BBC Light Programme
 The Light Programme headquarters was at Broadcasting House in London. | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Broadcasting House, London, England |
| Owner | BBC |
Launch date | 29 July 1945 |
| Dissolved | 29 September 1967 |
| Language | English |
| Replaced | BBC General Forces Programme |
| Replaced by | BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 2 |
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 1 and BBC Radio 2.[1] It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the long wave frequency which had earlier been used[2][3] – prior to the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939 – by the BBC National Programme.[4]
The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime BBC General Forces Programme which had gained many civilian listeners in Britain as well as members of the British Armed Forces.[3][5]
History
[edit]The long wave signal on 200 kHz / 1500 metres was transmitted from the Droitwich Transmitting Station in the English Midlands[6] (as it still was until 2026 for BBC Radio 4, although adjusted slightly to 198 kHz / 1515 metres from 1 February 1988)[7][8] and gave fairly good coverage of most of the United Kingdom, although a number of low-power medium wave transmitters (using 1215 kHz / 247 metres) were added later to fill in local blank spots.[9]