This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2020) |
Country | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Broadcasting House, London, England |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Ownership | |
Owner | BBC |
History | |
Launch date | 9 March 1930 |
Replaced | 5XX |
Closed | 31 August 1939 |
Replaced by | BBC Home Service |
Coverage | |
Transmitters | Droitwich 200 kHz Brookmans Park 1149 kHz Moorside Edge 1149 kHz Westerglen 1149 kHz |
The BBC National Programme was a radio service which was on the air from 9 March 1930 – replacing the earlier BBC's experimental station 5XX – until 1 September 1939 when it was subsumed into the BBC Home Service, two days before the outbreak of World War II.
Both the National Programme and the Regional Programme provided a mixed mainstream radio service. Whilst the two services provided different programming, allowing listeners a choice they were not streamed to appeal to different audiences, rather they were intended to offer a choice of programming to a single audience. While using the same transmitters, the National Programme broadcast significantly more speech and classical music than its successor, the BBC Light Programme. Similarly, the Regional Programme broadcast much more light and dance music than its successor, the Home Service.