This is a list of events from British radio in 1966.

Events

January

* 20 January –

Radio Caroline Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Alan Crawford initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. ...

ship loses its anchor in a storm, drifts and runs aground on the beach at

Frinton-on-Sea Frinton-on-Sea is a seaside town and (as just Frinton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district of Essex, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 4,837. In 1931 the parish had a populati ...

February

*No events

March

*No events

April

*17 April – The first regular stereo radio transmissions begin, from the

Wrotham Wrotham ( ) is a village on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, England, at the foot of the North Downs. It is north of Borough Green and approximately east of Sevenoaks. It is between the M20 and M26 motorways. History The name first occurs as ''U ...

transmitter.

May

*3 May – Pirate radio stations Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio commence broadcasting on AM, with a combined potential 100,000 watts, from the same ship (MV ''Olga Patricia'') anchored off the south coast of England in international waters.

June

*20 June – Radio City affair: Major Oliver Smedley and a team board

Shivering Sands Army Fort Shivering Sands Army Fort 7was a Maunsell army fort built near the Thames estuary for anti-aircraft defence. It is made up of several once interconnected towers north of Herne Bay and is 14.8 km (9.2 miles) from the nearest land. They can be vi ...

off the Kent coast, home of Radio City (pirate radio station) (run by

Reginald Calvert Pearce Reginald Hartley CalvertNational Probate Calendar, 1966 (1928 – 21 June 1966) was an English artist manager, born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. He was the manager of The Fortunes, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Screaming Lor ...

), to reposses a transmitter supplied but not paid for. The next day, Calvert visits Smedley's home in Saffron Walden over the issue and is shot dead in a struggle.

July

*No events

August

*No events

September

*27 September – Irish radio personality Terry Wogan makes his debut on the BBC, broadcasting on the

Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

October

*27 October – Welsh writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas makes a notable tribute to the children of

Aberfan Aberfan () is a former coal mining village in the Taff Valley south of the town of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. On 21 October 1966, it became known for the Aberfan disaster, when a colliery spoil tip collapsed into homes and a school, killing 116 ch ...

following the Aberfan disaster of 21 October, broadcast across the UK on the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

's '' Today'' morning programme.

November

*No events

December

*No events

Unknown

*Britain's first student radio station, the University of Kent's

UKC Radio UKC Radio was the student radio station for the University of Kent at Canterbury (UKC). it began life in 1967 as an audio distribution system through the central heating radiators before obtaining a broadcast licence in 1968, at which point it w ...

is founded, initially as an audio feed through the radiator system. It airs until 2006.

Station debuts

*3 May ** Swinging Radio England (1966) **Britain Radio (1966–1967) *4 June –

Radio 270 Radio 270 was a pirate radio station serving Yorkshire and the North East of England from 1966 to 1967. It broadcast from a converted Dutch lugger called ''Oceaan 7'' positioned in international waters off Scarborough, North Yorkshire followed b ...

(1966–1967) *Autumn –

(1966–Present)

Programme debuts

* March –''

The Embassy Lark ''The Embassy Lark'' is a radio comedy series broadcast from 1966 to 1968 as a spin-off from ''The Navy Lark''. It was written by Lawrie Wyman and starred Frank Thornton and Derek Francis. It was produced by Sir Alistair Scott-Johnston. Th ...

'' (1966–1968)

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

* ''

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 ...

'' (1940–1967) * ''

Sunday Half Hour ''The Sunday Hour'' was a long-standing show broadcast on the BBC Light Programme and then BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom, broadcast for 78 years between 14 July 1940 and 28 January 2018. For most of its life it occupied a Sunday evening ...

'' (1940–2018) * '' Desert Island Discs'' (1942–Present) * '' Family Favourites'' (1945–1980) * ''

Down Your Way ''Down Your Way'' was a BBC radio series which ran from 29 December 1946 to 1992, originally on the Home Service, later on BBC Radio 4, usually being broadcast on Sunday afternoons. It visited towns and villages around the United Kingdom, spoke to ...

'' (1946–1992) * '' Have A Go'' (1946–1967) * '' Housewives' Choice'' (1946–1967) * ''

Letter from America ''Letter from America'' was a weekly fifteen-minute speech radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and its predecessor, the Home Service, and around the world through the BBC World Service. From its first edition to its last, it was presented by A ...

'' (1946–2004) * '' Woman's Hour'' (1946–Present) * '' Twenty Questions'' (1947–1976) * '' Any Questions?'' (1948–Present) * '' The Dales'' (1948–1969) * '' Billy Cotton Band Show'' (1949–1968) * ''

A Book at Bedtime ''Book at Bedtime'' (''A Book at Bedtime'' until 9 July 1993) is a long-running radio programme that is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each weekday evening between 22.45 and 23.00. The programme presents readings of fiction, including modern classics, ...

'' (1949–Present)

1950s

* '' The Archers'' (1950–Present) * '' Listen with Mother'' (1950–1982) * ''

From Our Own Correspondent ''From Our Own Correspondent'' is a weekly BBC radio programme in which BBC foreign correspondents deliver a sequence of short talks reflecting on current events and topical themes in the countries outside the UK in which they are based. The pro ...

'' (1955–Present) * '' Pick of the Pops'' (1955–Present) * ''

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 ...

'' (1957–1972) * '' My Word!'' (1957–1988) * '' Test Match Special'' (1957–Present) * ''

The Today Programme ''Today'', colloquially known as ''the Today programme'', is a long-running British morning news and current-affairs radio programme on BBC Radio 4. Broadcast on Monday to Saturday from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, it is produced by BBC News and is the ...

'' (1957–Present) * '' The Navy Lark'' (1959–1977) * ''

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 ...

'' (1959–2001) * '' Your Hundred Best Tunes'' (1959–2007)

1960s

* '' Farming Today'' (1960–Present) * '' Easy Beat'' (1960–1967) * '' In Touch'' (1961–Present) * '' The Men from the Ministry'' (1962–1977) * '' I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' (1964–1973) * '' Petticoat Line'' (1965–1979) * '' Round the Horne'' (1965–1968) * '' The World at One'' (1965–Present)

Births

*19 January – Henry Naylor, comedy writer, director and performer *8 February – Sarah Montague, journalist and broadcast presenter *11 March – Paddy O'Connell, broadcast presenter *1 April – Chris Evans, disc jockey and television presenter *25 August –

Tracy Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is widely known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie V ...

, actress *9 September –

Nikki Bedi Nikhila Bedi (; '' née'' Moolgaoker; 9 September 1966) is a British television and radio presenter, born to an Indian father of Maharashtrian origin and an English mother. Married to Kabir Bedi from 1992 to 2005, she retained her married name ...

, née Moolgaoker, broadcast presenter *15 September –

Claire Sturgess Claire Annette Sturgess (born 15 September 1966) is an English DJ and voiceover artist. Early life She was born in Salisbury in Wiltshire, where she grew up. She attended Avon Valley College in Durrington, Wiltshire. Career BBC Radio 1 She w ...

, disc jockey and voiceover artist *26 October –

Judge Jules Julius O'Riordan (born 1966), better known by his stage name Judge Jules, is a British dance music DJ, record producer and entertainment lawyer. He is known for his DJ activities, music production and long-running radio show which achieved glob ...

(Julius O'Riordan), dance music DJ and producer *30 November – Andy Parsons, comedian *31 December –

Carlos Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

(Carl Emms), disc jockey * Alan Smith, radio news presenter

Deaths

*11 April –

A. B. Campbell Commander Archibald Bruce Campbell (21 January 1881 – 11 April 1966) was a British naval officer and radio broadcaster, born in Peckham, London. Biography During the First World War he served as paymaster-commander on , an armed merchant-cr ...

, naval officer and broadcaster (born 1881) *2 June –

Stephen King-Hall William Stephen Richard King-Hall, Baron King-Hall of Headley (21 January 1893 – 2 June 1966) was a British naval officer, writer, politician and playwright who served as the member of parliament for Ormskirk from 1939 to 1945. Early life and ...

, naval officer, politician and broadcaster (born 1893) *21 July – A. G. Street, broadcaster on country matters (born 1892) *2 December – Giles Cooper, broadcast dramatist (born 1918)

References

{{reflist Radio Years in British radio

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Unknown

Station debuts

Programme debuts

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

1950s

1960s

Births

Deaths

See also

References