AI tools

2024 in British radio

Overview of the events of 2024 in British radio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of events in 2024 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts List of years in British radio (table) ...
List of years in British radio (table)
In British television
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
In British music
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
+...
Close

Events

January

  • 1 January –
    • Launch of Bournemouth One.[1] The station begins with a welcome message from Tobias Ellwood, the MP for Bournemouth East.[2]
    • Josh Tate, believed to be the UK's youngest newsreader, presents his own New Year's Day show on Radio Exe.[3]
    • Former Radio 2 presenter Steve Madden joins Portsmouth's Victory Radio to present a late night weekend show.[4]
    • Alex Hall presents her final show for BBC Radio Tees after 35 years in local radio, 18 of them with Radio Tees.[5]
  • 2 January –
    • Audible Always, producers of the internationally syndicated programme Selector Radio, confirms that Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri will take over as presenter of the weekly show.[6]
    • Bauer Radio's Greatest Hits Radio South experimentally drops local news bulletins from its Salisbury frequencies in favour of a mixed Salisbury/Hampshire regional news service from south Hampshire-based Wave 105, which it later says was done because it felt a city specific bulletin for Salisbury "sounded jarring and parochial against industry-leading shows such as Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo". Local news is restored to Salisbury in March after a review following a bulletin containing a story about Portsmouth, an hour's drive from Salisbury.[7]
  • 3 January – Pete Black announces he is leaving the role of Bauer Media Audio UK's Director of Music after 18 years with the company.[8]
  • 4 January – Paddy Power and Virgin Radio UK sign a 12-month deal to sponsor The Ryan Tubridy Show.[9]
  • 5 January –
  • 6 January – Danielle Perry succeeds Angellica Bell as presenter of the Saturday mid-morning show on Scala Radio.[12]
  • 7 January –
    • Stephen Mangan joins Classic FM to present a Sunday afternoon show.[13]
    • Boom Radio announces plans to launch a sister station named Boom Rock in February. The station will become the third in the Boom family.[14]
  • 8 January –
    • Dan Walker replaces Tim Lihoreau as presenter of Classic FM's breakfast show. The change sees the programme move from its previous slot of 6am to 9am to a new slot of 6.30am to 10am.[15] Lihoreau, who had hosted the programme for the previous 12 years, becomes the new presenter of the station's weekend breakfast show as part of wider changes to the weekend schedule.[16]
    • Preston-based Beat Radio is rebranded as Juice Radio, and appears on 103.2FM.[17]
    • Happy Radio have hired Fiona Sadler and Alex Roland to present a weekday evening and overnight show respectively.[18]
  • 10 January –
  • 11 January – HSBC UK have extended their sponsorship of Global's The News Agents podcast for a further 12 months.[21]
  • 14 January –
    • Comedian Tom Allen joins Virgin Radio to present a weekly Sunday afternoon show.[22]
    • Carol Vorderman joins LBC to present a Sunday afternoon show from 4pm to 7pm, having previously provided cover for other LBC presenters.[23]
    • Debut of Smooth Radio's new television advertising campaign featuring famous UK landmarks and its new strapline, "Always the best music".[24]
  • 15 January – The Intellectual Property Office launches a consultation on how record labels and artists from overseas should received royalties for material broadcast in the UK.[25]
  • 17 January – Kiss have signed a 12-month deal with Costa Coffee to sponsor their breakfast shows on Kiss, Kisstory and Kiss Fresh.[26]
  • 18 January – Following a consultation, Ofcom gives approval for BBC Radio Cymru 2 to become a fully fledged radio station.[27]
  • 19 January – Sunshine 855 switches off its medium wave frequency on 855 kHz, having been granted permission to do so by Ofcom due to the expensive cost of maintaining the transmitters and the small number of listeners who listen on medium wave.[28]
  • 20 January – DJ Ace presents his final R&B show on BBC 1Xtra after 21 years with the network; Chuckie is lined up to replace him.[29]
  • 22 January –
    • BBC 1Xtra launches a second show produced from Birmingham, with DJ Day Day presenting weekday mid-mornings, also in place of DJ Ace.[30]
    • The relaunched version of Laser 558 becomes available on Freeview on Channel 277 via the radio portal.[31]
    • Scarborough's Coast and County Radio is found to be in breach of Ofcom's rules following a showbiz news report about the health of Barry Humphries in which it was reported he was being treated in hospital three days after his death.[32]
  • 25 January – Times Radio announces a 12-month deal with Nationwide Building Society to sponsor their breakfast show.[33]
  • 27 January – British band No Guidnce begin a four-week residence guest presenting the R&B show on BBC 1Xtra.[29]
  • 29 January – BBC Radio 2 launches the 2024 series of its Radio 2 Piano Room feature, with Bruce Hornsby as the first guest.[34]
  • 30 January – The Media Bill, which proposes changes to radio in the United Kingdom such as reducing regulations for commercial radio and improving access through smart devices, passes its third reading in the House of Commons.[35]
  • 31 January –

February

  • 1 February – RAJAR figures are published for the final quarter of 2023, and indicate that there were 39.1 million weekly listeners to radio, an increase from 38.1 during the previous quarter. GB News Radio increases its average listener base to 430,000, while listeners to Boom Radio are down slightly on the previous quarter to 627,000.[39]
  • 2 February – Ofcom revokes the small-scale DAB licence award for Warminster, Devizes & Trowbridge after the bidder awarded the licence said they could not launch a service within the 18 month timeframe specified by the award.[40]
  • 6 February –
  • 7 February –
    • The BBC announces plans to launch four new radio stations on DAB+, including a Radio 2 spin-off playing music from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and a Radio 1 spin-off playing music from the past two decades.[43] The plans are objected to by the commercial radio sector, which describes the new stations as unnecessary.[44]
    • Global announces plans to launch The Sports Agents, a sister programme to its The News Agents podcast, which will be presented by Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman on Tuesdays and Thursdays.[45]
  • 8 February –
    • LBC and Classic FM are launched on DAB+ in the Channel Islands.[46]
    • Winchester DAB Ltd relaunches the Winchester small-scale DAB network after the previous operator went into receivership in November 2023.[47]
  • 11 February – BBC Radio 6 Music airs its final programme to be broadcast from Wogan House.[48]
  • 12 February –
    • Suzie McGuire joins Nation Radio Scotland to present weekday evenings as Nation Broadcasting expands its Scottish content.[49]
    • Anna Sedgley announces she is leaving her post as Group Chief Financial Officer at Bauer Media after three years in the role.[50]
  • 13 February – At 5.00pm BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live break the news of the death of radio presenter Steve Wright, who died on 12 February. The announcement is followed by on-air tributes from colleagues throughout the radio industry.[51]
  • 14 February –
  • 16 February –
    • Jordan North confirms he will be leaving Radio 1 after ten years; Jamie Laing will succeed him as co-presenter of the weekday drivetime show alongside Vick Hope.[54]
    • The Radio Today website reports that Oxis Media, which owns the Jack FM brand, plans to relaunch the station in the UK at a time of its choosing.[55]
    • Smart Outdoor Media takes an equity stake in north east DAB station Frisk Radio.[56]
  • 17 February –
  • 18 February –
    • Liza Tarbuck presents a special edition of Sunday Love Songs on Radio 2 in tribute to Steve Wright.[59][60]
    • Gavin Wallace joins Nation Radio Scotland to present a Sunday show.[49]
    • Paul Gambaccini presents the final BBC Radio 2 programme to be broadcast live from Wogan House.[48]
  • 19 February –
  • 20 February –
    • The team behind the relaunched Laser 558 have obtained a licence to broadcast on DAB, and will launch on DAB in Wiltshire and Basingstoke.[63]
    • Heart announces a sponsorship deal with the National Lottery to sponsor its "Make Me a Millionaire" competition.[64]
    • Greatest Hits Radio announces its first Greatest Hits Radio cruise in association with Ambassador Cruises, which will take passengers on a cruise from London to Hamburg along the River Elbe in October, and feature regular presenters Ken Bruce, Martin Kemp, Jenny Powell and Kate Thornton.[65]
    • GB News announces it has ended its radio advertising and sponsorship contract with Bauer Media, and that it is launching its own advertising sales operation.[66]
  • 21 February –
    • Capital confirms that Jordan North will replace Roman Kemp on Capital Breakfast from April.[67]
    • Community stations Blackburn's 102.2 and Takeover Radio 106.9 are found to have breached Ofcom's key commitments over output.[68]
  • 22 February – Lyca Radio is announced as the official partner of the 22nd Asian Achievers Awards, replacing Sunrise Radio.[69]
  • 23 February – BBC Radio 2 broadcasts the final edition of the 2024 series of Radio 2 Piano Room.[34]
  • 24 February – Graham Norton announces he is leaving his weekend shows at Virgin Radio with effect from the following day; Virgin boss Mike Cass confirms Norton will still present on the station.[70]
  • 25 February –
    • At 8am, Erewash Sound presenter Richard Dawson begins a sponsored broadcast marathon that is scheduled to end at midday on 27 February.[71][72]
    • Noreen Khan presents her final regular programme for BBC Asian Network.[73]
  • 26 February –
  • 27 February –
    • Bauer announces plans to rebrand Wave 105 as Greatest Hits Radio South Coast and Pirate FM as Greatest Hits Radio Cornwall.[76]
    • Ofcom approves 14 applications for funds from the Community Radio Fund, with community stations receiving a share of £250,000.[77]
    • Stephen Miron announces he is standing down as Global's Group Chief Executive in March 2025.[78]
  • 28 February –
    • Radio 1 announces schedule changes, which include moving Matt Edmondson and Mollie King to early afternoons (Monday to Thursday) from July.[79]
    • Radio 2 is forced to switch to a back-up service after a technical glitch takes the station off air during Vernon Kay's mid-morning show.[80]
    • Former BBC Radio London presenter Jason Rosam is to present the breakfast show on Battersea's Riverside Radio.[81]
  • 29 February – Noreen Khan presents the BBC Asian Network Comedy Gala from Glasgow before leaving the station.[73]

March

  • 1 March –
    • East Devon Radio is rebranded as DevonAIR Radio, the third time it has changed its name since launching as Bay FM Radio in 2006.[82]
    • Easy Radio is rebranded as Swansea Bay Radio, the third time the station has broadcast with that name.[83]
    • Launch of Angel Radio +1 on DAB in Portsmouth, the UK's first timeshift radio service.[84]
    • Thea Taylor joins Radio 1 to present Friday's early breakfast show during March as part of a monthly rotation of presenters on the show.[85]
  • 2 March – Scala Radio begins introducing more presenter-free programming, leading to the departures of presenters Mark Forrest, Mark Kermode, Luci Holland, Richard Allinson and Sam Hughes.[86]
  • 3 March – Radio News Hub offers a free programme presented by Gaby Roslin to coincide with the UK's Day of Reflection.[87]
  • 4 March –
    • Jamie Laing succeeds Jordan North as co-presenter of Radio 1's weekday drivetime show alongside Vick Hope.[88]
    • BBC Radio Cymru 2 extends its broadcasting hours, going from four to nine hours on Mondays to Thursdays, four to six hours on Fridays and from three to 14 hours on Sundays.[89]
  • 5 March – Blackpool's Coastal DAB is found in breach of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code for mentioning ticket sales for an event during a news bulletin.[90]
  • 6 March –
    • BBC Radio 4 confirms that the next series of The Now Show, due to air in Spring 2024, will be its last.[91]
    • Simon Pitts is appointed Group Chief Executive of Global Media from early 2025.[92]
  • 7 March –
  • 11 March –
  • 12 March –
    • The Radio Today website reports that Bauer plans to remove its radio stations from Freeview in the coming months.[98]
    • BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra are to broadcast a season of radio plays that have been returned to the BBC Archives after 1,000 plays were donated by the Radio Circle.[99]
    • Bauer is to increase the area coverage of Hits Radio Pride as heritage stations are rebranded, with areas where Hits Radio already broadcasts having their heritage frequencies taken over by Hits Radio Pride.[100]
  • 13 March – Sam Sax, a DJ who mixes saxophone with house music, is named Kiss's Chosen One as the station's search for a new DJ concludes.[101]
  • 14 March – Chris Sawyer, co-producer of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, announces he is leaving his role after fifteen years.[102]
  • 15 March –
  • 18 March –
  • 19 March –
    • The BBC confirms plans to sell adverts on some of its podcasts when streamed through platforms such as Apple and Spotify.[108]
    • Plans are announced for HGV Radio, an online radio station for truckers.[109]
    • Greatest Hits Radio confirms that Scott Temple and Holly Day will present weekday afternoons on Greatest Hits Radio Cornwall from April.[110]
  • 20 March –
    • Ofcom fines Big City Radio £1,200 after finding it in breach of its Kay Commitments for not broadcasting enough local content, including news, travel, weather, community information and sport. The findings follow an investigation after Ofcom received a complaint before the station's change to BRMB.[111]
    • Bauer Media Audio UK agrees a deal to acquire the software streaming company, SharpStream, subject to regulatory approval.[112]
  • 21 March – The UK government appoints a panel of nine experts from the world of radio, television and business to advise on the future funding of the BBC.[113]
  • 22 March –
  • 23 March – Frank Skinner announces he is leaving Absolute Radio in May after 15 years, and after his contract was not renewed.[116]
  • 24 March – Tony Blackburn presents the final edition of his syndicated programme on BBC Radio Berkshire, BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Solent.[117][118]
  • 25 March – BBC Radio 1 confirms that its Friday Early Breakfast Show will be presented by Richie Driss in April and SMASHBengali in May as it continues a rotating presenter format for the programme.[119]
  • 26 March – Global appoints Dena McCallum as the Chair of Trustees at its Make Some Noise charity, replacing Jo Kenrick.[120]
  • 28 March –
  • 29 March –
  • 31 March – BBC Radio 4's long wave opt-outs end after the 12.01 Shipping Forecast.[129]
  • March – Salisbury-specific bulletins on the Salisbury frequencies of Greatest Hits Radio South on weekdays are reinstated two months after Bauer dropped them in favour of regional bulletins from Wave 105.[7]

April

  • 1 April –
  • 2 April –
    • Radio 2 confirms that Michael Ball will take over as presenter of Sunday Love Songs from June.[132]
    • The BBC World Service confirms that Ella Al-Shamahi and Datshiane Navanayagam are the new hosts of its series The Conversation.[133]
    • Josh Curnow and Laura Mac launch a new weekday breakfast show on Rewind Radio.[134]
    • Sun FM is to be rebranded as Nation Radio North East from May.[135]
    • Bauer removes its radio stations from Freeview.[98][136]
  • 3 April –
    • Radio 1 announces its Radio 1 Residency Thursday late night presenters for April, May and June, with Fleur Shore presenting in April, Emerald in May and Ben Hemsley in June.[137]
    • West Hull FM 106.9FM announces a rebrand to Humber Wave Radio to coincide with its launch on DAB+ from mid-April.[138]
  • 5 April –
    • It is announced that Garry Richardson will, in September, step down from presenting the sports news on Radio 4's Today programme, after 43 years in the role and 50 with the BBC.[139]
    • Free Thinking is first broadcast as a weekly programme on BBC Radio 4, having transferred from Radio 3; and Friday Night Is Music Night transfers to Radio 3, having run on Radio 2 (or predecessor) since 1953.
  • 7 April –
    • Broadcaster, presenter and podcaster Zeze Millz joins Capital XTRA to present a Sunday morning show.[140]
    • V2 Radio announces it is launching on DAB in Hampshire, thus expanding beyond the Sussex area, and as a potential alternative to the now defunct Wave 105.[141]
  • 8 April –
  • 9 April – Magic Radio announces a partnership with Wickes to sponsor their drivetime show.[145]
  • 10 April – Academy FM in Thanet, Kent, is presented with The King's Award for Voluntary Service by Lord Lieutenant Lady Colgrain.[146]
  • 13 April – Boom Radio announces the launch of a £500,000 advertising campaign on ITV1, its first on the channel. Jo Brand has also been hired to present a series of programmes in which she interviews prominent television personalities, including Michael Grade.[147]
  • 15 April –
  • 16 April –
  • 17 April –
  • 18 April –
    • Bauer Media announce plans to rename Liverpool's Radio City Tower as the Hits Radio Tower.[153]
    • Capital Buzz is launched to replace the PopBuzz website.[154]
  • 19 April –
    • Ofcom invites applications for the sixth round of the small-scale DAB process.[155]
    • Research carried out by economists at Compass Lexecon indicates BBC radio, and in particular BBC Local Radio, could not survive in its present format under a commercially funded BBC.[156]
  • 22 April –
    • Asian Sound Radio is renamed Lyca Radio Greater Manchester following Lyca's acquisition of the station in 2023.[157]
    • Mike Read's Heritage Chart Radio breakfast show begins airing on Brighton's Regency Radio.[158]
    • Deezer and Global Radio sign a deal that makes Global its exclusive ad partner in the UK.[159]
    • Caroline Community Radio is rebranded as Caroline Coastal FM and given an extra FM frequency.[160]
  • 23 April – Happy Radio hires Faye Bamford to co-present its weekday drivetime show alongside Ian Roberts.[161]
  • 24 April –
    • Ofcom warns radio and television stations with programmes hosted by politicians that they could be fined if they break impartiality rules in the run up to the next general election.[162]
    • Milton Keynes station 1055 The Point is warned by Ofcom it faces a fine for breaching its Key Commitments for a second time.[163]
  • 25 April – BFBS announces it will launch a new schedule, with Kam Kelly and Danni G presenting the breakfast show.[164]
  • 26 April –
    • Tesco signs a deal to become headline sponsor of Global's The Sports Agents podcast.[165]
    • Radio 2 listeners vote "Dancing Queen" their favourite ABBA song.[166]
  • End of April – The last remaining AM transmitter for Gold is switched off in Greater Manchester.[167]

May

June

  • 2 June – Michael Ball takes over as presenter of Radio 2's Sunday Love Songs.[195]
  • 3 June –
    • Capital launches the pop-up station Capital (Taylor's Version), to coincide with the UK leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, the first time a radio station in the UK has been dedicated to a single artist.[196]
    • Andrew Neil joins Times Radio to present an afternoon show from Mondays to Thursdays, doing so earlier than his originally planned September start because of the general election.[197]
    • Rewind Radio hires former BBC Radio Cornwall presenter Jack Murley as programme controller and weekday midmorning presenter.[198] The station also appoints Mark Peters, the former managing director of Pirate FM, as AI Integration Specialist.[199]
  • 4 June – Capital announces that weekend presenter Kemi Rodgers will cover for Capital Breakfast co-presenter Sian Welby while she is on maternity leave over the summer.[200]
  • 6 June – Ronan Keating announces he is leaving Magic Breakfast after co-presenting the show for seven years.[201]
  • 7 June –
    • Edinburgh's Edge 1 celebrates Taylor Swift's arrival at Murrayfield with a 12-hour broadcast playing her songs from 6am to 6pm.[202]
    • Former BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Roger Lyon confirms he is joining Liverpool Live Radio to present a Sunday evening show.[203]
  • 8–9 June – BBC Radio 4 stages a special weekend of programmes to mark 100 years since the death of Franz Kafka and 75 years since publication of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.[204]
  • 10 June –
  • 14 June –
    • BBC Radio 4 airs the tribute programme There's Only One Michael Mosley following the recent death of television doctor Michael Mosley on the Greek island of Symi.[209]
    • Global have hired Aggie Chambre for the new role of LBC Political Correspondent.[210]
    • talkSPORT have signed a sponsorship deal with Burger King UK to sponsor their Euro 2024 coverage.[211]
    • A coalition of commercial media and content businesses write to Labour to urge them not to introduce advertising on the BBC, fearing it could have a negative impact on consumers, licence fee payers and creative industries.[212]
    • Among those from the world of radio to be recognised in the 2024 Birthday Honours are BBC executive Jenny Abramsky, who received a Damehood, BBC Wales's Roy Noble, who receives a CBE, and KISS FM founder Gordon Mac, who receives an MBE.[213]
  • 16 June – The 2024 Capital Summertime Ball will be held at Wembley Stadium.[214]
  • 17 June –
    • BBC Sounds launches an Election 2024 livestream, bringing together all the election news and programming, such as Newscast, Today, Question Time and Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. The livestream is scheduled to run until 8 July.[215]
    • The UK Community Radio Network publishes a manifesto aimed at garnering support from political parties regarding the future of community radio in the UK.[216]
  • 18 June –
    • LBC's Nick Ferrari presents the first of two editions of Britain's Next PM, a phone-in giving listeners the opportunity to speak to Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, with Starmer appearing on the first edition and Sunak the following day.[217]
    • During an election debate on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, representatives from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Scottish National Party express their support for making misogyny a hate crime.[218]
  • 19 June – Specsavers wins the first Grand Prix for Audio & Radio to be awarded to the UK at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for their "The Misheard Version" advertising campaign.[219]
  • 20 June –
  • 21 June – Global secures a deal with Team GB to be their official audio partner during the 2024 Summer Olympics.[222]
  • 22 June –
    • Tim Smith joins Jazz FM to present their Summer Book Club.[223]
    • Lyca Radio and Lyca Gold host the Hounslow Mela, while in Milton Keynes, Lyca Gold presenters Bali Brahmbhatt and Kajal host India Day Milton Keynes, with both events being covered on air and online.[224]
  • 24 June –
    • BBC Radio 4's Today programme announces it has dropped the daily horse racing tips which it has carried for 47 years.[225]
    • Bauer launches Rayo, a new audio platform that enables online listeners to stream 50 Bauer stations.[226]
    • As part of its Analogue Radio Technical Code consultation, Ofcom confirms that AM radio stations will be allowed to offer better audio quality.[227]
  • 25 June –
  • 27 June – Nihal Arthanayake presents his final edition of the weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 5 Live.[184]
  • 28 June – MistaJam is to relinquish his presenting role on The Capital Weekender in exchange for an extra show on Capital Dance.[230]

July

  • 1 July –
    • Radio 1 introduces its summer schedule, which includes extending Breakfast with Greg James until 11am.[231]
    • Rambolds Radio rebrands as Your Skipton.[232]
    • Greatest Hits Radio begins airing Andy Goulding's Midlands afternoon show as a national programme following the departure of Debbie Mac.[233]
    • The UK Hot 40 Countdown is made available to overseas radio stations.[234]
  • 3 July –
    • The Newscast All-Dayer launches on BBC Sounds to provide general election coverage.[235]
    • TalkSPORT announces the schedule for its coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics.[236]
  • 4 July –
  • 5 July –
  • 6 July – Mark Goodier takes over as presenter of Pick of the Pops from Gary Davies, who had temporarily replaced Steve Wright, following Wright's death in February.[242]
  • 8 July –
    • Nation Broadcasting launches its new Nation Player app.[243]
    • Ofcom finds 15 community radio stations in breach of their regulations for filing late financial reports, or failing to file them at all.[244]
    • Juice Radio in Preston is found to be in breach of its Key Commitments for failing to broadcast any local news and sport.[245]
  • 9 July –
    • Ofcom approves the launch of BBC Radio 1 00s and BBC Radio 3 Chill (launched as BBC Radio 3 Unwind) stations on BBC Sounds, but delays approval of a BBC Radio 2 Oldies service after the latest RAJAR figures showed online listening was greater than previously thought and amid concerns of the detrimental impact it could have on its competitors.[246]
    • Community station Radio Leyland is found in breach of its licence for playing the track "Let's Go Fishing" by Aaron Lewis, which contains three instances of the word "fucked", on a Saturday morning in April.[247]
  • 11 July – Virgin Radio UK is named as the official radio station for CarFest, Latitude Festival and Hardwick Festival.[248]
  • 14 July – After his final show on BBC Radio Jersey, presenter Phil Taylor retires after 35 years in broadcasting.[249]
  • 15 July –
    • Boom Radio is reprimanded by Ofcom for playing the uncensored version of "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette during the afternoon school run after receiving two complaints. While Boom accepts it should not have played the song, it argues that 94% of its listeners are over 55, and its "under 18 audience registers as zero".[250]
    • Ofcom finds London's Hayes FM in breach of its key commitments after it failed to produce eight hours or original output a day and 13 hours of locally produced programming.[251]
    • Ofcom finds Hot Radio in breach of its key commitments for the second time in twelve months for failing to meet its key commitments, specifically broadcasting local content about Poole.[252]
    • Gaydio becomes available on DAB+ in Liverpool.[253]
    • My Radio Group launches an hourly travel update service for radio stations.[254]
  • 16 July –
  • 18 July – Ofcom finds Glasgow community station Revival FM in breach of its regulations for not recording its output.[257]
  • 22 July – Jazz FM launches a new summer schedule, which sees new programmes for several of its presenters, but the departure of Lil Koko and Claire Teal.[258]
  • 24 July – BBC Radio 1 Relax closes after 3 years of broadcasting, and BBC Radio 4 LW no longer shows up on BBC Sounds, as the schedule carried the same output from BBC Radio 4 FM.[259]
  • 28 July – Central Radio acquires online radio station Triple M Radio.[260]
  • 29 July – Iain Dale is forced to take time off his LBC evening show after being rushed to hospital with a medical emergency.[261]
  • 31 July – Ronan Keating co-presents his final edition of Magic Breakfast.[262]

August

  • 7 August – Bauer announces that Hits Radio will replace KISS on FM in London, Norfolk and the West of England later in the year.[263]
  • 9 August –
  • 12 August –
    • Scott Mills temporarily takes over as presenter of The Radio 2 Breakfast Show while Zoe Ball takes a break for a few weeks.[264]
    • Rob Bonnet presents his final sports news bulletin for the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 in his last broadcast after around 47 years with the BBC.[266]
  • 13 August – Absolute Radio announces that it has signed up comedian Jon Richardson to present a Saturday morning show from September.[267]
  • 16 August – Reality television star Abbie Holborn joins Frisk Radio to present Out with Abbie, a weekly Friday night club music show.[268]
  • 21 August –
    • BBC Radio presenter Lauren Laverne reveals that she is being treated in hospital for cancer.[269]
    • Ofcom finds Radio Wyvern in breach of its Key Commitment for not airing enough distinctive programming for its target audience. Apart from its breakfast show, the station, aimed at those aged 11 to 25, was not airing enough content aimed at its listener demographic.[270]
  • 25 August – Jenni Costello co-presents a special edition of her Yacht Rock show with Katie Puckrik on Solid Gold Gem. The show also airs the following day on Sussex station More Radio Retro.[271]
  • 26 August –
  • 27 August – Nation 90s holds an "Oasis Day" to coincide with the band's announcement at 8am that it is re-forming.[275]

September

  • 2 September – Sian Welby returns to Capital Breakfast following her maternity leave.[276]
  • 2–6 September – BBC Radio 2 presenters Jo Whiley, Scott Mills, Trevor Nelson, Vernon Kay and Sara Cox take part in a CBeebies Bedtime Stories takeover.[277]
  • 4 September – Les Ross returns to BRMB to celebrate the first anniversary of its relaunch. He will also return to present Les Ross in the Morning on weekdays from late September.[278]
  • 5 September – Jo Whiley broadcasts her evening show from The Ferret, a music club in Preston, ahead of Radio 2 in the Park.[279]
  • 7–8 September – The 2024 Radio 2 in the Park event is scheduled to take place in Preston.[280][281] The event helps to generate £5m for the local economy, in terms of visitor spending, job creation and support for local business.[282]
  • 9 September –
  • 12 September – Global launches 12 new radio stations, all sister stations to its existing networks, with the new stations appearing on DAB and online.[286] They include Capital Anthems and Smooth 80s, which broadcast on the semi-national Sound Digital multiplex, with the other stations broadcasting on digital multiplexes in London. The stations also include a relaunch of Smooth 70s and the first sister stations for Classic FM.[287]
  • 16 September –
  • 17 September – Heart Breakfast co-presenter Jamie Theakston announces that he has been diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer after undergoing a biopsy, and that he has had surgery to remove a lesion, while his prognosis is good.[290]
  • 18 September – The BBC and Nation Radio agree a deal to make BBC podcasts available on Nation Radio's mobile app.[291]
  • 20 September – BBC Radio 1 airs Europe's Biggest Dance Show 2024 along with radio stations from 10 other countries.[292]
  • 22 September – Hits Radio replaces Kiss on FM in London, Norwich and the West of England. Consequently, Kiss no longer broadcasts on FM.[293]
  • 23 September –
    • Zoe Ball returns to The Radio 2 Breakfast Show six weeks after going on a temporary break from presenting the show.[294]
    • Ofcom finds LBC to be in breach of its broadcasting regulations after presenter Tom Swarbrick failed to mention all candidates standing in the 2024 London mayoral election during a series of programmes about the election.[295]
  • 24 September – Stephanie Peacock, the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth, confirms plans for new measures in the Media Act to support the radio sector.[296]
  • 25 September – Global relaunches Heart Xmas on DAB and Smooth Christmas on Global Player.[297]
  • 27 September – Bauer ends its local Greatest Hits Radio programming for Cumbria as its offices in Carlisle are closed. The local programme is replaced by a regionally networked programme, airing from Liverpool.[298]
  • 30 September – Radio Tircoed rebrands and relaunches as SA Radio Live.[299] The station had originally intended to rebrand as Swansea Live Radio, but changed its plans after complaints from rival broadcasters.[300][301]

October

  • 1 October –
  • 2 October –
    • Gold and Radio X are added to DAB in the Channel Islands.[304]
    • Figures published by Nielsen Research indicate that Fix Radio has around half a million weekly listeners.[305]
  • 5 October –
    • Johnnie Walker announces he will retire from broadcasting because of ill health, and will step down from presenting Radio 2's Sounds of the 70s and The Rock Show at the end of the month.[306]
    • Voiceover artist Emma Clarke joins BBC Radio 3 as their Saturday Breakfast presenter.[307]
  • 10 October – BBC Radio 5 Live agrees a deal to air audio coverage of the rugby union 2024 and 2025 Autumn Internationals.[308]
  • 11 October –
  • 12 October – Carol Vorderman announces she is leaving her Sunday show on LBC after a recent health scare that required her to spend a night in hospital.[312]
  • 14 October – Talksport 2 agrees a deal with Sports Entertainment New Zealand to air exclusive coverage of India's test series with New Zealand.[313]
  • 15 October – The BBC announces further job cuts to its radio newsroom, affecting BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 5 Live.[314]
  • 18 October – Times Radio's YouTube channel reaches a million subscribers.[315]
  • 21 October –
    • Large sections of the Media Act 2024 relating to commercial radio come into law, allowing operators to make changes to their output.[316]
    • Classic FM holds a concert at the Royal Albert Hall celebrating classical music from the British Isles.[317]
    • Christian radio station Radio Maria expands its coverage after joining DAB+ in Peterborough, Norwich and King's Lynn.[318]
  • 22 October – Ofcom begins awarding Round 6 of the small-scale DAB licences.[319]
  • 23 October –
  • 25 October –
    • Johnnie Walker presents his final edition of Radio 2's The Rock Show.[322]
    • The final day of mid-morning local programming takes place on Hits Radio after Bauer decides to fully network the station outside of breakfast following changes in legislation.[323]
  • 27 October – Johnnie Walker presents his final edition of Radio 2's Sounds of the 70s. The show includes a guest appearance from his wife, Tiggy.[322][324]
  • 28 October –
    • Hits Radio becomes fully networked with a new mid-morning show. It is presented by Scott Clarke for the first week, followed by regular presenter Tom Green, who takes over from 4 November.[323]
    • Bauer Radio announces it is vacating Liverpool's St John's Beacon, home of Radio City for many years.[325]
  • 30 October – Magic Radio confirms that Gok Wan will co-present Magic Breakfast alongside Harriet Scott from Monday 27 January 2025.[326]
  • 31 October –
    • The final day of local programming on Greatest Hits Radio following Bauer's decision to fully network the station.[323]
    • LBC News closes down its 1152 kHz medium wave frequency at 3:00:32 pm after broadcasting a retune loop from 30 October at 10:00 am onwards, which redirected listeners to retune to DAB or online services.[327][328][329]

November

December

Station debuts

Terrestrial

Online

Small-scale multiplex switch-ons

  • 11 March – South Shropshire[96]
  • 16 July – Newry, Armagh, and Down[418]
  • 18 October – South Gloucestershire[419]

Programme debuts

Podcast debuts

  • 7 January – Gangster Presents... Catching the Kingpins, a series presented by Mobeen Azhar and looking at how police infiltrated the EncroChat phone network on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4.[441]
  • 5 March – The Sports Agents with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman on Global Player.[442]
  • 3 June – The Football Authorities with Clive Tyldesley and Martin O'Neill on Global Player.[443]
  • 3 October –
    • Never Mind My Bollocks, a podcast discussing the process of vasectomy, produced by Made in Manchester.[444] (reported as available on this date)
    • The Tech Podcast from The Times, a podcast discussing technology with Katie Prescott and Danny Fortson, from The Times.[445]
  • 11 October – Frank Skinner Off The Radio.[446]
  • 4 November – In Detail: The Pub Bombings, a 12-part series looking at the impact of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings on those affected by the attack, on BBC Sounds and BBC WM.[447]

Publications

Changes of network affiliation

Continuing radio programmes

Summarize
Perspective

These programmes are still running as of 2024.[needs update] They are listed by the year they were first broadcast.

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Ending this year

Closing this year

Deaths

See also

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.