BBC Radio 2 celebrates its 50th anniversary with special programming, documentaries and concerts

On Saturday 30 September, BBC Radio 2 celebrates its 50th birthday. To mark the occasion the station is broadcasting a special season of programmes including a Friday Night Is Music Night concert with songs and anecdotes from across the last five decades, The Listener’s Stories where those at home share their memories, four episodes of Johnnie Walkers Long Players about the music of 1967, and documentaries on pirate radio and on The Light Programme which both paved the way for BBC Radio 2.

The station has also commissioned some unique portraits of its current presenters from rock star and photographer Bryan Adams and listeners will get a sneak peek behind the scenes of this photo shoot in Radio 2: A Birthday Portrait.

In September 1967, while the UK was enjoying the long hot summer of love and BBC TV had recently broadcast its first colour pictures, BBC Radio closed the fader for the last time on the Light Programme and launched two brand new popular music networks to the BBC family - Radio’s 1 and 2 - on 30 September 1967. For half a century since then, Radio 2 has been waking listeners up, driving them home, informing, educating and entertaining them.

Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, says: “I’m incredibly proud of Radio 2’s heritage. With its unique mix of much-loved DJs - from Chris Evans to Sir Jimmy Young, Desmond Carrington to the radio king of them all, Sir Terry Wogan - and distinctive medley of music, documentaries and current affairs, it has been a part of millions of people’s lives for half a century. And I’m thrilled to be inviting listeners to take part and share in our 50th birthday celebrations with shows that share their memories too.”

August 9, 2017 3:46am ET by BBC Radio 2  

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