BBC National Programme

BBC National Programme
A photograph of Broadcasting House showing the art deco styling of the main facade was made from Portland stone.
The National Programme headquarters was at Broadcasting House in London.
Country
HeadquartersBroadcasting House, London, England
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerBBC
History
Launch date9 March 1930; 94 years ago (1930-03-09)
Replaced5XX
Closed31 August 1939; 85 years ago (1939-08-31)
Replaced byBBC Home Service
Coverage
TransmittersDroitwich 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.