BBC Third Programme: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:29, 20 October 2020

Revision as of 22:40, 25 October 2020

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==History==

===Description===

When it started in 1946, the Third Programme broadcast for six hours each evening from 6.00pm to midnight, although its output was cut to just 24 hours a week from October 1957, with the early part of weekday evenings being given over to educational programming (known as "Network Three"). The frequencies were also used during daytime hours to broadcast complete ball-by-ball commentary on [[testTest matchcricket|test match cricket]], under the title ''Test Match Special''.

This situation continued until the launch on 22 March 1965, of the BBC Music Programme, which began regular daily broadcasts of [[classical music]] (with some interruptions for live sports coverage) on the Network Three/Third Programme frequencies between 7.00am and 6.30pm on weekdays, 8.00am and 12.30pm on Saturdays, and 8.00am and 5.00pm on Sundays. The Third Programme continued as a distinct evening service, and this continued to be the case for a short while after the inception of [[BBC Radio 3|Radio 3]] in 1967, before all the elements of the BBC's "third network" were finally absorbed into Radio 3 with rebranding effect from Saturday 4 April 1970.