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 Great Britain In the early days of the BBC virtually all broadcast entertainment w ...

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

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content ...

and

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 current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the

long wave In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the e ...

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

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

on 1 September 1939 – by the National Programme. The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime

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 Reg ...

which had gained many civilian listeners in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

as well as members of the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its 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 Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester. Th ...

in the

English Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the In ...

(as it still is today for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

, 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 Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, although a number of low-power

medium wave Medium wave (MW) is the 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 dayt ...

transmitters (using 1214 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

Home Service Home Service is a British folk rock group, formed in late 1980 from a nucleus of musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band. Their career is generally agreed to have peaked with the album ''Alright Jack'', and has had an ...

and the

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

) gradually became available on what was known at the time as

VHF Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VH ...

, 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 9.00am until midnight each day, apart from Sundays when it would come on the air at 8.00am until 11.00pm. There was, however, a period of a year when the Light Programme was forced to end its broadcasting day one hour earlier than normal at 11.00pm. 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 11.00pm closedown each night continued as

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

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 BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...

'' 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 7.00am until midnight, later moving to 6.30am from Monday 29 September 1958. In 1964, broadcasting hours were increased even more, with a new morning start time of 5.30am 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 2.00am was introduced. The Light Programme closed down for the last time at 2.03am on Friday 29 September 1967. At 5.30am, it was replaced by

and was also replaced by

at 7.00am.

Programming

Some programmes broadcast from the Light Programme still continue today, such as '' Friday Night is Music Night'', ''

Junior Choice ''Junior Choice'' is a BBC Radio programme originally broadcast from 1967 until 1982 with Christmas specials from 2007 until 2015 and again since 2017. Originally broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9.10 to 9.55 (later, ...

'', ''

Pick of the Pops ''Pick of the Pops'' is a long-running BBC Radio programme originally based on the Top 20 from the UK Singles Chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on 4 October 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 (simulcast on BBC Radio 2) from 19 ...

'', ''

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 recordings (us ...

'' 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 Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...

''. Other programmes included: * ''

The Al Read Show Alfred Read (3 March 1909 – 9 September 1987) was a British radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Originally a businessman, he has been described as highly influential on British comedy. Early life Read was born in Brought ...

'' * '' Appointment with Fear'' * ''

'' (1951–1967) * '' The Beatles Invite You to Take a Ticket to Ride'' (1965) * ''

Beyond Our Ken ''Beyond Our Ken'' is a BBC radio comedy programme first broadcast between 1958 and 1964. It starred Kenneth Horne, with Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden, Bill Pertwee, and, as announcer, Douglas Smith. The title is a play on the ...

'' * ''

Billy Cotton Band Show The ''Billy Cotton Band Show'' was a Sunday lunchtime radio programme broadcast in the BBC Light Programme from 1949 until 1968. The band leader, Billy Cotton, was a larger-than-life Cockney character who started each show with the cry "Wakey-W ...

'' * ''Breakfast Special'' * ''

The Clitheroe Kid ''The Clitheroe Kid'' was a BBC Radio comedy show featuring diminutive Northern comic Jimmy Clitheroe in the role of a cheeky schoolboy, who lived with his family at Lilac Avenue in an unnamed town in the North of England. The pilot show, pil ...

'' * ''

Dick Barton – Special Agent ''Dick Barton – Special Agent'' is a 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 aired in 15-mi ...

'' * ''

Does the Team Think? ''Does The Team Think?'' was a radio panel game broadcast originally on the BBC Light Programme (and later on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4) from 1957 to 1976, and revived, again on Radio 2, with a new cast, in 2007. It also broadcast as a TV progr ...

'' * ''

'' (1945–1946) * '' Easy Beat'' (1960–1967) * ''

Educating Archie ''Educating Archie'' was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andr ...

'' * ''

Family Favourites ''Family Favourites'' (remembered by its later name ''Two-Way Family Favourites'') was the successor to the wartime radio show ''Forces Favourites'', broadcast at Sunday lunchtimes on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2 from 1945 unti ...

'' (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 series starred Tony Hancock, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, ...

'' * '' Have a Go!'' * ''

Housewives' Choice ''Housewives' Choice'' was a BBC Radio record request programme, broadcast every morning between 1946 and 1967 on the BBC Light Programme. It played a wide range of mostly popular music intended to appeal to housewives at home during the day. ...

'' * ''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 originated from the 1964 Cambridge University Footlights revue, '' Cambridge Circus''. This is a scripted sketch show. It had a devoted y ...

'' * ''

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 ...

'' * ''

Journey into Space ''Journey Into Space'' is a BBC Radio science fiction programme written by British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC producer Charles Chilton. It was the last UK radio programme to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, fou ...

'' (1953–1958) * ''

'' (1954–1967) * ''

Life with the Lyons ''Life with the Lyons'' was a British radio and television domestic sitcom from the 1950s (1950–1961 on radio, 1955–1960 on television). Overview ''Life with the Lyons'' featured a real American family. Ben Lyon and his wife Bebe Daniels h ...

'' * ''

Listen with Mother ''Listen with Mother'' was a BBC radio programme for children which ran between 16 January 1950 to 10 September 1982. It was originally produced by Freda Lingstrom and was presented over the years by Daphne Oxenford, Julia Lang, Eileen Browne, ...

'' (1950–1964) * ''Meet the Huggetts'' * ''Movie-Go-Round'' * ''Midday Spin'' * ''

Mrs Dale's Diary ''Mrs Dale's Diary'' was the first significant BBC radio serial drama. It was first broadcast on 5 January 1948 on the BBC Light Programme, later BBC Radio 2; it ran until 25 April 1969. A new episode was broadcast each weekday afternoon, wit ...

'' (1948–1967) * '' Much Binding in the Marsh'' * ''

Music While You Work ''Music While You Work'' was a daytime radio programme of continuous live popular music broadcast in the United Kingdom twice daily on workdays from 23 June 1940 until 29 September 1967 by the BBC. Initially, the morning edition was generally ...

'' * ''

The Navy Lark ''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a British Royal Navy frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsmouth. In series 1 and 2, the ship and crew were statio ...

'' * ''

Orbiter X ''Orbiter X: An adventure in the conquest of space'' is a BBC Radio science fiction programme written by B. D. Chapman. Only a single series was produced which was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on Monday evenings in late 1959. Presumed to ...

'' * ''

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

Ray's a Laugh Ted Ray (born Charles Olden; 21 November 1905 – 8 November 1977) was an English comedian of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, on radio and television. His BBC radio show ''Ray's a Laugh'' ran for 12 years. Biography Ray was born Charles Olden i ...

'' * '' 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 fo ...

'' (1965–1967) * ''Roundabout'' * '' Saturday Club'' (1957–1967) * ''Shadow of Sumuru'' * ''The Showband Show'' * ''Side by Side'' * '' Sing Something Simple'' (1959–1967) * ''

The Sunday Hour ''The Sunday Hour'' was a long-standing show broadcast on the BBC Light Programme and then BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom, broadcast for 78 years between 14 July 1940 and 28 January 2018. For most of its life it occupied a Sunday evening ...

'' (1945–1967) * ''

The Slide ''The Slide'' is a sci-fi radio serial in seven parts by Victor Pemberton. The story begins with an earthquake in Southern England, and then the local wildlife starts to disappear. It starred Roger Delgado as Professor Josef Gomez, Maurice Denham ...

'' * '' Sports Report'' * ''

Take It from Here ''Take It from Here'' (often referred to as ''TIFH'', pronounced – and sometimes humorously spelt – "TIFE") is a British radio comedy programme broadcast by the BBC between 1948 and 1960. It was written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, an ...

'' * ''Teenager's Turn – Here We Go'' * '' Top Gear'' (1964–1967; a music show unrelated to the car franchise) * ''

Variety Bandbox ''Variety Bandbox'' is a BBC Radio variety show transmitted initially in the General Forces Programme and then the Light Programme. Featuring a mixture of comic performances and music, the show helped to launch the careers of a number of leading ...

'' * ''Waterlogged Spa'' * ''

Welsh Rarebit Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread. The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later reinterpreted as "rarebit", ...

'' * ''

'' (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 Barry Alldis (5 December 1930 – 21 November 1982) was an Australian presenter on British radio, most notably on the English service of Radio Luxembourg. Alldis' contribution to UK radio is commemorated in the Radio Academy's Hall of Fame. Br ...

Marjorie Anderson Marjorie Anderson (7 November 1913 – 14 December 1999) was a British actress and leading BBC radio broadcaster for over thirty years, including on the programme ''Woman's Hour'' from 1958 to 1972. Early life Marjorie Enid Anderson wa ...

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

Tony Blackburn Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and TV presenter. He first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC, on the BBC ...

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 Michael Brooke (born 29 November 1952) is a New Zealand cricketer. He played in one List A match for Central Districts in 1971/72. See also * List of Central Districts representative cricketers This is a list of all cricketers who have play ...

Desmond Carrington Desmond Herbert Carrington (23 May 1926 – 1 February 2017) was a British broadcaster and actor whose career spanned 75 years. He was best known for his weekly show on BBC Radio 2 which aired for 35 years, from 4 October 1981 until his final br ...

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 jo ...

* 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 Robert Dougall, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (27 November 1913 – 18 December 1999) was an English broadcaster and ornithology, ornithologist, mainly known as a newsreader and announcer. Early life and radi ...

* David Dunhill *

John Dunn John, Jack, Johnny, Jon, or Jonathan Dunn may refer to: Entertainment *John Dunn (pipemaker) (c. 1764–1820), inventor of keyed Northumbrian smallpipes *John Dunn (actor) born O'Donoghue (1813–1875), Australian comic actor *John Millard Dunn (1 ...

* 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. Af ...

Franklin Engelmann Henry Franklin Engelmann (4 March 1908 – 2 March 1972) was a radio personality popular in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly as the host of ''Down Your Way'' and ''Gardeners' Question Time''. Life and career Franklin Engelmann was bor ...

Peter Fettes Peter Fettes was a BBC Radio presenter, active in the 1940s and 1950s. He subsequently became a BBC head of staff training. He appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme '' Desert Island Discs'' on 11 August 1945. References He ...

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 ...

* Keith Fordyce * Tim Gudgin * Peter Haigh * Colin Hamilton * David Hamilton *

Paul Hollingdale Paul Hollingdale (born Paul Wynn; 30 March 1938 – 5 July 2017) was a British radio presenter who presented the first programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2, ''The Radio 2 Breakfast Show'', from 5.30am on Saturday 30 September 1967. He stayed with ...

* David Jacobs *

Brian Matthew Brian Matthew (17 September 1928 – 8 April 2017) was an English broadcaster who worked for the BBC for 63 years from 1954 until 2017. He was the host of '' Saturday Club'', among other programmes, and began presenting '' Sounds of the 60s'' ...

* Jean Metcalfe * Sandy MacPherson * Roger Moffat * Ray Moore * Pete Murray *

Annie Nightingale Annie Avril Nightingale (born 1 April 1940) is an English radio and television broadcaster. She was the first female presenter on BBC Radio 1 in 1970, and is its longest-serving presenter. Early life and career Nightingale was born in Osterley ...

* Ray Orchard * Robin Richmond * Phillip Slessor * Douglas Smith * Ken Sykora *

David Symonds David Symonds (born 28 June 1943) is an English Radio DJ. He was among the original lineup of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 and one of the original Capital Radio DJs. Early life and career Symonds was born in Oxford, the son of Pamela and Ronald 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 the UK for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in December 2009, his BBC Radio 2 week ...

* Jimmy Young

References

External links

Radio Rewind – The 1500m Light Programme
{{Navboxes, list1= {{BBC {{BBC Radio {{BBC Radio 2 {{BBC Radio 1 BBC history 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