This is a list of events in British radio during 1972.

List of years in British radio (table)
In British television
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
In British music
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
+...

Events

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January

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  • 1 January – The Greenwich Time Signal broadcast on BBC radio now records Coordinated Universal Time and the sixth pip is extended to 0.5 s duration.[1]
  • 19 January – The government announces the lifting of all restrictions on broadcasting hours on television and radio.

February

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  • No events.

March

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  • 31 March – BBC Radio 2 airs its final Breakfast Special.

April

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  • 1 April – BBC Radio 2 moves its daily start time to 5.00am, representing a slight increase to their daily broadcasting hours, apart from on Sundays on which its day continues to begin at 6.55am.
  • 2 April – First edition of the comedy panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is aired on BBC Radio 4. In 2020 (when it will still be running) the programme will be voted the greatest radio comedy of all time by a panel convened by Radio Times.[2]
  • 3 April – Terry Wogan joins Radio 2 to present the new weekday breakfast show.
  • No events.

June

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  • No events.

July

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August

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  • 25 August – Following a decision by the government to restrict the BBC to twenty local radio stations, the corporation responds by closing BBC Radio Durham. Its resources are transferred to Carlisle where BBC Radio Carlisle, later BBC Radio Cumbria, is launched.

September

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October

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  • The Independent Broadcasting Authority invites applications for the first two local radio licences in London: one for a general and entertainment station, the other for news and information.[3] The licence for the entertainment service sees eight organisations applying, many of them with established entertainment pedigrees, including Associated Television and Isle of Man broadcaster Manx Radio.
  • 1 October – The first edition of a new Sunday teatime programme Solid Gold Sixty is broadcast on BBC Radio 1. Presented by Tom Browne, the programme consists of two hours featuring the Radio One playlist tracks which are not in the Top 20, followed by a one-hour Top 20 rundown from 6pm - 7pm (which is carried also on BBC Radio 2's FM transmitters).
  • 5 October – Due to high demand by residents who do not have VHF/FM on their radios, BBC Radio Oxford begins broadcasting on 202 metres medium wave (1484 kHz).

November

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  • 4 November – Radios 2 and 4 begin broadcasting in stereo in South East England. Stereo is rolled out to the rest of the country over subsequent years.[4]

December

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  • No events.

Station debuts

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  • Hereford Hospital Radio

Programme debuts

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Continuing radio programmes

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1940s

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1950s

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1960s

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1970s

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Ending this year

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Closing this year

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Births

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Deaths

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "History of the BBC Pips". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  2. ^ Davies, Caroline (17 November 2020). "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is greatest radio comedy, says panel". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. ^ Timothy H. Jones, The Regulation of Commercial Radio Broadcasting in the United Kingdom, 14 N.C. J. Int'l L. & Com. Reg. 255 (1989)
  4. ^ Brown, Ron "Steam radio comes up to date", New Scientist 2 November 1972, p. 264
  5. ^ "James Wynne Evans". Companies House. Retrieved 23 March 2021.