Tony Blackburn is returning to BBC Radio 1 to mark 50 years since the station launched.
The schedule includes former Radio 1 DJs Noel Edmonds, John Peel, Kenny Everett, Alan Freeman, Mike Read, Zoe Ball, Chris Moyles and others.
The station says the schedule will celebrate the role it has played in music, entertainment and popular culture since 1967. As well as hour-long programmes featuring the DJs, there will also be shows dedicated to Radio 1 Roadshows, Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Radio 1’s Official Chart, Newsbeat, 1990s Comedy Shows and Epic Documentary Series.
From 6.55am on Saturday the station’s first show will be recreated by Tony Blackburn. The live re-creation will include Flowers In The Rain by The Move, famously the first song ever played on Radio 1. The programme will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 as part of Sounds of the Sixties.
From 8.30am Nick Grimshaw will join Tony Blackburn for a ‘triplecast’ on Radio 1, Radio 1 Vintage and Radio 2. Their co-hosted programme will feature archive content, hit records and previous Radio 1 DJs as guests.
“Radio 1 is the only station I’ve loyally listened to my whole life,” said Nick Grimshaw, the current host of the breakfast show.
“From John Peel playing punk on night times and Sara Cox playing Missy on breakfast it was key in forming my musical education. I can’t wait to celebrate 50 years with the legend that is Tony Blackburn!”
The last hour on the pop-up station will focus on John Peel, the longest serving of the original Radio 1 DJs.
As well as the vintage themed station, Radio 1 has been celebrating its birthday with Live Lounge Month. Jay-Z, The Foo Fighters and The Killers have already performed covers and their own material this September.
BBC Radio 1 was launched in response to offshore pirate radio stations in 1967. Before 1964 there were no top-40 or commercial radio stations in the UK. The Marine Broadcasting Offences Act become law in August 1967 and BBC Radio 1 launched several weeks later, with many former pirate radio DJs hosting programmes.
“Launching Radio 1 on 30 September 1967 is, undoubtedly, the highlight of my career,” says Tony Blackburn.
“Having worked on the great Pirate radio ships, Caroline and London, being the first DJ on Radio 1 I saw first-hand the impact that the stations had on the British public. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when the BBC would only play 45 minutes of popular music per day and we, as teenagers, had to wait until 7pm in the evening for Radio Luxembourg to come on, and play the music we wanted to hear.”
Radio 1 Vintage will be available on DAB Digital Radio from Saturday 30th September. It will also be available online and in the BBC iPlayer Radio and UK Radioplayer apps.