Jim Moir replaces
Frances Line as controller of
BBC Radio 2 and begins repositioning the station to attract a wider audience of over 35s, many of whom have moved to commercial radio following the repositioning of
BBC Radio 1 three years earlier. He introduces a daytime playlist consisting of AOR/contemporary music with specialist programmes airing during the evening and at the weekend. Nostalgic/easy listening music is restricted to Sundays only.
3 April – After 18 years, the name
BBC Radio Manchester returns to the airwaves. Since 1988 the station had been called BBC GMR. Shortly after the namechange, the station opens a relay on 104.6 FM to give areas of the Upper Tame Valley, including
Saddleworth,
Tameside and down to
Hyde, improved coverage.
June –
Radio 1 starts live streaming on the internet.[5]
June –
Schools programmes are broadcast during the day for the final time. Schools programmes continued to be broadcast overnight until 2003.
July
1 July – The
LBC name returns to London's airwaves following a rebrand of London News Radio's MW station News Talk 1152.
9 July – The Radio Authority receives 25 bids for the final FM citywide London licence. In November the Authority announces that
XFM has been awarded the licence which will broadcast on 104.9.
August
Hallam FM switches off its transmitter covering
Rotherham as part of its licence agreement.
The Radio Authority awards a full-time commercial licence to a student radio station for the first time when it awards the
Oxford licence to
Oxygen FM.
4 November –
The Asian Network expands into a full-time station when it increases the number of hours on air from 80 hours a week to 126 hours a week (18 hours a day). The station, which broadcasts on the MW frequencies of
BBC Radio Leicester and
BBC WM, is renamed BBC Asian Network.
14 November – London News relaunches its rolling news service as News Direct 97.3.