The Big Top 40

==The Network Chart Show==
===1984–1993===
Presented by David 'Kid' Jenson, the Network Chart Show launched across Independent Local Radio in the UK on 30 September 1984, sponsored by Nescafe. A change of sponsor, presenter (Neil 'Dr' Fox) and programme maker (the original show was produced by Capital Radio whilst the new show was made by Unique Broadcasting) saw a change in name which commenced on August 1, 1993.
==The Pepsi Network Chart Show/The Pepsi Chart==
===1993–????===
===????–1997===
===1997–????===
===????–2003===
The last chart was broadcast on December 29, 2002. Pepsi withdrew their sponsorship and the following week, saw two rival commercial radio chart shows - The Hit 40 UK & the Emap produced Smash Hits Chart.
==Smash Hits Chart==
===2003–2007===
This show was produced in-house by Emap and broadcast from its Kiss studios in London. It was broadcast on all the local Emap FM stations in the North of England, the Kiss service in London, The Hits & Smash Hits DAB services (which were also on Freeview) and on Wave 105 in the Solent area. It was also carried on other local/regional networks including GMG's Real Radio services & GWR's FM local services. Within a year, the Real Radio stations had ditched the Smash Hits Chart.
Two years after its initial launch (2005), GWR had merged with Capital Radio with the former GWR stations switching to the rival Hit 40 UK chart massively reducing the shows potential listener numbers.
Emap eventually conceded defeat in 2007 and switched to the Hit 40 UK programme.
==Hit 40 UK==
===2003–2008===
The former Pepsi Chart was rebranded as the Hit 40 UK. The show had a new sponsor in Woolworths (sales from their stores formed part of the chart). The show was a joint venture between Capital Radio Group & Chrysalis Radio and produced by Somethin' Else productions. There would be other show sponsors after Woolworths went bust.
The programme was carried on all Capital local/regional stations along with Chrysalis' Galaxy & Heart services, along with the Local Radio Company's network of stations.
Global Radio started producing the show in-house from 2007.
===2008–2009===
The last radio broadcast as the Hit 40 UK was on June 14, 2009. It was replaced by The Big Top 40 Show although the TV version still aired on 4 Music, The Box & Smash Hits before it was renamed UK Hot 40.
==The Big Top 40==
===2009–2010===
The Big Top 40 Show, produced by Global, brought together some of the UK's largest commercial radio networks such as The Hit Music Network, Galaxy (both now Capital), Heart, Bauer's Big City Network, Real Radio and local stations owned by Lincs FM Group, The Local Radio Company, UKRD, UTV and Town & Country Broadcasting amongst others. 
It claimed to be "the world's first real-time chart show" with a top 10 based entirely on iTunes downloads. Listeners were encouraged to "change the chart" by downloading music during the show before 6pm when the live chart was frozen ("lockdown") before being counted down on-air before 7pm.
===2010–2011===
In 2010, the show was renamed The Vodafone Freebees Big Top 40 as part of a 12-month sponsorship deal to promote rewards for Pay As You Go customers each time they top up. A year later, upon renewal, it became “The Vodafone Big Top 40” - and the deal would then be continually renewed until 2018.
===2011–2015===
===2015–2017===
===2017–2018===
In 2017, the real-time iTunes top 10 format was dropped as downloads declined and music streaming had become dominant. The show was renamed The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 and reverted to a traditional countdown of 40-1 being a mix of downloads, streaming and airplay data from participating radio stations.
===2019–2022===
In September 2018, Bauer announced that their Hits Radio Network (the third-largest network for the show's reach) would drop the programme when its contract expired at the end of the year in favour of its own countdown produced in-house. This led to Global withdrawing it from the rest of the network leaving it exclusively on their own Capital & Heart networks. Vodafone consequently withdrew their sponsorship.
===2022–present===
In March 2022, the show gained a new sponsor and was renamed The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40.
===2023–present===
An Advertising Standards Authority ruling in October 2022, following a complaint from The Official UK Charts Company, required Global "not to mislead by suggesting that their music chart was the official chart" and to make clear if use of the word "official" was intended to mean the authentic version of Global’s specific chart. The addition of "from Global" in its new logo reflects this.
Category:Syndicated radio programs
Category:Radio programmes in the United Kingdom
Category:Chart Shows
Category:Pepsi