1988 sees regular evening programming begin to appear on weeknights on BBC local radio. The programming tends to be regional rather than local with the same programme networked on all the stations in that area. Consequently, these stations are now providing local/regional programming on weeknights until midnight.
January
January
BBC Radio 1 has a ‘’More Music Day’’ which limited presenter chat to news, weather and travel. It has been designed as an answer to those thinking that DJs talk too much, but has not been repeated.
15 January – Less than a year after their introduction, the World Service News bulletins on BBC Radio 3 are broadcast for the final time.
February
1 February – Radio 4's long-wave frequency is adjusted from 200kHz to 198kHz.[1]
March
2 March – Soundtrack on BBC Radio 4 is inaugurated with broadcaster Glyn Worsnip’s autobiographical audio diary of living with a serious medical condition, A Lone Voice, attracting substantial listener engagement.[2][3][4]
11 April – BBC Somerset Sound launches as an opt-out station from BBC Radio Bristol, broadcasting on BBC Radio Bristol's former MW frequency of 1323AM.
1 June – County Sound becomes the first station to introduce full time split programming on FM and AM. On FM, County Sound is renamed as County Sound Premier with a brand new oldies station called County Sound Gold launching on MW. This is to be the format used by most stations when they end simulcasting with their chart and contemporary music format continuing on FM with a new oldies station launching on MW.
July
1 July – The Superstation launches an overnight sustaining service on a number of ILR stations around the country at 10pm. The service would run until 6am each morning.
2 July – Capital Gold starts broadcasting, initially as a weekend only service. Tony Blackburn launches the station on 1548AM at 7am.
August
12 August – Radio Clyde launches a weekend-only chart music on FM, with the full Radio Clyde service continuing on MW.
September
1 September
The Radio 1 FM 'switch on' day which sees three new transmitters brought into service covering central Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands. With 65% of the UK now covered by the station's new FM frequency, the pop group Bros fly around the country in a helicopter to encourage listeners to switch over.[8]
To coincide with the switch-ons, Top of the Pops is simulcast on Radio 1 for the first time giving listeners the chance to hear the programme in stereo.[9]
3 September – At midday, Manchester station Piccadilly Radio splits into two services. Piccadilly Radio is relaunched as an oldies station on MW called Piccadilly Gold with a new station, Key 103, launching on FM.
20 September – The Radio Data System (RDS) launches, allowing car radios to retune automatically, display station identifiers and switch to local travel news.
Radio 1 starts broadcasting on FM in South Wales and the west of England.[10]
September – The Independent Broadcasting Authority announces the launch of incremental radio. The new licenses will cover areas which are already served by an ILR (Independent Local Radio) station and will offer output not already available on ILR, such as specialist music, programmes for a specific section of the community or for smaller areas than ILR stations currently broadcast to.
October
1 October – BBC Radio 1 extends broadcasting hours, closing down at 2am instead of midnight.
7 October – After 18 years on air BBC Radio London closes at 7pm. Test transmissions begin immediately for its replacement, BBC GLR, which launches on 25 October.
9 October – The BBC announces that a fifth national network will launch on the MW frequencies of BBC Radio 2.[11]
4 December – Ocean Sound creates two new radio stations as part of the relaxing of ILR licensing rules. Aimed as a direct competitor for BBC Radio 1, Power FM becomes the UK's first 24-hour non-stop chart hit music station, broadcasting to Southampton and Winchester using the 103.2FM frequency. The Gold AM replaces Ocean Sound on medium-wave. It is a pacey, lively radio station playing a mixture of music from the '60s and '70s. Ocean Sound continues its full service operation on the 96.7 FM and 97.5 FM frequencies.
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