05-09-2015, 06:13 PM
(04-09-2015, 09:10 PM)Old Sparky Wrote: All I can recall is that, in the 1950s, the Light Programme didn't start broadcasting until 9.00AM, but at some time the daily start time was brought forward to, I think, 6.00AM, but I'm not sure whether the sound of Bow Bells was used or not.
Yes, that was generally the case, though there were occasional earlier programmes, according to the BBC's Genome Project.
From Monday, 27th September, 1958, there was a news summary at 6:30am followed by Morning Music at 6:33. That was the pattern from then on, Monday to Saturday, with Sunday programmes continuing to start at 9:00am. I checked all days in September, November and December in 1958, and a few in each month of 1959, where the same pattern was continued.
In the film This Is The BBC (by Richard Cawston, 1959), there is a passage showing the Light Programme starting up, with Oranges and Lemons, the chimes of Big Ben and the News Summary.
Regards,
Dave.
