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 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

on 1 September 1939 – by the National Programme. The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime General Forces Programme which had gained many civilian listeners in Britain 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, s ...

History

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

(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 spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

, 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 continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

, 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 dayti ...

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 and the Third Programme) 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 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 9.00am 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 set ...

'' 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'', ''

'', '' Pick of the Pops'', ''

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 (usua ...

'' 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 ...

''. 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 ''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'' * ''

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

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

'' * ''

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 c ...

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

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'' * '' Orbiter X'' * '' Pick of the Pops'' (1955–1967) * ''Parade of the Pops'' (1960–1967) * ''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 Li ...

'' * '' Ray's a Laugh'' * '' 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 ...

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

Sing Something Simple ''Sing Something Simple'' was a half-hour radio programme, which featured Cliff Adams and The Cliff Adams Singers, with Jack Emblow on accordion. The programme ran for 42 years from 1959 until 2001, initially on the BBC Light Programme and later ...

'' (1959–1967) * '' The Sunday Hour'' (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 Denh ...

'' * '' Sports Report'' * '' Take It from Here'' * ''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'' * ''

'' (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 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 w ...

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 Televisi ...

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 * Michael Brooke * Desmond Carrington * Sam Costa * Bill Crozier * Alan Dell *

Robert Dougall Robert Dougall, MBE (27 November 1913 – 18 December 1999) was an English broadcaster and ornithologist, mainly known as a newsreader and announcer. Early life and radio broadcasting Dougall was born and educated in Croydon, Surrey. He at ...

* David Dunhill * John Dunn *

Don Durbridge Don Durbridge (13 January 1939 – 9 June 2012) was a UK radio presenter who started his career on the BBC Light Programme, and subsequently worked on the British Forces Broadcasting Service, and on BBC Radio 2,. He also broadcast for many year ...

* Simon Dee * Franklin Engelmann *

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 ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio progra ...

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 Keith Fordyce (15 October 1928 – 15 March 2011) was an English disc jockey and presenter on British radio and television. He is most famous as the first presenter of ITV's ''Ready Steady Go!'' in 1963, but was a stalwart of both BBC radio ...

* Tim Gudgin *

Peter Haigh Peter Varley Haigh (28 July 1925 – 18 January 2001) was an English in-vision announcer for BBC Television in the years after the Second World War. Born in North London, the son of an engineer, he was educated at Aldenham School, Aldenham, H ...

* 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 * Jean Metcalfe *

Sandy MacPherson Roderick Hallowell "Sandy" MacPherson (3 March 1897 – 3 March 1975) was a Canadian-born theatre organist in Britain. As the second official BBC Theatre Organist, in succession to Reginald Foort, he achieved considerable broadcasting time dur ...

* 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 Osterle ...

* Ray Orchard *

Robin Richmond Robin Richmond (21 April 1912 – 27 July 1998) was an English cinema organist and BBC Radio presenter and performer. Richmond was born on 21 April 1912 in London. His father was a doctor. William Stephenson Richmond, his mother was Barbara Ha ...

* 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 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
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