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Archive on 4: Close to Home - The Story of Local Radio

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11/11/2017

Close to Home - The Story of Local Radio

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Close to Home - The Story of Local Radio

The start of BBC local radio with stations in Leicester, Sheffield and Merseyside.

4 Extra Debut. Libby Purves explores the start of BBC local radio and the launch of stations in Leicester, Sheffield and Merseyside. From November 2007.

As well as the launch of BBC Radio 1 to 4, 1967 also saw the arrival of the BBC's first batch of local radio stations: Radio Leicester on 8th November, Radio Sheffield on 15th November and Radio Merseyside on 22nd November.

Made to mark the 40th anniversary in 2007 - Libby Purves takes an affectionate look back at the first chaotic days of local programming - from unruly guests and erratic phone-ins to technological mishaps - and explores how the ideals of the early pioneers survived into the 21st Century.

Starting in the 1920s, Libby charts the history of the stations which were to bring us the likes of Kate Adie, Tony Adamson, Michael Buerk, Paul Heiney and Des Lynham. 

From its early beginnings, and after much deliberation and research, the BBC began to build a network of local radio stations across England. The project was driven mainly by the energy of Frank Gillard, then BBC Radio's Managing Director.

The other five stations in the original batch of eight BBC local stations were:  Radio Nottingham (31st January 1968); Radio Brighton (14th February 1968); Radio Stoke-on-Trent (14th March 1968); Radio Leeds (24th June 1968) and Radio Durham (3rd July 1968).

Producer: Paula McGinley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.

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