Timeline of the BBC

This is a timeline of the history of the British Broadcasting Corporation (and its predecessor, the British Broadcasting Company).

1920s

* 1922
** 18 October – The British Broadcasting Company is formed.
** 14 November – Following the closure of numerous amateur stations, the first BBC broadcasts from London (station 2LO).
** 15 November – First broadcasts from Birmingham (station 5IT) and Manchester (station 2ZY).
** 14 December - 33-year-old John Charles Walsham Reith becomes General Manager of the BBC.
** 24 December – First broadcast from Newcastle upon Tyne (station 5NO).
* 1923
** 8 January – First outside broadcast, the British National Opera Company's production of ''The Magic Flute'' from Covent Garden.
** 18 January – The UK Postmaster General grants the BBC a licence to broadcast.
** 13 February – First broadcast from Cardiff (station 5WA).
** 6 March – First broadcast from Glasgow (station 5SC).
** 6 June – Edgar Wallace makes a report on The Derby, thus becoming the first British radio sports reporter.
** 28 September – First publication of the ''Radio Times'' listings magazine.).
** 10 October – First broadcast from Aberdeen (station 2BD).
** 17 October – First broadcast from Bournemouth (station 6BM).
** 16 November – First broadcast from Sheffield (relay station 6FL).
** 2 December – The first BBC radio broadcast in Gaelic language is broadcast throughout Scotland.
* 1924
** February – Heard on BBC radio since 1924, the six electronically generated 'pips' to indicate the Greenwich Time Signal (GTS) were invented by the Astronomer Royal Sir Frank Watson Dyson, and the Director General of the BBC John Reith.
** 28 March – First broadcast from Plymouth (relay station 5PY).
** 23 April – First broadcast by King George V, opening the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium.
** 1 May – First broadcast from Edinburgh (relay station 2EH).
** 11 June – First broadcast from Liverpool (relay station 6LV).
** 8 July – First broadcast from Leeds and Bradford (relay station 2LS).
** 21 July – An experimental long-wave station (5XX) is established at the Chelmsford works of the Marconi Company.
** 15 August – First broadcast from Kingston upon Hull (relay station 6KH).
** 14 September – First broadcast from Belfast (station 2BE).
** 16 September – First broadcast from Nottingham (relay station 5NG).
** 21 October – First broadcast from Stoke-on-Trent (relay station 6ST).
** 12 November – First broadcast from Dundee (relay station 2DE).
** 12 December – First broadcast from Swansea (relay station 5SX).
* 1925
** 27 July – Long-wave station 5XX moves from Chelmsford to Daventry transmitting station and becomes the first British radio station to achieve near national coverage: the first step in the establishment of the BBC National Programme.
* 1926
** 4 May – The General strike begins. The BBC broadcasts five news bulletins a day as no newspapers or ''Radio Times'' are published.
* 1927
** 1 January – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when it is granted a Royal Charter. Sir John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
** 15 January – First live sports broadcast on the BBC. The rugby union international England v Wales is commented on by Teddy Wakelam.
** 22 January – First live football match broadcast, featuring Arsenal's home league fixture against Sheffield United from Highbury.
** January – First BBC reference library established by Florence Milnes.

** March – The BBC coat of arms is adopted.
** 7 July – Christopher Stone presents a record programme, becoming the first British disc-jockey.
** 21 August – The first high-powered regional station (5GB), forerunner of the Midland Regional Programme, opens at Daventry.
* 1928
**2 January – The first edition of ''The Daily Service'' is broadcast. It was originally called ''A Short Religious Service'' but was renamed ''The Daily Service'' in July.
* 1929
** 20 August – First transmissions of John Logie Baird's experimental 30-line television system.

1930s

* 1930
** 9 March – The majority of the BBC's existing radio stations are regrouped to form the BBC National Programme and the BBC Regional Programme.
** April – The Research Department is formed after a renaming of the Development section of the BBC.
** 14 July – Transmission of the first experimental television play, '' The Man With the Flower in His Mouth''.
** 30 September – BBC Yearbook 1931 states that "The number of radio licences in force on September 30th, 1930, was 3,195,553, representing about 12,000,000 listeners, or roughly every second home in the country".
* 1931
** 2 June – First live television outside broadcast with transmission of the Epsom Derby.
* 1932
** 15 March – The first radio broadcast is made from Broadcasting House.
** 15 May – Broadcasting House, the BBC's headquarters and home to its main radio studios, is officially opened.
** 22 August – The first, experimental television broadcast is made from Broadcasting House.
** 19 December – The Empire Service (precursor of the World Service) launches, broadcasting on shortwave from Daventry's Borough Hill.
** 25 December – King George V becomes the first monarch to deliver a Christmas Day message by radio, on the Empire Service.
* 1933
** 24 May – The BBC broadcasts a speech by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald on Empire day.
*1934
** Unknown - The Type A Microphone was first used.
** 7 October – The new high-power long-wave transmitter at Droitwich takes over from Daventry 5XX as the main station radiating the BBC National Programme.
** The BBC broadcasts a Tuning Signals" for the first time. It was a simple line and circle broadcast using Baird's 30-line system, and was used to synchronise the mechanical scanning system.

*1935
** The BBC establishes its first Gaelic department.
* 1936
** 2 November – The BBC opens the world's first regular high-definition television service, from Alexandra Palace.
* 1937
** 24 April – The very first children's television show ''For the Children''.
** 12 May – First use of TV outside broadcast van, to cover the procession that followed the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
** 21 June – The BBC broadcasts television coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships for the first time.
** 16 September – The BBC makes the world's first live television broadcast of a football match, a specially arranged local mirror match derby fixture between Arsenal and Arsenal reserves.
* 1938
** 3 January – The BBC begins broadcasting its first foreign-language radio service, in Arabic.
** 11 February 1938 – BBC broadcasts its first Science Fiction (SciFi) television programme, a thirty-five-minute adapted extract of the play ''R.U.R.'', written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek, was broadcast live from the BBC's Alexandra Palace studios. See British television science fiction.
** 14 March – Inauguration of the Latin American service, broadcasting on shortwave in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
** 30 April – The BBC broadcasts television coverage of the FA Cup for the first time.
** 27 September – Start of the European Service on radio, broadcasting in French, German and Italian. Portuguese and Spanish are added before the start of the Second World War.
* 1939
** Creation of BBC Monitoring
** 1 September – The BBC Television Service is suspended, about 20 minutes after the conclusion of a Mickey Mouse cartoon (''Mickey's Gala Premiere''), owing to the imminent outbreak of the Second World War and amid fears that the VHF transmissions would act as perfect guidance beams for enemy bombers attempting to locate central London. Additionally, the service's technicians and engineers will be needed for such war efforts as the development of radar. On radio, the National and Regional Programmes are combined to form a single Home Service.
** The First World Radio Broadcast, 17 October 1939. On 17 October 1939 the most sensational live radio broadcast ever attempted by the BBC hit the airwaves. It took place at the RAF Hendon base in North London, in front of a specially invited audience of RAF personnel. The whole show was relayed worldwide across the airwaves, the first time a live show had ever been broadcast around the globe. The bill starred Adelaide Hall, Mantovani and His Orchestra, The Western Brothers, and Harry Roy and his Band.

1940s

* 1940
** 7 January – Start of the BBC Forces Programme on radio, precursor of the post-war Light Programme.
** 11 May – The BBC starts a news service in Hindi.
* 1941
** The BBC European Service moves to Bush House in Central London.
* 1942
**29 January – The first edition of ''Desert Island Discs'' is broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme.
* 1943
**23 November – British Forces Broadcasting Service begins operation.
* 1944
** 27 February – BBC General Forces Programme replaces the BBC Forces Programme (also broadcast on shortwave).
* 1945
** 29 July – Regional radio programming resumes on the Home Service (on the same medium-wave frequencies as used pre-war by the Regional Programme), while on the same day a new Light Programme begins, using the long-wave frequency of the pre-war National Programme.
** 9 October – The first edition of ''Today in Parliament'' is broadcast.
* 1946
** 7 June – BBC Television broadcasts (405 lines) resume after the war including the coverages of cricket and Wimbledon Tennis. One of the first programmes shown is the Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1939.
** 29 September – The Third Programme starts broadcasting on radio.
** October - Woman’s Hour launches, covering issues about women.
** October - For The Children is launched, the first ever Children block for the BBC.
* 1947
** 7 October – Adelaide Hall singing at a RadiOlympia variety show is the oldest surviving telerecorded programme in Britain.
** 9 November – First use of telerecording of an outside broadcast: the Service of Remembrance from the Cenotaph is televised live, and a telerecording shown that evening.
** 20 November – The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh is televised by the BBC. It is watched by an estimated 400,000 viewers.
* 1948
** January - The first ever news program, Newsreel is launched
** 29 July – The London Olympic Games is televised.
** 26 December – The first Reith Lecture is broadcast on radio.
* 1949
** July- The revived BBC weather forecast was relaunched. The format would not change until 1954.
** "Briefe ohne Unterschrift" begins broadcast (1949 – 1974) Austin Harrison reads and comments letters by East Germans.
** 17 December – For the first time television extends beyond London when the Sutton Coldfield transmitter starts broadcasting, providing television reception across the Midlands.

1950s

* 1950
** May - The Archers was launched, the longest running soap opera.
** 21 May – Lime Grove television studios open.
** 27 August – First live television from the European continent, using BBC outside broadcast equipment.
** October - Democracy on TV first started, but was never shown in public. The first real broadcast wasn’t until 1989.
* 1951
** 12 October – Television extends to the north of England following the switching on of the Holme Moss transmitting station.
* 1952
** 14 March – Television becomes available in Scotland for the first time following the switching on of the Kirk o'Shotts transmitting station.
** 15 August – Television becomes available in Wales for the first time following the switching on of the Wenvoe transmitting station.
* 1953
** 1 May – Television becomes available in Northern Ireland for the first time although initially from a temporary transmitter, brought into service in time for the Queen's Coronation. A permanent mast at Divis is brought into service in 1955.
** 2 June – The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey is televised by the BBC and watched live by an estimated audience of 20 million people in the United Kingdom.
** 11 November – The first edition of ''Panorama'' is presented by ''Daily Mail'' reporter Pat Murphy. ''Panorama'' is the world's longest-running current affairs programme and retains a peak-time slot to this day.
** ''Watch With Mother'', the iconic pre-schoolers strand, debuts. It was replaced with the ''see saw'' branding in 1975.
* 1954
** The BBC purchases Dickenson Road Studios, a converted church in Manchester, which becomes the BBC's first regional television studio.
** 11 January – The very first in-vision weather forecast is broadcast, presented by George Cowling. Previously, weather forecasts had been read by an off-screen announcer with a weather map filling the entire screen.
** 5 July – BBC newsreader Richard Baker reads the first televised BBC News bulletin.
** 30 December – The first BBC Sports Personality of the Year award takes place.
* 1955
** 2 May – The BBC begins broadcasting its radio service on VHF ( FM), using the Wrotham transmitter.
** September – Kenneth Kendall becomes the BBC's first in-vision newsreader, followed by Richard Baker and Robert Dougall.
** 10 October – Alexandra Palace begins test transmissions of a 405-line colour television service.
* 1956
** 28 March – Television transmissions begin from the new Crystal Palace site in south London.
** The BBC broadcasts a trade test colour film for the first time.
* 1957
** 16 February – ''Six-Five Special'' first Rock and Roll programme first broadcast (16 February 1957 – 27 December 1958)
** The first broadcast of ''Test Match Special'' takes place, providing listeners with ball-by-ball cricket commentary for the first time.
** 24 April – ''The Sky at Night'', a monthly astronomy programme presented by Sir Patrick Moore, is first broadcast.
** 24 September– The first programmes for schools are broadcast.
** September – The first broadcasts of regional news bulletins took place.
** 30 September – Launch of Network Three, a strand of adult-education broadcasts transmitted on the frequencies of the Third Programme in the early part of weekday evenings.
** 25 December – First TV broadcast of the Queen's Christmas Day message.
* 1958
** The BBC introduces a new 3 box system logo. The logo featured slanted lettering within upright boxes.
** The BBC Radiophonic Workshop is established to create sound effects for BBC programmes.
** 14 April – The newly magnetic videotape machine Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus or VERA for short, was given a live demonstration on-air in ''Panorama'' where Richard Dimbleby seated by a clock, talked for a couple of minutes about the new method of vision recording with an instant playback, and then the tape was wound back and replayed.
** 5 May – First experimental transmissions of a 625-line television service.
** 10 October – First broadcast of the United Kingdom's multi-sport television show ''Grandstand''.
** 16 October – First broadcast of the United Kingdom's longest-running children's television show ''Blue Peter''.
* 1959
** The BBC North East and Cumbria region is created with localised bulletins from Newcastle-upon-Tyne aired for the first time. Previously, the area was part of a pan-Northern region based in Manchester.

1960s

* 1960
** 26 March – BBC Television televises the Grand National for the first time.
** 19 June – Nan Winton becomes the BBC's first national female newsreader.
** 29 June – BBC Television Centre opens.
** 8 October – The BBC Television Service is renamed as BBC TV.
* 1961
** 30 June – Final original episode of classic sitcom ''Hancock'' broadcast on BBC TV.
** 1 October – Long-running religious music series ''Songs of Praise'' debuts on BBC TV.
** 2 October – Long-running viewers' letters series '' Points of View'' debuts on BBC TV.
** 15 December – First episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' broadcast on BBC TV.
* 1962
** 4 January – Popular sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' begins.
** 27 June – The Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting publishes its report into the future of UK broadcasting. Long its recommendations are the introduction of colour television licenses, that Britain's third national television channel should be awarded to the BBC and that the BBC should extend its activities to the creation of local radio stations in order to prevent the introduction of commercial radio.
** 28 August – Experimental stereo radio broadcasts begin.
** The BBC runs a series of closed circuit experiments in local radio from a variety of locations across England.BBC Radio Durham documentary about BBC local radio
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* 1963
** The BBC logo was modified to slant the boxes with the lettering.
** 30 September – A globe is used as BBCtv's channel identity for the first time.
** 23 November – First broadcast of the world's longest-running science fiction television programme, ''Doctor Who''.
* 1964
** 1 January – First broadcast of ''Top of the Pops'' pop and rock music television show.
** 20 April – BBC2 starts broadcasting (on 625 lines). The existing BBC Television Service is renamed BBC1.
** 22 August – First broadcast of top flight football television show ''Match of the Day''.
* 1965
** 22 March – Launch of the daytime BBC Music Programme on the frequencies of Network Three / the Third Programme.
** 1 May – The General Overseas Service is renamed the BBC World Service.
** 10 October – A new service for Asian immigrants begins broadcasting. The programming consists of a weekly television and radio programme broadcast on Sunday mornings.
* 1966
** 5 April – ''The Money Programme'' – the BBC's first regular programme devoted to business and finance – debuts on BBC2.
** 17 April – The first regular stereo radio transmissions begin, from the Wrotham transmitter.
** A government White Paper paves the way for the launch of a small number (eight) of two-year experimental BBC Local Radio stations.
* 1967
** 25 June – The first worldwide live satellite programme, '' Our World'', featuring the Pop band, the Beatles, is televised.
** 1 July – Regular colour TV transmissions (625 lines) begin on BBC2, starting with the Wimbledon tennis championships.
** 30 September – BBC Radio 1 is launched, as a response to the threat from pirate radio station broadcasts of popular music. At the same time, the Light Programme, the third network (Network Three / the Third Programme), and the Home Service are renamed Radios 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
** 8 November – The BBC launches its first local radio station when BBC Radio Leicester launches.
** 15 November – BBC Radio Sheffield launches.
** 22 November – BBC Radio Merseyside launches.
** 2 December – BBC2 becomes the first television channel in Britain to broadcast a full service in colour.
* 1968
** 31 January – BBC Radio Nottingham launches.
** 14 February – BBC Radio Brighton launches.
** 14 March – BBC Radio Stoke launches.
** 25 March – BBC regional television from Leeds began and the first edition of ''Look North'' is broadcast. Previously, the Yorkshire area had been part of a wider North region based in Manchester.
** 24 June – BBC Radio Leeds launches.
** 3 July – BBC Radio Durham launches.
** 31 July – The first episode of ''Dad's Army'' is broadcast.
* 1969
**10 July – The BBC publishes a report called "Broadcasting in the Seventies" proposing the reorganisation of programmes on the national networks and replacing regional broadcasting on BBC Radio 4 with BBC Local Radio.
** 9 September – The first edition of '' Nationwide'' is broadcast.
** 19–20 September – BBC News relocates from Alexandra Palace in North London to BBC Television Centre in West London.
** 15 November – BBC1 starts broadcasting in colour (simultaneous with rival ITV). First appearance of the Mirror Globe, coloured blue on black.
**BBC Local Radio is made permanent after the two-year experiment is judged to have been a success.

1970s

* 1970
** Nine BBC Local Radio stations launch – BBC Radio Newcastle (2 Jan), BBC Radio Manchester (10 Sept), BBC Radio Bristol (4 Sept), BBC Radio London (6 Oct), BBC Radio Oxford (29 October), BBC Radio Birmingham (9 Nov), BBC Radio Medway (18 December), BBC Radio Solent (31 Dec) and BBC Radio Teesside (31 December).
** 4 April – BBC Radio's sports coverage transfers from BBC Radio 3 to BBC Radio 2.
** 14 September – Robert Dougall presents the first edition of the ''BBC Nine O'Clock News''. The programme, launched in response to ITN's '' News at Ten'', was controversially moved to 10pm in 2000.
* 1971
** The BBC logo's boxes rounds off the corners and increases the spaces.
** The first programmes for the Open University are broadcast.
** 26 January – BBC Radio Blackburn launches.
** 25 February – BBC Radio Humberside launches.
** 29 April – BBC Radio Derby launches.
* 1972
** 4 April – The first edition of ''Newsround'' is broadcast.
** 25 August – When the government restricted 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, now BBC Radio Cumbria, was formed.
** 2 October – Following a recent law change, BBC1 and ITV are allowed to begin broadcasting a full afternoon schedule with both broadcasters now broadcasting non-stop from lunchtime. BBC1's afternoon schedule launches with the first edition of a new lunchtime magazine programme ''Pebble Mill at One''.
** 4 November – Radios 2 and 4 begin broadcasting in stereo in South East England. Stereo was rolled out to the rest of the country over subsequent years.
* 1973
** 4 January – The pilot episode of ''Last of the Summer Wine'' airs on television. The regular series, which begins on 12 November, becomes the longest-running sitcom in the world, running for 37 years.
** 2 April – BBC2 broadcasts the first programme produced by the BBC's Community Programme Unit. It had been commissioned the previous year to help members of the public create programmes to be broadcast nationally.
**24 August – BBC2 broadcasts a trade test colour film for the final time, having done so during daytime closedowns to provide colour broadcasting in these intervals for use by television shops and engineers (the 'trade') to adjust their television sets.
** 10 September – ''Newsbeat'' bulletins air on BBC Radio 1 for the first time.
** 24 November – BBC Radio Carlisle launches.
** 17 December – The British government imposes early close downs of all three television channels in the UK from this date in order to save electricity during the crisis which culminates in imposition of a Three-Day Week from 31 December. The restrictions force BBC1 and BBC2 to end their broadcasting day at 10:30pm. They are lifted temporarily on Christmas Eve to allow the public to enjoy festive programming, then recommence on Monday 7 January 1974, ending on 8 February 1974.
* 1974
** 7 January – A two-minute mid-afternoon regional news summary is broadcast on BBC1 for the first time. It is transmitted immediately before the start of the afternoon's children's programmes.
** 1 April – BBC Radio Teesside is renamed BBC Radio Cleveland.
** 23 September – Teletext service Ceefax goes live.
**December – The BBC1 Mirror globe changes colour from blue on black to yellow on blue.
* 1975
** 1 January – BBC Radio Ulster is launched.
** 4 January – Due to cutbacks at the BBC, BBC Radio 2's broadcasting hours are cut back, with the station now starting their day at 6:00am instead of 5:00am, and their broadcasting day concluding at around 12:33am instead of 2:02am. Later in the autumn of 1975, BBC Radio 2 would end their day slightly earlier at around 12:10am, except on Saturdays and Sundays when the station would continue until around 12:33am. These cutbacks would remain until 1978, however at Christmas 1975, 1976 and 1977 BBC Radio 2 hours were extended over the festive season.
** 6 January – Due to these cutbacks, BBC1 stops broadcasting regular programmes on weekday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm other than schools programmes and sport. This meant ITV was often the only channel providing afternoon viewing. As an additional economy measure, BBC2 transmitters were turned off for much of the daytime if no programmes were being broadcast.
* 1976
**September – The credits of each programme produced by the BBC reveals the copyrighted years in roman numerals for the first time.
* 1977
** 3 January – BBC Radio Cymru is launched.
** 9 May – BBC Radio Orkney and BBC Radio Shetland launch as opt-out stations from BBC Radio Scotland.
** 19 October – The first edition of a new weekly magazine programme for Asian women, ''Gharbar'', is broadcast. The programme had only been intended to run for 26 weeks but continued for around 500 weeks, finally ending in April 1987.
** 25 December – '' The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show'' on BBC1 attracts an audience of more than 28 million, one of the highest ever in UK television history.
* 1978
** The BBC organises its first Young Musician of the Year competition.
** 24 May – '' Nationwide'' airs the famous Skateboarding duck report.
** 23 November –
*** All BBC national radio stations change their medium or long wave transmission wavelength as part of a plan for BBC AM broadcasting in order to improve national AM reception, and to conform with the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975. Radio 1's transmission wavelength is moved from 247m (1214 kHz) to 275 & 285m (1053 & 1089 kHz) medium wave. Radio 2's wavelength is moved from 1500m (200 kHz) long wave to 433 & 330m (693 & 909 kHz) medium wave. Radio 3 is moved from 464m (647 kHz) to 247m (1215 kHz) medium wave. Radio 4 is moved from various medium wavelengths to 1500m (200 kHz) long wave.
*** The shipping forecast transfers from BBC Radio 2 to BBC Radio 4 so that the forecast can continue to be broadcast on long wave.
*** The Radio 4 UK Theme is used for the first time to coincide with the network becoming a fully national service for the first time and to underline this the station officially becomes known as Radio 4 UK, a title that remains until mid 1984.
** November – Due to Radio 4's transfer from medium wave to long wave, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales launch as full-time stations on Radio 4's former Scottish and Welsh medium wave opt-out wavelengths of 370m (810 kHz) and 340m (882 kHz) respectively, albeit initially with very limited broadcast hours due to very limited coverage of BBC Radio 4 on FM in both countries.
** 21–22 December – The BBC is crippled by its most famous strike, which leads to record viewing figures for ITV. BBC1 and BBC2 television are off the air on 21 and 22 December. On 22 December the unions called out their radio colleagues on strike, meaning BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4 were "collapsed" into one emergency "All Network Service" from 4:00pm until the end of their broadcasting day at 2:05am. The strike was settled by 10:00pm on 22 December with a pay increased awarded to BBC staff. BBC Television and Radio stations resumed normal broadcasting on 23 December.
* 1979
** 27 January – BBC Radio 2 closes down for the last time.
** 1 March – BBC2 unveils its computer generated ident, the first computer-generated ident in the world. The second such ident is unveiled by US broadcaster NBC.
** 27 August – The murder of Lord Mountbatten by the IRA sets a record audience of 26 million for a news bulletin. Strike action at ITN led to the record viewing figures.
** 11 September – BBC Radio Foyle launches as an opt-out station from BBC Radio Ulster.
** 25 September – The first edition of ''Question Time'' is broadcast.

1980s

* 1980
** 28 January – ''Newsnight'' is launched.
** February – BBC Radio Deeside is launched as an opt-out service from BBC Radio Wales.
** March – The very first in-vision Ceefax transmissions are broadcast. Three 30-minute transmissions are aired at various points during weekday daytime downtime.
** Summer – Due to the continued expansion of BBC Local Radio, regional opt-out programming on BBC Radio 4 ends, apart from in the south west as this is now the only part of England still without any BBC local station.
** 6 September – BBC2 launches a computer generated clock, probably the first of its kind in the world.
** 8 September – ''Watchdog'' is launched as a weekly slot on BBC1's news magazine programme '' Nationwide''.
** 11 September – BBC Radio Norfolk launches.
** September – Regional peak time continuity on BBC1 ends and with it the weeknight closedown regional news bulletin.
** 11 November – BBC Radio Lincolnshire launches.
** 21 November – The charity appeal Children in Need is launched.
* 1981
** 17 May – ''Sunday Grandstand'' launches. It broadcasts during the summer months on BBC2.
** 4 July – BBC Radio Blackburn expands to cover all of Lancashire and is renamed accordingly.
** 29 July – The Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer is produced by BBC Television & Radio with an audience of 750 million viewers and listeners in over 60 countries. Welsh Actor Richard Burton and Scottish writer, actor & royal expert Tom Fleming are among the commentators.
** Autumn – BBC Micro is produced for BBC Computer Literacy Project.
** 4 September – The final edition of the ''Midday News'' is broadcast.
** 5 September – The BBC1 Mirror globe changes colour from yellow on blue to green on blue.
** 7 September – ''News After Noon'' is launched as a 30-minute lunchtime news programme, replacing the much shorter ''Midday News''.
** October – BBC Radio Deeside is expanded to cover all of north east Wales and is renamed BBC Radio Clwyd.
** 23 October – The last teatime block of Open University programmes are transmitted. From the 1982 season, only a single Open University programme is aired at 5:10pm, ahead of the start of the channel's evening programmes.
** 23 November – BBC Radio Birmingham expands to cover the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire and is relaunched as BBC WM.
* 1982
** March – The BBC proposes to launch a satellite television service following the Corporation being awarded two of the five DBS satellite channels.
** 15 and 16 March – BBC Local Radio starts broadcasting to the Channel Islands when BBC Radio Guernsey and BBC Radio Jersey launch.
** 1 May – BBC Radio Cambridgeshire launches.
** 25 May – BBC Radio Carlisle expands to cover all of Cumbria and is renamed accordingly and as part of the expansion, BBC Radio Furness launches as an opt-out service.
** 20 June – The BBC relaunches its Sunday morning programme for the Asian community when ''Asian Magazine'' replaces ''Apna Hi Ghar Samajhiye'' which had been on air since 1968.
** September – The BBC World Service becomes available to UK listeners for the first time, albeit only in south east England.
** 10 September – After 32 years on air, ''Listen with Mother'' is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 for the final time.
** 1 November – BBC-produced Welsh-language programming is transferred from BBC1 to the new S4C channel.
** 23 December – ''Service Information'' is broadcast for the final time.
** 31 December – The last remaining opt-out regional programming on BBC Radio 4 ends when the final edition of ''Morning Sou'West'' is broadcast, ahead of the launches of BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall.
* 1983
** January – BBC1 starts broadcasting a full afternoon service, consisting of regional programmes, repeats and old feature films.
** 17 January –
*** '' Breakfast Time'', the UK's first national breakfast television service, is launched, ahead of the ITV franchise TV-am, which follows on 1 February.
*** BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall launch.
** late February/early March – BBC1 begins broadcasting a 30-minute Ceefax slot prior to the start of '' Breakfast Time''. It is called ''Ceefax AM''. It is first mentioned in the ''Radio Times'' on 21 March.
** 18 April – BBC Radio Gwent
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