# 1966 in British radio

This is a list of events from British radio in 1966.

## Events
### January

* 20 January – Radio Caroline ship MV Mi Amigo loses its anchor in a storm, drifts and runs aground on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea.

### February

* No events

### March

* No events

### April

* 17 April – The first regular stereo radio transmissions begin, from the Wrotham transmitter.

### May

* 3 May – Pirate radio stations Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio commence broadcasting on AM, with a combined potential 100,000 watts, from the same ship (MV Olga Patricia) anchored off the south coast of England in international waters.

### June

* 20 June – Radio City affair: Major Oliver Smedley and a team board Shivering Sands Army Fort off the Kent coast, home of Radio City (pirate radio station) (run by Reginald Calvert), to reposses a transmitter supplied but not paid for. The next day, Calvert visits Smedley's home in Saffron Walden over the issue and is shot dead in a struggle.

### July

* No events

### August

* No events

### September

* 27 September – Irish radio personality Terry Wogan makes his debut on the BBC, broadcasting on the Light Programme.

### October

* 27 October – Welsh writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas makes a notable tribute to the children of Aberfan following the Aberfan disaster of 21 October, broadcast across the UK on the BBC Home Service's Today morning programme.

### November

* No events

### December

* No events

### Unknown

* Britain's first student radio station, the University of Kent's UKC Radio is founded, initially as an audio feed through the radiator system. It airs until 2006.

## Station debuts

* 3 May
** Swinging Radio England (1966)
** Britain Radio (1966–1967)
* 4 June – Radio 270 (1966–1967)
* Autumn – UKC Radio (1966–Present)

## Programme debuts

* 7 January (pilot); 23 April (series run) – Listen to This Space on the BBC Home Service (1966–1967)
* March –The Embassy Lark on the BBC Light Programme (1966–1968)

## Continuing radio programmes
### 1940s

* Music While You Work (1940–1967)
* Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018)
* Desert Island Discs (1942–Present)
* Family Favourites (1945–1980)
* Down Your Way (1946–1992)
* Have A Go (1946–1967)
* Housewives' Choice (1946–1967)
* Letter from America (1946–2004)
* Woman's Hour (1946–Present)
* Twenty Questions (1947–1976)
* Any Questions? (1948–Present)
* The Dales (1948–1969)
* Billy Cotton Band Show (1949–1968)
* A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present)

### 1950s

* The Archers (1950–Present)
* Listen with Mother (1950–1982)
* From Our Own Correspondent (1955–Present)
* Pick of the Pops (1955–Present)
* The Clitheroe Kid (1957–1972)
* My Word! (1957–1988)
* Test Match Special (1957–Present)
* The Today Programme (1957–Present)
* The Navy Lark (1959–1977)
* Sing Something Simple (1959–2001)
* Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007)

### 1960s

* Farming Today (1960–Present)
* Easy Beat (1960–1967)
* In Touch (1961–Present)
* The Men from the Ministry (1962–1977)
* I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (1964–1973)
* Petticoat Line (1965–1979)
* Round the Horne (1965–1968)
* The World at One (1965–Present)

## Births

* 19 January – Henry Naylor, comedy writer, director and performer
* 8 February – Sarah Montague, journalist and broadcast presenter
* 11 March – Paddy O'Connell, broadcast presenter
* 1 April – Chris Evans, disc jockey and television presenter
* 12 July – Tamsin Greig, actress
* 25 August – Tracy-Ann Oberman, actress
* 31 August – Alice Oswald, BBC Radio 4 poet in residence
* 9 September – Nikki Bedi, née Moolgaoker, broadcast presenter
* 15 September – Claire Sturgess, disc jockey and voiceover artist
* 26 October – Judge Jules (Julius O'Riordan), dance music DJ and producer
* 30 November – Andy Parsons, comedian
* 31 December – Carlos (Carl Emms), disc jockey
* Jamie Crick, radio music presenter (died 2023)
* Daljit Nagra, BBC Radio 4 poet in residence
* Alan Smith, radio news presenter

## Deaths

* 11 April – A. B. Campbell, naval officer and broadcaster (born 1881)
* 2 June – Stephen King-Hall, naval officer, politician and broadcaster (born 1893)
* 21 July – A. G. Street, broadcaster on country matters (born 1892)
* 2 December – Giles Cooper, broadcast dramatist (born 1918)