1973 in British radio

This is a list of events in British radio during 1973.

Events

Test transmissions for the London music and entertainment Independent Local Radio licence using the VHF frequency 95.8 MHz for FM from the Croydon transmitter and the MW frequency 557 kHz for AM from London Transport's Lots Road Power Station, Chelsea, begin. The location of the medium-wave transmitter and the frequency used are only temporary until a new high-powered medium-wave station at Saffron Green, Barnet, is completed. These tests commence a month prior to the IBA awarding the licence to Capital Radio.

8 April – Kenny Everett briefly returns to BBC Radio 1 before moving to Capital Radio later in the year.
9 April – The first edition of daily arts review programme Kaleidoscope is broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

1 June – Tony Blackburn presents his final Breakfast Show for Radio 1, having fronted the show since the station went on air in 1967.
4 June
* Noel Edmonds succeeds Tony Blackburn as host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
* Tony Blackburn moves to the mid-morning slot and one of the new features of his show is an hour of records that charted in the same year. The feature is called The Golden Hour.
29 June – Programmes For Schools are broadcast on all Radio 4 frequencies for the final time. From next term they are aired only on VHF.

2 July – Woman's Hour is transferred from BBC Radio 2 to BBC Radio 4.
13 July – Actor James Beck participates in the recording of two episodes of the first series of BBC Radio 4's adaptation of the sitcom Dad's Army as Private Walker for broadcast in 1974. The following day, he is taken ill, dying three weeks later.
23 July – The very first Radio 1 Roadshow takes place. It comes from Newquay, Cornwall and is hosted by Alan Freeman.

8 October
* LBC becomes the first legal Independent Local Radio station in the United Kingdom when it begins broadcasting at just before 6am, providing talk radio to the London area.
* At 6am, the very first Independent Radio News bulletin is broadcast.
16 October – Capital Radio begins broadcasting a music-based general entertainment service to the London area.

23 December – I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again airs its last episode.
31 December
* Radio Clyde, the first independent local radio station outside London, and the first in Scotland, begins broadcasting to the Glasgow area.
* The first edition of Good Morning Scotland is broadcast. It replaces Today in Scotland which had been aired as an opt-out of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.