Event at Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum helps celebrate the 50th anniversary of Radio 1, 2, 3, and 4

The venue played host to ‘Radio Reinvented’, a special free event held in partnership with the BBC and media historians at the University of Sussex to celebrate 50 years of Radio 1, 2, 3, and 4, which began broadcasting in 1967.

The event explored the role of the radio in people’s lives, looking at the technology that put favourite voices and music on the air and the personalities who made it all happen behind the scenes. Staff at the museum offered tours of exclusive collections featuring gems from the BBC Heritage Collection, including the ‘Big Ben’ microphone that used to broadcast the chimes every day and a selection of old radios from yesteryear.

Elinor Groom, curator of television and broadcast, described the event as a “must for any radio lover”, adding that it was “ full of behind-the-scenes glimpses into the wonderful world of BBC radio broadcasting.”