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1999 in British radio

This is a list of events on British radio during 1999.

Events

  • BBC Radio Wales begins to appear on FM in the major conurbations for the first time. Previously, apart from in Gwent, the station had only been available on MW with the allocated block of FM frequencies for local broadcasting in Wales, which was only available in parts of the country, used by BBC Radio Cymru as BBC management had concluded that BBC Radio Cymru would not have enough listeners to merit nationwide coverage on a medium wave frequency.

January

  • 3 January
  • On BBC Radio 2, David Jacobs introduces ', a one-hour television concert recorded in the 1960s.
  • On BBC Radio 1, Coldplay become the first unsigned band to guest on Steve Lamacq's Evening Session.
  • 22 January – Church leaders condemn Birmingham-based station BRMB's "Two Strangers and a Wedding" competition in which contestants enter a competition to marry a complete stranger. The winners, Greg Cordell and Carla Germaine are married at a Registry Office in the city, but the couple separates three months later. Germaine later meets and marries BRMB disc jockey Jeremy Kyle.
  • January
  • Choice FM is taken over by the Chrysalis Group, which later renames it Choice FM Birmingham Galaxy 102.2.
  • London's dance/urban station Kiss 100 is rebranded by EMAP Radio with a new logo. The station introduces a more mainstream pop-orientated playlist which has led to criticism from some DJs and listeners.

February

  • No events.

March

  • No events.

April

May

  • 14 May – The final Lunchtime Concerto, which had aired on weekdays at 2pm since the station’s launch, is broadcast on Classic FM, ahead of a schedule refresh which includes the launch the next day of a new nightly magazine slot Tonight at Eleven.
  • 24 May – Radio 2 says that presenter Sarah Kennedy is taking a week's holiday because of stress following a bizarre performance while standing in for Terry Wogan the previous Friday. This had included calling Ken Bruce an "old fool" and referring to the presenter of the day's Pause For Thought slot as "an old prune". The episode attracted a number of concerned calls to the BBC, while Kennedy blames the incident on a lack of sleep the previous night and apologises to listeners. She had been due to stand in for Wogan the following week, but takes time off instead.

June

  • June – Launch of Sky News Radio, a service providing bespoke bulletins for Talk Radio UK.
  • 18 June – Des Lynam presents his last Friday evening show on Radio 2.

July

August

  • 2 August – It is announced that ITV has signed BBC sports presenter Des Lynam on a four-year contract to become the company's main football presenter. Consequently, he will no longer present his Friday drivetime show on Radio 2.
  • 19 August – BBC Radio 1 broadcasts its first split programming when it introduces weekly national new music shows for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. New presenters include Huw Stephens and Bethan Elfyn.

September

  • 11 September – BBC Radio 3's breakfast programme On Air is renamed Morning on 3.
  • 13 September – Late Junction is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 for the first time.
  • 19 September
  • The first edition of a new Sunday evening advice programme called The Surgery is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and Sara Cox joins.
  • Thirteen years after Radio Victory had stopped broadcasting, Victory FM starts broadcasting to the Portsmouth area on a permanent basis, after six 28-day RSL FM broadcasts which took place between 1994 and 1998. Within weeks, the station is acquired by TLRC.

October

  • 14 October – Managers at BBC Radio 2 reinstate Johnnie Walker after he is fined £2,000 by magistrates for admitting possession of cocaine; he will return to the airwaves on 6 December.

November

  • 15 November – Britain's first national commercial DAB digital radio multiplex, Digital One, goes on air to England, and parts of Scotland and Wales (it does not become available in Northern Ireland until 2013). The stations carried on D1 at launch include the three national commercial AM/FM services – Classic FM, Virgin Radio (later Absolute) and Talk Radio UK (later talkSPORT) – along with two new digital-first stations – fresh pop service Core and classic rock station Planet Rock, both at this time under the ownership of Classic FM's then parent (and Digital One shareholder) GWR Group.

December

Unknown

  • BBC Radio 1 establishes its Live Lounge as part of the mid-morning show.
  • Bedford station B97 is rebranded back to its original name of Chiltern FM.

Station debuts

Programme debuts

Changes of network affiliation

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Ending this year

  • 28 January – World of Pub (1998–1999)
  • 25 February – Blue Jam (1997–1999)
  • 30 March – Chambers (1996–1999)
  • 25 May – Julie Enfield Investigates (1994–1999)
  • 18 June – Des Lynam (1998–1999)
  • 2 July – The Ed Stewart Weekday Afternoon Show on BBC Radio 2 (1991–1999)

Closing this year

Deaths

See also

References