1968 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 1968.

Events

4 February – BBC Radio Nottingham broadcasts the UK's first ever radio phone-in, What Are They Up To Now, hosted by Tony Church.
18 July – The BBC Proms season opens for the first time on a Friday evening, with a tribute to the late Sir Malcolm Sargent.
21 August – Protests are heard at tonight's BBC Proms concert by the USSR Symphony Orchestra against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Station debuts

31 January – BBC Radio Nottingham
14 February – BBC Radio Brighton
14 March – BBC Radio Stoke
24 June – BBC Radio Leeds
3 July – BBC Radio Durham

Programme debuts

Undated – The Living World on BBC Radio 4
14 January – Brain of Britain on BBC Radio 2
October – Helo Sut Dach Chi? presented by Hywel Gwynfryn on BBC Wales, the first Welsh-language pop radio programme
11 October – Follow This Space on BBC Radio 4

Continuing radio programmes

1940s

Sunday Half Hour Desert Island Discs Family Favourites Down Your Way Letter from America Woman's Hour Twenty Questions Any Questions? The Dales

''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 In Touch The Men from the Ministry I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again Petticoat Line The World at One The Official Chart

''Just a Minute''

Ending this year

9 June – Round the Horne
11 June – The Embassy Lark
July – ''Billy Cotton Band Show''

Births

15 January – Alex Lowe, actor, comedian and voice artist
16 May – Stephen Mangan, actor and presenter
2 June – John Culshaw, comic actor and impressionist
15 June – Samira Ahmed, arts journalist and broadcaster
20 July – Julian Rhind-Tutt, actor
2 October – Victoria Derbyshire, presenter
18 October – Rhod Gilbert, Welsh comedian and presenter
Sonita Alleyne, media production company executive and college principal
Chris Neill, comedy producer and performer
Approximate date – Christopher Green, comedy writer-performer

Deaths

10 February – Mary O'Farrell, actress
24 June – Tony Hancock, comedian, suicide, in Australia
2 August – Beresford Clark, overseas broadcasting executive