Editing BBC Radio 1 (section)

===First broadcast===
Radio 1 was established in 1967 (along with the more [[Middle of the road (music)|middle-of-the-road]] [[BBC Radio 2]]) as a successor to the [[BBC Light Programme]], which had broadcast popular music and other entertainment since 1945. Radio 1 was conceived as a direct response to the popularity of offshore [[Pirate radio in the United Kingdom|pirate radio]] stations such as [[Radio Caroline]] and [[Wonderful Radio London|Radio London]], which had been declared illegal by [[Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967|Act of Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Unofficial History of BBC Radio 1 & 2 |url=http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/index.html |publisher=Radio Rewind |access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> Radio 1's initial [[Radio format|format]] was influenced in particular by Radio London's American-style [[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40]] format, in which music was divided into categories played in strict rotation. The new service was initially promoted in the summer of 1967 by trails (voiced by [[Kenny Everett]]) which referred to it as "Radio 247",<ref>{{cite web |title=Radio Rewind - BBC Radio 1 History - Main Events |url=https://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/history_of_radio_1_details.htm  |publisher=Radio Rewind |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Radio Rewind - BBC Radio 1 Shows -Trails |url=https://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/rewind_radio_1_trails.htm |access-date=30 August 2022 |publisher=Radio Rewind}}</ref> the station's temporary working title.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hendy |first=David |title=The BBC: A People's History |publisher=Profile Books |year=2022 |isbn=9781781255254 |location=UK |pages=437}}</ref>

Radio 1 was launched at 7:00{{nbsp}}am on Saturday 30 September 1967.

Broadcasts were on {{frequency|1214|kHz}} [[AM band|AM]] (247 metres), using a network of transmitters which had carried the Light Programme.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA43|title=The British Radio Scene: a Special Report|last=Scott|first=Robin|date=8 June 1968|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2 October 2017|page=43|author-link=Robin Scott (BBC controller)}}</ref> Most were of comparatively low power, at less than 50 kilowatts, and this resulted in the station only having patchy coverage.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The first disc jockey to broadcast on the new station was [[Tony Blackburn]], who had previously been on Radio Caroline and Radio London, and presented what became known as the ''[[Radio 1 Breakfast|Radio 1 Breakfast Show]]''. The first words on Radio 1 – after a countdown by the Controller of Radios 1 and 2, [[Robin Scott (BBC controller)|Robin Scott]], and a jingle, recorded at [[PAMS]] in [[Dallas]], Texas, beginning "The voice of Radio 1" – were:<ref>{{cite news |title=History of the BBC: Start of Radio 1 30 September 1967 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01k1vrv |publisher=BBC |date=30 September 2013 |access-date=25 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Reynolds |first=Gillian |author-link=Gillian Reynolds |title=The day we woke up to pop music on Radio 1 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3668186/The-day-we-woke-up-to-pop-music-on-Radio-1.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=27 September 2007 |access-date=25 February 2016 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3668186/The-day-we-woke-up-to-pop-music-on-Radio-1.html |archive-date=12 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

{{blockquote|And, good morning everyone. Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1. | BBC Radio 1 opening message}}

This was the first use of US-style jingles on BBC radio, but the style was familiar to listeners who were acquainted with Blackburn and other DJs from their days on pirate radio. The reason jingles from PAMS were used was that the [[Musicians' Union (UK)|Musicians' Union]] would not agree to a single fee for the singers and musicians if the jingles were made "in-house" by the BBC; they wanted repeat fees each time one was played.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

The first music to be heard on the station was an extract from "Beefeaters" by [[Johnny Dankworth]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Savage |first=Mark |title=50 facts about Radio 1 & 2 as they turn 50 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41414837 |publisher=BBC News |date=30 September 2017 |access-date=22 October 2018}}</ref> "[[Theme One]]", specially composed for the launch by [[George Martin]] was played for the first time before Radio 1 officially launched at 7&nbsp;am. The first complete record played on Radio 1 was "[[Flowers in the Rain]]" by [[The Move]], the number 2 record in that week's Top 20 (the number 1 record, [[The Last Waltz (song)|The Last Waltz]] by [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]], would have been inappropriate for the station's sound). The second single was "[[Massachusetts (Bee Gees song)|Massachusetts]]" by the [[Bee Gees]]. The breakfast show remains the most prized slot in the Radio 1 schedule, with every change of breakfast show presenter generating considerable media interest.<ref>{{cite web |title=History – Launch day 1967 |url=http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/radio_1_launch_day.htm |publisher=Radio Rewind |date=30 September 1967 |access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref>

The initial rota of staff included [[John Peel]], [[Pete Myers (radio broadcaster)|Pete Myers]], and a gaggle of others, some transferred from pirate stations, such as [[Keith Skues]], [[Ed Stewart]], [[Mike Raven]], [[David Ryder (radio presenter)|David Ryder]], [[Jim Fisher (DJ)|Jim Fisher]], [[Jimmy Young (broadcaster)|Jimmy Young]], [[Dave Cash (DJ)|Dave Cash]], Kenny Everett, [[Simon Dee]], [[Terry Wogan]], [[Duncan Johnson (DJ)|Duncan Johnson]], Doug Crawford, [[Tommy Vance]], [[Chris Denning]], and [[Emperor Rosko]]. Many of the most popular pirate radio voices, such as Simon Dee, had only a one-hour slot per week ("Midday Spin").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/original_presenter_list.htm|title=BBC Radio 1 History – Original Presenters|publisher=Radio Rewind|date=4 September 1967|access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref>