BBC Radio 1

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This article is about the British radio station operated by the BBC. For the
BBC's digital radio station, see BBC Radio 1Xtra. For the dance and chill-out
stations based on this station, see BBC Radio 1 Dance and BBC Radio 1
relax. For other stations known as Radio 1, see Radio 1.

BBC Radio 1

City London

Broadcast area United Kingdom and Internationally via Satellite

and BBC Sounds

DAB: 12B BBC National DAB

Frequency
FM: 97.1 MHz–99.7 MHz

Freesat: 700

Freeview: 700

Sky (UK only): 0101

Virgin Media: 901

Virgin Media Ireland: 907

Astra 2E (28.2°E)

Intelsat 901 (18°W)

RDS RADIO 1

Slogan The 1 for...

Programming

Language(s) English

Format Contemporary hit radio, with specialist

programming at night

Ownership

Owner BBC
 Sister stations BBC Radio 1Xtra

BBC Radio 1 Dance

BBC Radio 1 Relax

History

First air date 30 September 1967; 53 years ago

Former FM: 104.8 MHz (London)
frequencies

AM: 1053 kHz

1089 kHz

1215 kHz

Links

Webcast BBC Sounds

Website BBC Radio 1 on BBC Sounds

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. Radio 1 provides alternative genres at night,
including electronica, dance, hip hop and indie, whilst its sister
station 1Xtra plays Black contemporary music, including hip hop and R&B.
Radio 1 broadcasts throughout the UK
on FM between 97.1 MHz and 99.7 MHz, Digital radio, digital TV and on BBC
Sounds. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated
by pirate radio stations, when the average age of the UK population was 27.
[1]
 The BBC claim that they target the 15–29 age group, [2] and the average age
of its UK audience since 2009 is 30.[3] BBC Radio 1 started 24-hour
broadcasting on 1 May 1991.[4]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1First broadcast
o 1.21970s
o 1.31980s
o 1.41990s
o 1.52000s
o 1.62010s
o 1.72020s
 2Broadcast
o 2.1Studios
o 2.2UK analogue frequencies
o 2.3Digital distribution
o 2.4SiriusXM cancellation in North America
o 2.5Regionalisation
 3Content
o 3.1Music
o 3.2News and current affairs
o 3.3Online visualisation and social media
o 3.4Special programming
 3.4.1Bank Holiday programming
 3.4.2Anniversary programming
 3.4.3Charity
 3.4.4Drama
 4Events
o 4.1Radio 1 Roadshows
o 4.2BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend
o 4.3Ibiza Weekend
o 4.4BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards
o 4.5Edinburgh Festival
o 4.6Europe's Biggest Dance Show
o 4.7BBC Radio 1 Dance
o 4.8BBC Radio 1 relax
 5Controllers/Head of Station
 6Logo history
 7Awards and Nominations
o 7.1International Dance Music Awards
 8See also
 9References
o 9.1Sources
 10Further reading
 11External links

History[edit]
Further information: Timeline of BBC Radio 1
First broadcast[edit]
Radio 1 was established in 1967 (along with the more middle of the road BBC
Radio 2) as a successor to the BBC Light Programme, which had broadcast
popular music and other entertainment since 1945. Radio 1 was conceived as
a direct response to the popularity of offshore pirate radio stations such
as Radio Caroline and Radio London, which had been outlawed by Act of
Parliament.[5] Radio 1 was launched at 7:00 am on Saturday 30 September
1967.
Broadcasts were on 1215 kHz AM (247 metres), using a network of
transmitters which had carried the Light Programme. [6] Most were of
comparatively low power, at less than 50 kilowatts, leading to patchy
coverage of the country.
The first disc jockey to broadcast on the new station was Tony Blackburn,
whose cheery style, first heard on Radio Caroline and Radio London, won him
the prime slot on what became known as the "Radio 1 Breakfast Show". The
first words on Radio 1 – after a countdown by the Controller of Radios 1 and
2, Robin Scott, and a jingle, recorded at PAMS in Dallas, Texas, beginning
"The voice of Radio 1" – were:[7][8]
And, good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1.
— BBC Radio 1 opening message
This was the first use of US-style jingles on BBC radio, but the style was
familiar to listeners who were acquainted with Blackburn and other DJs from
their days on pirate radio. The reason jingles from PAMS were used was that
the Musicians' Union would not agree to a single fee for the singers and
musicians if the jingles were made "in-house" by the BBC; they wanted repeat
fees each time one was played.[citation needed]
The first music to be heard on the station was an extract from "Beefeaters"
by Johnny Dankworth.[9]"Theme One", specially composed for the launch
by George Martin was played for first time before Radio 1 officially launched
at 7am. The first complete record played on Radio 1 was "Flowers in the
Rain" by The Move, the number 2 record in that week's Top 20 (the number 1
record by Engelbert Humperdink would have been inappropriate for the
station's sound). The second single was "Massachusetts" by The Bee Gees.
The breakfast show remains the most prized slot in the Radio 1 schedule, with
every change of breakfast show presenter generating considerable media
interest.[10]
The initial rota of staff included John Peel, Pete Myers, and a gaggle of
others, some transferred from pirate stations, such as Keith Skues, Ed
Stewart, Mike Raven, David Ryder, Jim Fisher, Jimmy Young, Dave
Cash, Kenny Everett, Simon Dee, Terry Wogan, Duncan Johnson, Doug
Crawford, Tommy Vance, Chris Denning, and Emperor Rosko. Many of the
most popular pirate radio voices, such as Simon Dee, had only a one-hour
slot per week ("Midday Spin.")[11]
1970s[edit]
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (July 2017) (Learn how and when
to remove this template message)
I want to slag off all the people in charge of radio stations. Firstly, Radio 1. They outlawed the pirates and then
didn't, as they promised, cater for the market the pirates created. Radio 1 and 2, most afternoons, run concurrently
and the whole thing has slid right back to where it was before the pirates happened. They've totally fucked it.
There's no radio station for young people any more. It's all down to housewives and trendies in Islington. They're
killing the country by having that play list monopoly.
—Joe Strummer[12]

Initially, the station was unpopular with some of its target audience who, it is
claimed, disliked the fact that much of its airtime was shared with Radio 2 and
that it was less unequivocally aimed at a young audience than the offshore
stations, with some DJs such as Jimmy Young being in their 40s. The very
fact that it was part of an "establishment" institution such as the BBC was a
turn-off for some, and needle time restrictions prevented it from playing as
many records as offshore stations had. It also had limited finances (partly
because the BBC did not increase its licence fee to fund the new station) and
often, as in January 1975, suffered disproportionately when the BBC had to
make financial cutbacks, strengthening an impression that it was regarded as
a lower priority by senior BBC executives.
Despite this, it gained massive audiences, becoming the most listened-to
station in the world with audiences of over 10 million claimed for some of its
shows (up to 20 million for some of the combined Radio 1 and Radio 2
shows). In the early to mid-1970s Radio 1 presenters were rarely out of the
British tabloids, thanks to the Publicity Department's high-profile work. The
touring summer live broadcasts called the Radio 1 Roadshow – usually as
part of the BBC 'Radio Weeks' promotions that took Radio 1, 2 and 4 shows
on the road – drew some of the largest crowds of the decade. The station
undoubtedly played a role in maintaining the high sales of 45 rpm single
records although it benefited from a lack of competition, apart from Radio
Luxembourg and Manx Radio in the Isle of Man. (Independent Local
Radio did not begin until October 1973, took many years to cover virtually all
of the UK and was initially a mixture of music and talk). Alan Freeman's
"Saturday Rock Show" was voted "Best Radio Show" five years running by
readers of a national music publication, and was then axed by controller
Derek Chinnery.
News coverage on the station was boosted in 1973 when Newsbeat bulletins
air for the first time. and Richard Skinner joins the station as one of the new
programme's presenters.[13]
On air, 1978 was the busiest year of the decade. David Jensen replaces Dave
Lee Travis as host of the weekday drivetime programme[14] so that DLT can
replace Noel Edmonds as presenter of the Radio 1 Breakfast show. [15] Later in
the year, the Sunday teatime chart show is extended from a Top 20
countdown to a Top 40 countdown, Tommy Vance, one of the station's
original presenters, rejoins the station to present a new programme, The
Friday Rock Show.[16] and on 23 November Radio 1 moves from 247m
(1214 kHz) to 275 & 285m (1053 & 1089 kHz) medium wave as part of a plan
to improve national AM reception, and to conform with the Geneva Frequency
Plan of 1975.[17][18]
Annie Nightingale, whose first Radio 1 programme aired on 5 October 1969,
was Britain's first national female DJ (the earliest record presenter is thought
to be Forces Favourites' Jean Metcalfe but as Metcalfe only presented the
programme she is not considered a 'true' DJ) and is now the longest-serving
presenter, having constantly evolved her musical tastes with the times. [19]
1980s[edit]
At the start of 1981, Mike Read took over The Radio 1 Breakfast
Show from Dave Lee Travis. Towards the end of the year, Steve
Wright started the long-running Steve Wright in the Afternoon show. In 1982,
the new Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show started, initially with Tony
Blackburn supported by Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin. Adrian John
and Pat Sharp also joined for the early weekend shows. Gary
Davies and Janice Long also joined, hosting Saturday night late and evening
shows respectively.
In 1984, Robbie Vincent joined to host a Sunday evening soul show. Mike
Smith left for a while to present on BBC TV's Breakfast Time, Gary Davies
then took over the weekday lunchtime slot. Bruno Brookes joined and
replaced Peter Powell as presenter of the teatime show, with Powell replacing
Blackburn on a new weekend breakfast show.[20][21]
In 1985, Radio 1 relocated from its studios in Broadcasting House to Egton
House.[22] In March 1985, Ranking Miss P became the first black female DJ on
the station, hosting a reggae programme. In July, Andy Kershaw also joined
the station.[23]
Simon Mayo joined the station in 1986, whilst Smith rejoined to replace Read
on the breakfast show.[24]
In response to the growth in dance and rap music, Jeff Young joined in
October 1987 with the Big Beat show. At the end of the year, Nicky
Campbell, Mark Goodier, and Liz Kershaw all joined and Janice Long left.
Mayo replaced Smith on the breakfast show in May 1988. [25] In September,
Goodier and Kershaw took over weekend breakfasts with Powell departing.
Campbell took over weekday evenings as part of a move into night-time
broadcasting as 1 October 1988 saw Radio 1 extend broadcast hours until
2am - previously the station had closed for the night at midnight.
From September 1988, Radio 1 began its FM switch-on, with further major
transmitter switch-ons n 1989 and 1990. It wasn't until the mid-1990s that all
existing BBC radio transmitters had Radio 1 added. Previously, Radio 1 had
'borrowed' Radio 2's VHF/FM frequencies for around 25 hours each week.
1990s[edit]
On 1 May 1991, Radio 1 began 24-hour broadcasting, although only on FM as
the station's MW transmitters were switched off between midnight and 6am.
In 1992, Radio 1, for the first and only time, covered a general election. Their
coverage was presented by Nicky Campbell.[26]
In his last few months as controller, Johnny Beerling commissioned a handful
of new shows that in some ways set the tone for what was to come
under Matthew Bannister. One of these "Loud'n'proud" was the UK's first
national radio series aimed at a gay audience (made in Manchester and was
aired from August 1993). Far from being a parting quirk, the show was a
surprise hit and led to the network's first coverage of the large outdoor Gay
Pride event in 1994.[27]
Bannister took the reins fully in October 1993. His aim was to rid the station of
its 'Smashie and Nicey' image and make it appeal to the under 25s. Although
originally launched as a youth station, by the early 1990s, its loyal listeners
(and DJs) had aged with the station over its 25-year history. Many long-
standing DJs, such as Simon Bates, Dave Lee Travis, Alan Freeman, Bob
Harris, Paul Gambaccini, Gary Davies, and later Steve Wright, Bruno
Brookes and Johnnie Walker left the station or were dismissed, and in
January 1995 old music (typically anything recorded before 1990) was
dropped from the daytime playlist.
Many listeners rebelled as the first new DJs to be introduced represented a
crossover from other parts of the BBC (notably Bannister and Trevor Dann's
former colleagues at the BBC's London station, GLR) with Emma
Freud and Danny Baker. Another problem was that, at the time, Radio 2 was
sticking resolutely to a format which appealed mainly to those who had been
listening since the days of the Light Programme, and commercial radio, which
was targeting the "Radio 1 and a half" audience, consequently enjoyed a
massive increase in its audience share at the expense of Radio 1.
After the departure of Steve Wright, who had been unsuccessfully moved
from his long-running afternoon show to the breakfast show in January
1994[28], Bannister hired Chris Evans to present the prime breakfast slot in April
1995. Evans was a popular presenter who was eventually dismissed in 1997
after he demanded to present the breakfast show for only four days per week.
Evans was replaced from 17 February 1997 by Mark and Lard.[29] – Mark
Radcliffe (along with his sidekick Marc Riley), who found the slick, mass-
audience style required for a breakfast show did not come naturally to them.
They were replaced by Zoe Ball and Kevin Greening eight months later in
October 1997, with Greening moving on and leaving Ball as solo presenter.
The reinvention of the station happened at a fortuitous time, with the rise
of Britpop in the mid-90s – bands like Oasis, Blur and Pulp were popular and
credible at the time and the station's popularity rose with them.
Documentaries like John Peel's "Lost in Music" which looked at the influence
that the use of drugs have had over popular musicians received critical
acclaim but were slated inside Broadcasting House.
At just before 9am on 1 July 1994, Radio 1 broadcasts on mediumwave for
the final time.[30]
In March 1995, Radio 1 hosted an "Interactive Radio Night" with Jo Whiley
and Steve Lamacq broadcasting from Cyberia, an internet cafe and featuring
live performances by Orbital via ISDN.[31]
Later in the 1990s the Britpop boom declined, and manufactured chart pop
(boy bands and acts aimed at sub-teenagers) came to dominate the charts.
New-genre music occupied the evenings (indie on weekdays and dance at
weekends), with a mix of specialist shows and playlist fillers through late
nights. The rise of rave culture through the late 1980s and early 1990s gave
the station the opportunity to move into a controversial and youth-orientated
movement by bringing in club DJ Pete Tong amongst others. There had been
a dance music programme on Radio 1 since 1987 and Pete Tong was the
second DJ to present an all dance music show. This quickly gave birth to
the Essential Mix where underground DJs mix electronic and club based
music in a two-hour slot. Dance and urban music has been a permanent
feature on Radio 1 since with club DJs such as Judge Jules, Danny
Rampling[32], Trevor Nelson, and the Dreem Teem all moving from
London's Kiss 100 to the station.