1972 in British radio

List of years in British radio (table)
… 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 …
In British television 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 In British music 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 In British film 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

This is a list of events in British radio during 1972.

Events

January

• 19 January – The government announces the lifting of all restrictions on broadcasting hours on television and radio.

February

• No events.

March

• 31 March – BBC Radio 2 airs its final Breakfast Special.

April

• 2 April – First edition of the comedy panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is aired on BBC Radio 4.
• 3 April – Terry Wogan joins Radio 2 to present the new weekday breakfast show.

May

• No events.

June

• No events.

July

• 12 July – Following the enabling of The Sound Broadcasting Act 1972, The Independent Broadcasting Authority is formed, paving the way for the launch of Independent Local Radio.

August

• 25 August – Following a decision by the government to restrict 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, later BBC Radio Cumbria, is formed.

September

• No events.

October

• No events.

November

• 4 November – Radios 2 and 4 begin broadcasting in stereo in South East England. Stereo is rolled out to the rest of the country over subsequent years.

December

• No events.

Station debuts

• Hereford Hospital Radio

Closing this year

• 25 August – BBC Radio Durham (1968–1972)

Programme debuts

• 11 April – I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue on BBC Radio 4 (1972–Present)
• Unknown – Milligna (or Your Favourite Spike) on BBC Radio 4 (1972)

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

• Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018)
• Desert Island Discs (1942–Present)
• Down Your Way (1946–1992)
• Letter from America (1946–2004)
• Woman's Hour (1946–Present)
• A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present)

1950s

• The Archers (1950–Present)
• The Today Programme (1957–Present)
• The Navy Lark (1959–1977)
• Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
• Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)

1960s

• Farming Today (1960–Present)
• The Men from the Ministry (1962–1977)
• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (1964–1973)
• Petticoat Line (1965–1979)
• The World at One (1965–Present)
• The Official Chart (1967–Present)
• Just a Minute (1967–Present)
• The Living World (1968–Present)
• The Organist Entertains (1969–2018)

1970s

• PM (1970–Present)
• Start the Week (1970–Present)
• Week Ending (1970–1998)
• You and Yours (1970–Present)

Ending this year

• Unknown – Lines from My Grandfather's Forehead (1971–1972)

Births

• 23 January – Harriet Scott, radio presenter
• 28 April – Anita Anand, journalist and broadcast presenter
• 3 May – Katya Adler, broadcast journalist
• 3 November – Nemone (Metaxas), DJ
• 16 November – Daniel P. Carter, rock guitarist and radio DJ
• 14 December – Miranda Hart, comic actress
• Stephen Clements, DJ (died 2020)

Deaths

• 2 March – Franklin Engelmann, presenter (b. 1908)
• 15 October – Douglas Smith, announcer (b. 1924)
• 15 November – Freddie Grisewood, presenter (b. 1888)

See also

• 1972 in British music
• 1972 in British television
• 1972 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1972