To celebrate Radio 1’s 50th Birthday, pop-up station ‘Radio 1 Vintage’ will take to the airwaves this weekend. The three-day digital radio station features Noel Edmonds, John Peel, Kenny Everett, Alan Freeman, Mike Read, Zoe Ball, Chris Moyles and many more.
Radio 1 has played a unique role for young people in the UK for the last 50 years and Radio 1 Vintage will bring together generations of listeners, through their shared memories of much-loved broadcasters and their most memorable on-air moments. Shows will feature archive content and previous Radio 1 DJs. There will also be programmes about classic shows including Radio 1 Roadshows, Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Radio 1’s Official Chart, Newsbeat, 1990s Comedy Shows as well as They Started At Radio 1.
Radio 1 Vintage kicks off on Saturday 30 September 2017, 50 years to the day since Radio 1 launched. Programmes include a live triplecast across Radio 1 Vintage, Radio 1 and Radio 2, presented by current Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw and Tony Blackburn – the first ever host of the iconic show. The co-hosted show will feature previous Radio 1 DJs as guests, plus archive content and hit records from across the years.
Earlier that day there will be a live re-creation of Tony Blackburn’s first ever Radio 1 show, including Flowers In The Rain by The Move, famously the first song ever played on Radio 1. This show will be broadcast live from 7am on Radio 1 Vintage and Radio 2 (as a part of Sounds Of The Sixties).
Ben Cooper, Controller BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network, says: “Radio 1 is the soundtrack to young people’s lives in the UK and has been for the last 50 years, so it’s going to be a lot of fun reliving that pop culture and great music.”
Nick Grimshaw says: “Radio 1 is the only station I’ve loyally listened to my whole life. From John Peel playing punk on night times and Sara Cox playing Missy on breakfast it was key in forming my musical education. I can’t wait to celebrate 50 years with the legend that is Tony Blackburn!”
Tony Blackburn says: “Launching Radio 1 on 30 September 1967 is, undoubtedly, the highlight of my career. Having worked on the great Pirate radio ships, Caroline and London, being the first DJ on Radio 1 I saw first-hand the impact that the stations had on the British public. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when the BBC would only play 45 minutes of popular music per day and we, as teenagers, had to wait until 7pm in the evening for Radio Luxembourg to come on, and play the music we wanted to hear.
“I owe so much to Radio 1 for my long career, to have been there at the beginning and to still be part of the BBC, it has been amazing to see how it has developed over the years to changes in technology, music, demand and, of course, its ever changing audience.”
Radio 1 Vintage will be available live on DAB Digital Radio, online and via BBC iPlayer Radio and UK Radio Player.