January – Tracks by the boy band East 17 are removed from the playlists of at least eleven radio stations following recent comments from their lead singer
Brian Harvey about his use of the drug
ecstasy. In an interview with
Independent Radio News he had claimed to have taken twelve tablets in one evening and then driven, prompting condemnation in the
House of Commons from Prime Minister
John Major. Harvey was sacked from the band on 17 January, despite making a full apology for the comments.[1][2]
30 January – Speaking on
BBC Radio 1 in defence of
Brian Harvey, musician
Noel Gallagher claims that drugs are "like getting up and having a cup of tea in the morning".[3]
February
February – Emap launches a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across the north of England. They replace stations such as
Great North Radio and
Great Yorkshire Gold.
17 February –
Mark and Lard become the Radio 1 breakfast show's new presenters.[4]
Jo Whiley begins presenting a weekday lunchtime show on Radio 1.[5]
March
17 March – After broadcasting a temporary service called
1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire,
Classic Gold launches in
Bradford and
Halifax/
Huddersfield. The station is a simulcast of the Classic Gold network heard on MW in central and southern England with a local breakfast show supplemented by local news and information throughout the day.
April
5 April – Pick of the Pops returns to the BBC. The programme is aired on Saturday afternoons on
Radio 2 with
Alan Freeman returning as host.[6] The programme had last been on the BBC on
BBC Radio 1 at the end of 1992 and throughout most of the intervening period it had been broadcast on
Capital Gold.
1 September –
BBC Southern Counties Radio is relaunched. The all-speech format is dropped and the station reverts to a more traditional mix of music and speech.
13 October – Mark and Lard are replaced as Radio 1 breakfast presenters by
Zoë Ball and
Kevin Greening.[10] Mark and Lard are moved to an afternoon presenting slot.[11] On the same day
Chris Evans begins presenting a rival breakfast show on
Virgin Radio.
November
17 November – Launch of the Broadcast Radio website.[12]
December
9 December – Chris Evans's media production company,
Ginger Media Group buys Virgin Radio from
Richard Branson for £85m. Branson had planned to sell the station to
Capital Radio, but Evans, who had not wanted to work for the station, launched a rival bid.