1948 in British radio

This is a list of events from British radio in 1948.

Events

January

• 3 January – Sports Report, the world's longest-running sports radio programme,^[1] debuts on the BBC Light Programme.
• 5 January – The first episode of Mrs Dale's Diary, the first significant British radio serial drama, is broadcast on the Light Programme.
• 28 January – The Copleston–Russell debate, a debate between Bertrand Russell and Frederick Copleston on the existence of God, is broadcast by the BBC.

February

• No events.

March

• 23 March – Radio comedy Take It from Here, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden and starring Jimmy Edwards, is first broadcast on the Light Programme; this first series is set in a fictitious commercial radio station office.

April

• 12 April – Philosopher C. E. M. Joad is caught travelling by train without a valid ticket which ends his career as a BBC Radio broadcaster.^[2]
• 21 April – Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 6 is premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at the Royal Albert Hall in London and broadcast on the Home Service.^[3]

May to September

• No events.

October

• 12 October – Topical debate programme Any Questions? is first broadcast on the West of England Home Service^[4] chaired by Freddie Grisewood; originally intended to run for six fortnightly editions only, it will still be on the air weekly (on BBC Radio 4 nationally) 75 years later.

November

• No events.

December

• 26 December – The first series of the BBC's annual Reith Lectures, Bertrand Russell on Authority and the Individual, begins broadcasting on the Home Service.^[5]
• 28 December – For the second series of Take It from Here, writers Muir and Norden begin to adopt its familiar three-part sketch show format.^[6][7]

Undated

• Steuart Wilson becomes head of music at the BBC^[8] and Harman Grisewood replaces George Barnes as controller of the BBC Third Programme.

Debuts

• 3 January – Sports Report (BBC Light Programme, 1948–Present)
• 5 January – Mrs Dale's Diary (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1969)
• 23 March – Take It from Here (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1960)
• 1 May – Top of the Form (BBC Light Programme, 1948–1986)
• 12 October – Any Questions? (BBC Home Service, 1948–Present)
• The McCooeys (1948–1955)

Programme endings

• 29 March – Monday Night at Eight (BBC Home Service, 1937–1948)

Continuing radio programmes

1930s

• In Town Tonight (1933–1960)

1940s

• Music While You Work (1940–1967)^[9]
• Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018)
• Desert Island Discs (1942–Present)
• Family Favourites (1945–1980)
• Down Your Way (1946–1992)
• Have A Go (1946–1967)
• Housewives' Choice (1946–1967)
• Letter from America (1946–2004)
• Woman's Hour (1946–Present)
• Twenty Questions (1947–1976)

Births

• 8 March – Gyles Brandreth, writer, broadcaster and politician
• 14 April – Rob Cowan, classical music presenter
• 29 May – Michael Berkeley, composer and classical music broadcaster
• 9 June – Nick Clarke, news presenter (died 2006)
• 18 June – Philip Jackson, actor^[10]
• 25 August – Harriett Gilbert, radio arts presenter
• 30 August – Robin Lustig, radio news presenter
• 13 December – Andy Peebles, DJ (died 2025)
• 22 December – Noel Edmonds, broadcast presenter and producer
• Paul Lewis, financial broadcaster

See also

• 1948 in British music
• 1948 in British television
• 1948 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1948

References

1. "Sports Report at 70: Presenters' memories, royal recognition & THAT theme tune". BBC Sport. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
2. Street, Sean (2009). The A to Z of British Radio. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-8108-6847-2.
3. Doctor, Jenny (2013). "Vaughan Williams, Boult, and the BBC". In Frogley, Alain; Thomson, Aidan J. (eds.). The Cambridge Companion to Vaughan Williams. Cambridge University Press. pp. 249–274. doi:10.1017/CCO9781139043243.017.
4. Kynaston, David (2007). Austerity Britain 1945–1951. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-7985-4.
5. "1940s" (PDF). The BBC Story. BBC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
6. "Take It From Here". British Comedy. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
7. McKay, Mark (7 February 2009). "Radio: Take It From Here". Laughterlog.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
8. Kennedy, Michael (1987). Adrian Boult. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 215. ISBN 0-333-48752-4.
9. "Music While You Work". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
10. "Philip Jackson". Aveleyman.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.