2005 in British radio

January • 17 January – 268 radio stations, including national stations Classic FM and Virgin Radio, join together to broadcast UK Radio Aid, a twelve-hour event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. February • No events March • No events April • No events May • 23 May – As BBC staff stage a one-day strike over announced job cuts, Terry Wogan crosses the picket line to present his show. June • 5–10 June – BBC Radio 3 clears its airwaves for almost an entire week to broadcast the music of a single composer – Ludwig van Beethoven. This is followed up at the end of the year with ten days of non-stop Johann Sebastian Bach which is broadcast in the run-up to Christmas. • 21 June – Emap buys Scottish Radio Holdings. July • 7 July – 7 July 2005 London bombings: Four terrorist suicide bombings strike London's public transport system during the morning rush hour (killing 56), receiving extensive media coverage. The BBC sticks with initial reports of a power surge on the London Underground until actual events can be corroborated. • 25 July – London's 102.2 Smooth FM signs a three-year deal with Chelsea F.C. to provide exclusive match coverage of the club's games until the end of the 2007–08 season. August • No events September • 8–12 September – BBC Radio 5 Live devotes its daytime schedule to broadcast extensive live coverage of the deciding Ashes cricket match. October • c. 18 October – Pirate radio stations broadcasting to the Handsworth and Lozells districts of Birmingham, most notably Hot 92, discuss an alleged rape, a contributory factor in the 2005 Birmingham riots. • 31 October – Actress Mary Wimbush dies, aged 81, at The Mailbox studios of BBC Birmingham shortly after completing work on a recording session for The Archers. November • 25 November – The UK's first Islamic radio station, Islam Radio, is established in Bradford, West Yorkshire. December • No events ==Station debuts==

• 21 February – Chill • 7 June – 102.2 Smooth Radio • 3 October – KMFM Ashford • 1 November – Aston FM • 25 November – Islam Radio • 5 December – 102.6 & 106.8 Durham FM ==Programme debuts==

• 7 January – ''Ed Reardon's Week'' on BBC Radio 4 (2005–Present) • 4 August – The Ape That Got Lucky on BBC Radio 4 (4–25 August 2005) • 15 September – Another Case of Milton Jones on BBC Radio 4 (2005–2010) • 3 October – The Dream Ticket with Nemone on BBC 6 Music (2005–2006) ==Continuing radio programmes==

1940s • Sunday Half Hour (1940–2018) • Desert Island Discs (1942–Present) • ''Woman's Hour'' (1946–Present) • A Book at Bedtime (1949–Present) 1950s • The Archers (1950–Present) • The Today Programme (1957–Present) • Your Hundred Best Tunes (1959–2007) 1960s • Farming Today (1960–Present) • In Touch (1961–Present) • The World at One (1965–Present) • The Official Chart (1967–Present) • Just a Minute (1967–Present) • The Living World (1968–Present) • The Organist Entertains (1969–2018) 1970s • PM (1970–Present) • Start the Week (1970–Present) • You and Yours (1970–Present) • ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' (1972–Present) • Good Morning Scotland (1973–Present) • Newsbeat (1973–Present) • File on 4 (1977–Present) • Money Box (1977–Present) • The News Quiz (1977–Present) • Feedback (1979–Present) • The Food Programme (1979–Present) • Science in Action (1979–Present) 1980s • Steve Wright in the Afternoon (1981–1993, 1999–2022) • In Business (1983–Present) • Sounds of the 60s (1983–Present) • Loose Ends (1986–Present) 1990s • The Moral Maze (1990–Present) • Essential Selection (1991–Present) • No Commitments (1992–2007) • Wake Up to Wogan (1993–2009) • Essential Mix (1993–Present) • Up All Night (1994–Present) • Wake Up to Money (1994–Present) • Private Passions (1995–Present) • ''Parkinson's Sunday Supplement'' (1996–2007) • The David Jacobs Collection (1996–2013) • Drivetime with Johnnie Walker (1998–2006) • Sunday Night at 10 (1998–2013) • In Our Time (1998–Present) • Material World (1998–Present) • Scott Mills (1998–2022) • The Now Show (1998–Present) • ''It's Been a Bad Week'' (1999–2006) • Jonathan Ross (1999–2010) 2000s • Dead Ringers (2000–2007, 2014–Present) • BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (2000–Present) • Sounds of the 70s (2000–2008, 2009–Present) • Big John @ Breakfast (2000–Present) • ''Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections'' (2001–2007) • ''Jammin''' (2001–2008) • Go4It (2001–2009) • The Jo Whiley Show (2001–2011) • ''Kermode and Mayo's Film Review'' (2001–2022) • The Big Toe Radio Show (2002–2011) • A Kist o Wurds (2002–Present) • The Day the Music Died (2003–2007) • Fighting Talk (2003–Present) • Jeremy Vine (2003–Present) • ''Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music'' (2004–2006) • ''Trevor's World of Sport'' (2004–2007) • The Chris Moyles Show (2004–2012) • Annie Mac (2004–2021) • Elaine Paige on Sunday (2004–Present) ==Ending this year==

• 18 May – Puzzle Panel (1998–2005) • 29 September – ''Jane Gazzo's Dream Ticket'' (2004–2005) • October – Westway (1997–2005) • 18 October – Think the Unthinkable (2001–2005) • 9 November – Whispers (2003–2005) ==Closing this year==

• 2 January – Cyril Fletcher, 91, comic monologuist • 6 March – Tommy Vance, 63, disc jockey • 19 March – John Ebdon, 81, radio broadcaster, Graecophile, author and director of the London Planetarium • 7 November – Harry Thompson, 45, comedy producer, lung cancer • 19 November – John Timpson, 77, news presenter (Today (BBC Radio 4)) • 20 November – Jonathan James-Moore, 59, former BBC Radio head of light entertainment, cancer • 21 December – Hallam Tennyson, 85, radio producer (great-grandson of Alfred, Lord Tennyson), suspected murder ==References==