1963 in British radio

This is a list of events from British radio in 1963.

Events

6 January – Alan Freeman takes over as presenter of Pick of the Pops; he remains with the programme until the BBC ceases to broadcast it in 1972, and then with revivals.
19 February – Actress Ellis Powell is dismissed from the leading role of Mrs Dale in the BBC Light Programme soap opera The Dales, which she has played since the first episode as Mrs Dale's Diary in 1948, and it is given to former musical actress Jessie Matthews; Powell dies 3 months later aged 57.
30 July – Mahler's Second Symphony gets its first performance at the BBC Proms, and proves so popular that conductor Leopold Stokowski and the London Symphony Orchestra repeat the whole of the final movement as an encore.
29 September–December – Don Moss joins Alan Freeman to host Pick of the Pops.
23 November – 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of the British Forces Broadcasting Service.
Martin Esslin is appointed Head of Radio Drama at the BBC, a position he holds until 1977.
Richard Imison is appointed Script Editor for BBC Radio Drama, a position he holds until 1991.

Programme debuts

4 June – Pop Go The Beatles on the BBC Light Programme

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

Music While You Work Sunday Half Hour Desert Island Discs Family Favourites Down Your Way Have A Go Housewives' Choice Letter from America Woman's Hour Twenty Questions Any Questions? The Dales Billy Cotton Band Show

''A Book at Bedtime''

1950s

The Archers Listen with Mother From Our Own Correspondent Pick of the Pops The Clitheroe Kid My Word! Test Match Special The Today Programme The Navy Lark Sing Something Simple

''Your Hundred Best Tunes''

1960s

Farming Today Easy Beat In Touch

''The Men from the Ministry''

Births

6 January – Julian Worricker, radio and television journalist
14 January – Adjoa Andoh, film, television, stage and radio actress
4 April – Graham Norton, Irish actor, comedian, television presenter, columnist and broadcaster
2 May – Esther Freud, novelist and broadcaster
19 May – Michael Symmons Roberts, poet and radio dramatist
20 May – Jenny Funnell, radio and television actress
26 May – Simon Armitage, poet laureate and broadcaster
June – Philip Middlemiss, radio and television actor
7 June – Lesley Douglas, BBC radio executive, Controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music from 2004–2008
2 July – Mark Kermode, film critic
30 October – Wendy Robbins, radio and television presenter and producer
3 November – Ian Wright, footballer and radio and television presenter
28 November – Armando Iannucci, Scottish broadcast and film writer-producer and presenter
Unknown
*Shola Adewusi, stage, screen and radio actress
*Lynn Bowles, BBC Radio 2 travel presenter
*Jeremy Rees, radio presenter

Deaths

10 March – Lindley Fraser, Scottish-born academic economist and broadcaster
18 March – Peter Eckersley, pioneering radio engineer
10 May – Stanley Maxted, war reporter and actor