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2014 in British radio

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This is a list of events in British radio during 2014.

Events

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January

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  • 1 January – Jazz FM stops broadcasting on the national Digital One multiplex, but continues to be available on DAB in London, online and through satellite television.[1] Its Digital One slot is temporarily taken over by the return of Birdsong Radio, with plans for a permanent replacement in February.[2]
  • 2 January – The morning's edition of BBC Radio 4's Today is guest edited by musician PJ Harvey, with items includes a Thought for the Day from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and a segment in which John Pilger criticises US President Barack Obama for not closing the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The content prompts Labour MP Tim Austin to brand it as the programme's worst ever edition.[3]
  • 3 January – Former Radio 1 and GEM-AM presenter Jenni Costello joins internet station Solid Gold Gem to present Ready, Steady 80s, a weekly programme dedicated to hits from the decade.[4]
  • 6 January – It had been reported on 30 December 2013 that Hot Radio would close at 18:00,[5] but the station remains on air after the deadline had passed.[6]
  • 8 January – Smooth Radio announces that weekend breakfast presenter Daryl Denham has left the station with immediate effect. His shows will be taken over by Emma B on Saturdays and Eamonn Kelly on Sundays.[7]
  • 9 January – Blur drummer Dave Rowntree begins hosting a Thursday evening show for XFM.[8]
  • 10 January – Liverpool-based stations City Talk 105.9 and Radio City 96.7 both broadcast exclusive interviews with Prime Minister David Cameron.[9]
  • 10 January – Radio 1 announces a schedule change that will see weekend breakfast presenter Gemma Cairney and weekday early breakfast host Dev swap shows.[10]
  • 14 January – Talksport secures a deal with the Daily Mail to produce content featuring sports journalists and writers from the newspaper, including Jamie Redknapp, Martin Keown and Graham Poll.[11]
  • 16 January – BBC Radio Northampton Breakfast Show presenter Stuart Linnell receives hospital treatment after he is hit by a police car shortly before he is due to go on air.[12]
  • 19 January – Radio 1's YouTube channel attracts its one millionth subscriber.[13]
  • 20 January – Global Radio is found to be in breach of their license remit for Heart Cornwall after a listener complained to Ofcom that there was not enough local news and speech to make it a fully local station.[14]
  • 24 January – Heart London presenters Jamie Theakston and Emma Bunton present their breakfast show from a listener's house in Buckinghamshire as part of a Sky promotion.[15]
  • 29 January
  • 31 January – BBC Radio 4 decides to "rest" the Archers spin-off Ambridge Extra, which has been on air since 2011.[18]

February

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  • 4 February – The Radio Today website reports that Ofcom have given Global Radio permission to remove Smooth Radio from the Digital One platform, and replace it with a new national station. Under the agreement, Smooth will continue to air on its regional FM frequencies, but with a greater local output.[19]
  • 6 February – Global Radio sells eight of its regional stations to Irish media holdings firm Communicorp.[20]
  • 11 February – LBC launches nationally on the Digital One platform, dropping "97.3" from its name and adopting the slogan "Leading Britain's Conversation", taking over the slot formerly occupied by Jazz FM. The station also secures a sponsorship deal with the Financial Times.[21][22]
  • 13 February – Disc jockey Dave Lee Travis is found not guilty on 12 accounts of historical sexual offences following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.[23] However, after the jury could not reach a decision on another two charges, it is announced on 24 February that he will face a retrial on the remaining allegations.[24] On 28 March, it is announced he will face charges on another count.[25]
  • 14 February – Free Radio hosts a wedding for two dogs to mark Valentine's Day.[26]
  • 17 February – Speaking at the Radio Academy, Head of Music at Radio 1, George Ergatoudis, says that streaming will be included in the top 40 singles chart.[27]
  • 24 February – Plans are announced for Smooth Radio's relaunch, which will begin from 3 March. The changes will see the departure of several presenters, including Simon Bates and Lynn Parsons, while Andrew Castle, Kate Garraway and Myleene Klass will join the lineup. Castle will be the station's new breakfast presenter in London, while Garraway will take over Parsons' mid-morning show. Klass will present a weekend show.[28]
  • 25 February – Community station The Cat is awarded a five-year licence by Ofcom to broadcast to Nentwich and Crewe in Cheshire.[29]

March

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April

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May

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  • 1 May – The BBC will provide radio, television and online coverage of the Hay Literary Festival in June, it is announced, as it takes over broadcast rights for the event from Sky Arts.[54]
  • 6 May
  • 9 May – BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio 5 Live are taken off air when fire alarms are activated at the BBC's Salford studios.[57]
  • 11 May – BBC Radio Devon presenter David Lowe has lost his "Singers and Swingers" slot after playing a 1932 version of "The Sun Has Got His Hat On" by Ambrose & His Orchestra that includes the n-word, it is reported.[58] Lowe, who had not realised the song contained the word, offered to give an on-air apology or "fall on [his] sword" after a viewer complained, the latter of which was accepted.[59] The BBC says the incident could have been handled better.[60] Lowe was offered his job back, but declined citing stress over the incident.[60] The incident follows recent controversy over Jeremy Clarkson's use of the same word while recording an episode of Top Gear, which led to him receiving a final warning from the Corporation.[58]
  • 16 May – An LBC interview with UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage is interrupted by his spin doctor, Patrick O'Flynn after the latter believed it had overrun. During the interview Farage is questioned about comments he made concerning his discomfort with hearing foreign languages spoken in the UK given that his wife is German, and whether he would sign his party up to an expenses audit process.[61]

June

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July

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August

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  • 11 August – First broadcast of semi-autobiographical sitcom The Cold Swedish Winter on BBC Radio 4, written by Danny Robins, concerning an expatriate English stand-up comedian and recorded on location in Sweden including Swedish actors.[65]
  • 15 August – Jonathan Ross will return to BBC Radio 2 for the first time in four years when he sits in for Steve Wright from 26 to 29 August.[66]

September

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  • 1 September – Peter Horrocks will step down as Director of the BBC World Service and leave the Corporation in early 2015, it is announces.[67]
  • 15 September – The Jazz FM schedule receives an overhaul, which includes an hour of specialist jazz programmes each day, and Lynn Parsons taking over as presenter of The Jazz Breakfast.[68]
  • 29 September – Sky Sports News Radio has ceased broadcasting, it is reported, its content having been subsumed into Sky Sports.[69]
  • September – The specialist output on MFR ends and is replaced by networked content from Bauer's 'Greatest Hits Network' of Scottish AM stations.

October

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November

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December

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  • 2 December – BBC Radio Devon announces that Simon Bates will join the station to present the breakfast show from January 2015.[86]
  • 7 December – Comedian Tom Binns apologises to his wife, radio producer Liesl Soards, after he read out the contents of an email exchange she had with Simon Bates while the two were working at Smooth Radio, then described Bates as being "as focused as a cunt". Binns had been commenting on Bates forthcoming Radio Devon show.[87]
  • 15 December – Solid Gold Gem is relaunched with Len Groat as its new manager after closing down two weeks earlier. No reason is given for the hiatus.[88]
  • 27 December – Launch of Smooth Extra on DAB.[89]
  • 30 December – Papers released by the National Archives reveal that in September 1979 Margaret Thatcher considered introducing advertising for some BBC radio services, but later scrapped the idea after encountering opposition.[90]

Station debuts

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Programme debuts

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Relaunching this year after a break of one month or more

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  • 15 November – Smooth Christmas (2011, 2012, 2014)

Returning this year after a break of one year or longer

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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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1980s

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1990s

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2000s

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2010s

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Ending this year

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Closing this year

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Date Station Debut(s)
4 April Real XS Glasgow 2007
27 December Smooth Christmas 2011, 2012, 2014

Deaths

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References

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  1. ^ "Jazz FM leaves national DAB digital radio". Radio Today. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  2. ^ "New national DAB station to launch in Feb". Radio Today. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. ^ ""Today" today branded worst edition ever". Radio Today. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Ex-BBC Radio 1 host joins internet station". Radio Today. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Hot Radio Bournemouth to close next week". Radio Today. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Hot Radio continues despite closure news". Radio Today. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Daryl Denahm exits Global's Smooth Radio". Radio Today. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Blur's drummer Dave Rowntree to join Xfm". Radio Today. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  9. ^ "PM David Cameron interviewed on City Talk". Radio Today. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  10. ^ "BBC Radio 1's Gemma Cairney to swap shows with Dev". Digital Spy. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  11. ^ "talkSPORT does a deal with the Daily Mail". Radio Today. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  12. ^ "BBC radio presenter hit by a police car". Radio Today. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  13. ^ "BBC Radio 1 celebrates 1 million YouTubers". Radio Today. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  14. ^ "Global Radio in breach for Heart Cornwall". Radio Today. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Jamie & Emma go live from Buckinghamshire". Radio Today. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  16. ^ "John Suchet opens Classic FM Lecture Room". Radio Today. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  17. ^ "Pat Sharp to appear on Free Radio breakfast". Radio Today. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Archers bosses 'rest' Ambridge Extra spin-off". BBC News. BBC. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
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  20. ^ "Communicorp buys 8 Global Radio stations". Radio Today. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  21. ^ "Global Radio to take LBC national on D1". Radio Today. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  22. ^ "Financial Times sponsors new UK wide LBC". Radio Today. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  23. ^ "Dave Lee Travis trial: DJ cleared of indecent assault". BBC News. BBC. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
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  35. ^ "Radio 1 & 1Xtra go all female all night". Radio Today. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
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  38. ^ "Lily Allen to cover Dermot's Radio 2 show". Radio Today. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  39. ^ ""Cut BBC Local Radio" says Noel Edmonds". Radio Today. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  40. ^ "Kid Jensen joins BBC Sussex and Surrey". Radio Today. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  41. ^ "Sir Bradley Wiggins set for Archers cameo appearance". BBC News. BBC. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
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  43. ^ Gold announces AM and DAB departure date
  44. ^ "LBC to host first leaders' Europe debate". Radio Today. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
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  47. ^ "Caroline North returns for 50th birthday". Radio Today. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  48. ^ "RNIB Insight Radio launches on Freeview". Radio Today. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  49. ^ "This is the last link on Real XS Glasgow". Radio Today. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  50. ^ "Smooth Radio's new multi-million campaign". Radio Today. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  51. ^ "Lamacq & Whiley reunited on BBC Radio 2". Radio Today. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
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  53. ^ "Classic FM to air one conductor for 24hr". Radio Today. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  54. ^ "BBC to broadcast Hay Festival on radio, TV, and online". BBC News. BBC. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  55. ^ "Heart arrives in former Real Radio areas". Radio Today. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  56. ^ Global confirms Heart expansion details, RadioToday, 14 April 2014
  57. ^ "BBC radio stations in Salford evacuated". Radio Today. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  58. ^ a b Kennedy, Maev (11 May 2014). "BBC DJ David Lowe quits in latest racism row". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
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  60. ^ a b "BBC Radio Devon DJ David Lowe loses job over racist word". BBC News. BBC. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  61. ^ "Nigel Farage's spin doctor interrupts live radio interview". BBC News. BBC. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  62. ^ "Richard Bacon and Victoria Derbyshire to leave 5 live". BBC News. BBC. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  63. ^ "Emma Barnett, Telegraph's woman's editor, joins 5 live". BBC News. BBC. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  64. ^ "Eleanor Bron joins The Archers cast". BBC News. BBC. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  65. ^ "The Cold Swedish Winter". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  66. ^ "Jonathan Ross returns to BBC Radio 2". BBC News. BBC. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  67. ^ "BBC World Service boss Peter Horrocks to step down". BBC News. BBC. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  68. ^ "Lynn Parsons to host Jazz FM Breakfast". Radio Today. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  69. ^ "Sky Sports News Radio service closes down". BBC News. BBC. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
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  74. ^ "Mike Read withdraws UKIP Calypso song". BBC News. BBC. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
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  83. ^ "War and Peace to take over Radio 4". BBC News. BBC. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  84. ^ "Lenny Henry to guest edit Radio 4's Today". BBC News. BBC. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
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  86. ^ "BBC Radio Devon announces Simon Bates as new Breakfast presenter from 12 January". BBC Media Centre. BBC. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
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  88. ^ "Online oldies station Solid Gold Gem AM returns". Radio Today. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  89. ^ a b Martin, Roy (27 December 2014). "Smooth Extra launches on DAB digital radio". Radio Today. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
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  96. ^ "Veteran BBC radio broadcaster Frank Wappat dies". BBC News. BBC. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
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