1999 in British radio

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This is a list of events in British radio during 1999.

Events

• January
  • Choice FM is taken over by the Chrysalis Group, which later renames Choice FM Birmingham Galaxy 102.2.
  • London's dance/urban station Kiss 100 is rebranded by EMAP Radio with a new logo and mainstream pop music is played on the station, this leads to criticism from some DJ's and listeners.
• 22 January - Church leaders condemn Birmingham-based station BRMB's "Two Strangers and a Wedding" competition in which contestants entered a competition to get married to a complete stranger.^[1] The winners, Greg Cordell and Carla Germaine were married at a Registry Office in the city, but the couple were separated three months later.^[2] Germaine later met and married BRMB disc jockey Jeremy Kyle.^[3]
• April - Radio Regen is launched in Manchester to provides training in community radio.
• 26 April - Radio 2 presenter Johnnie Walker is suspended from his drivetime show after allegations concerning a drug problem appeared in the Sunday tabloid, the News of the World. Walker has been the victim of a tabloid exposé over his cocaine problem.^[4] Richard Allinson presents the drivetime show during Walker's absence, while Tom Robinson stands in on his Saturday afternoon show.
• 24 May - Radio 2 says that presenter Sarah Kennedy is taking a week's holiday because of stress following a bizarre performance while standing in for Terry Wogan the previous Friday. This had included calling Ken Bruce an "old fool" and referring to the presenter of the day's Pause For Thought slot as "an old prune". The episode attracted a number of concerned calls to the BBC, while Kennedy blames the incident on a lack of sleep the previous night and apologises to listeners. She had been due to stand in for Wogan the following week, but takes time off instead.^[5]
• June - Launch of Sky News Radio, a service providing bespoke bulletins for Talk Radio.
• 2 July - Ed Stewart presents his final weekday afternoon show on Radio 2.
• 3 July - Jonathan Ross joins Radio 2 to present a Saturday morning show.
• 5 July - Steve Wright in the Afternoon returns to radio after a break of several years as Steve Wright replaces Ed Stewart as Radio 2's weekday afternoon presenter.
• 2 August - It is announced that ITV has signed BBC sports presenter Des Lynam on a four year contract to become the company's main football presenter.^[6] This means he will no longer present his Friday drivetime show on Radio 2.
• 14 October - Managers at Radio 2 reinstate Johnnie Walker after he is fined £2,000 by magistrates for admitting possession of cocaine.^[7]
• 5 December - Despite having been banned by many radio stations, and panned by critics, Cliff Richard's single The Millennium Prayer - which features Richard singing the words of the Lord's Prayer to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" - reaches number one in the UK charts.
• 6 December - Johnnie Walker returns to Radio 2.
• 17 December - Britain's first million pounds prize is given away, on a segment of Chris Evans's Virgin breakfast show called Someone's Going to be a Millionaire (a reference to ITV's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which at the time has not had a million pound winner).

Station debuts

• June - Sky News Radio
• 15 November - Bath FM (1999–2010)
• 15 November - Core Radio (1999–2008)

Deaths

• 10 March - Adrian Love, 54, radio presenter^[8]

References

1. Hetherington, Peter (23 January 1999). "Churchmen attack couple's 'blind' marriage on air | UK news". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 14 February 2012.
2. "UK | 'Blind wedding' couple split". BBC News (BBC). 14 April 1999. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
3. Lewis, Paul (7 February 2006). "Strangers marry after match made on radio station | Media". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 14 February 2012.
4. "DJ fined over drugs offence". bbc.co.uk. 13 October 1999. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
5. "'Stressed' Sarah takes a week off". BBC News. 24 May 1999. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
6. "ITV signs Des Lynam". BBC News. 2 August 1999. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
7. "Drug case DJ reinstated". BBC News (BBC). 14 October 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
8. "Veteran DJ Love dies". BBC News. 10 March 1999. Retrieved 19 December 2009.