January – Tracks by the boy band East 17 are removed from the playlists of at least eleven radio stations following recent comments from their lead singer Brian Harvey about his use of the drug ecstasy. In an interview with Independent Radio News he had claimed to have taken twelve tablets in one evening and then driven, prompting condemnation in the House of Commons from Prime Minister John Major. Harvey was sacked from the band on 17 January, despite making a full apology for the comments.[1][2]
30 January – Speaking on BBC Radio 1 in defence of Brian Harvey, musician Noel Gallagher claims that drugs are "like getting up and having a cup of tea in the morning".[3]
February
February – Emap launches a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across the north of England. They replace stations such as Great North Radio and Great Yorkshire Gold.
17 February –
Mark and Lard become the Radio 1 breakfast show's new presenters.[4]
Jo Whiley begins presenting a weekday lunchtime show on Radio 1.[5]
March
17 March – After broadcasting a temporary service called 1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire, Classic Gold launches in Bradford and Halifax/Huddersfield. The station is a simulcast of the Classic Gold network heard on MW in central and southern England with a local breakfast show supplemented by local news and information throughout the day.
April
5 April – Pick of the Pops returns to the BBC. The programme is aired on Saturday afternoons on Radio 2 with Alan Freeman returning as host.[6] The programme had last been on the BBC on BBC Radio 1 at the end of 1992 and throughout most of the intervening period it had been broadcast on Capital Gold.
1 September – BBC Southern Counties Radio is relaunched. The all-speech format is dropped and the station reverts to a more traditional mix of music and speech.
13 October – Mark and Lard are replaced as Radio 1 breakfast presenters by Zoë Ball and Kevin Greening.[10] Mark and Lard are moved to an afternoon presenting slot.[11] On the same day Chris Evans begins presenting a rival breakfast show on Virgin Radio.
November
17 November – Launch of the Broadcast Radio website.[12]
December
9 December – Chris Evans's media production company, Ginger Media Group buys Virgin Radio from Richard Branson for £85m. Branson had planned to sell the station to Capital Radio, but Evans, who had not wanted to work for the station, launched a rival bid.
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