over 60 years. Blackburn first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio Londo ...

Tim Brinton Timothy Denis Brinton (24 December 1929 – 22 March 2009) was a British broadcaster and Conservative Party politician. The son of a neurologist, he was educated at Summer Fields School in Summertown, Oxford, followed by Eton College and the U ...

* Michael Brooke * Desmond Carrington *

Sam Costa Samuel Gabriel Costa (17 June 1910 – 23 September 1981) was an English singer, entertainer and broadcaster. Initially a popular singer in the dance band era and a comic actor on the show ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh'', he was later a disc ...

* Bill Crozier *

Alan Dell Alan Dell, born Alan Creighton Mandell (20 March 1924 – 18 August 1995), was a BBC radio broadcaster, associated in particular with dance band music of the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s. Formative years Dell was born in Cape Town, South Afri ...

* Robert Dougall * David Dunhill * John Dunn * Don Durbridge *

Simon Dee Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd (28 July 1935 – 29 August 2009), better known by his stage name Simon Dee, was a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey who hosted a twice-weekly BBC TV chat show, ''Dee Time'', in the late 1960s. Aft ...

* Franklin Engelmann * Peter Fettes *

Alan Freeman Alan Leslie Freeman MBE (6 July 1927 – 27 November 2006), nicknamed "Fluff", was an Australian-born British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years, best known for presenting '' Pick of the Pops'' from 1961 to 20 ...

Keith Fordyce Keith Fordyce Marriott (15 October 1928 – 15 March 2011) was an English disc jockey and presenter on British radio and television. He was both the first presenter of the ITV television pop music programme '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' in 1 ...

* Tim Gudgin * Peter Haigh * Colin Hamilton * David Hamilton * Paul Hollingdale * David Jacobs * Brian Matthew * Jean Metcalfe * Sandy MacPherson * Roger Moffat * Ray Moore * Pete Murray * Annie Nightingale * Ray Orchard * Robin Richmond * Phillip Slessor * Douglas Smith * Ken Sykora * David Symonds * John Webster * Roy Williams * Bruce Wyndham *

Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in Britain for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday brea ...

* Jimmy Young

References

External links

Radio Rewind – The 1500m Light Programme
{{Portal bar, United Kingdom, BBC, Radio, Comedy, Music, 1950s, 1960s BBC Light Programme BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 1 Defunct BBC national radio stations Radio stations established in 1945 Radio stations disestablished in 1967 1945 establishments in the United Kingdom 1967 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 1940s in the United Kingdom 1950s in the United Kingdom 1960s in the United Kingdom