BBC Radio 5 (former) - History

History

BBC Radio 5 used the medium wave frequencies previously used to transmit BBC Radio 2 from 23 November 1978 to 26 August 1990. It owed its existence to the broadcasting policy of the Conservative government of the time, who wished the BBC to end its longstanding practice of simulcasting its services on both AM and FM frequencies. A number of programmes, which were previously broadcast as opt-outs on one frequency only, would otherwise have been left without a home.

The station officially launched at 9 am on 27 August 1990, with a five-year-old boy, Andrew Kelly, uttering the words "Good morning and welcome to Radio 5". Prior to this, but uncredited in the Radio Times, the new station's frequencies had broadcast a brief pre-recorded skit from comedians Trevor Neal and Simon Hickson (consisting of the two larking about in the studio amid the strains of "Sailing By", and Trevor suddenly being cut off while he was reading his so-called "Ode to Radio 5"). The official first programme was Take Five, a pre-recorded programme by Bruno Brookes (who was doing his live breakfast show on Radio 1 at launch time.)

Broadcasting for about 18 hours per day (6am until just after midnight), many saw the station as broadcasting programming the other four main BBC stations didn't want, reflected in a speech by Jenny Abramsky, News International Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media 2002 at Exeter College, Oxford University:

"The sports output from Radio 2 Medium Wave, all the Schools and Continuing Education programmes from Radio 4 FM, the Open University programmes from Radios 3 and 4 FM and programmes for children and young people from Radio 4 and some World Service output. This was a network with no audience focus, born out of expediency."

In 1991, Operation Desert Storm was launched, the multinational response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. From 16 January, Radio 4's FM frequencies were used to provide an all-news network for the coverage of the war, dubbed 'Radio 4 News FM', or more popularly in the media as 'Scud FM' . Despite protests from BBC Radio 4 listeners, the BBC mainly received praise for the quality of the service and the speed with which it was set up. Following the end of the conflict, Radio 4 resumed its normal schedule but the positive response to 'Scud FM' made the BBC commence a review into the possibility of providing a full-time news station, leading to the broadcast of a similar service on long wave during the 1992 UK general election campaign. Due to the resistance to any use of Radio 4 FM or LW frequencies, it was decided that Radio 5, criticised by John Birt as "improvised and disjointed", would relaunch as a combined news and sport channel.