BBC Radio 4 closedown, New Year's Eve 1970 with Douglas Smith

This is the BBC Radio 4 closedown for New Year's Eve 1970. It was recorded from Medium Wave, 434 metres, from the 150 kW Moorside Edge transmitter on the Pennine hills. The announcer is Douglas Smith, who is well remembered for his role as a BBC announcer in the comedy shows 'Beyond Our Ken' (1958-64), 'Round The Horne' (1965-68), then following Kenneth Horne's untimely death in 1969, 'Stop Messing About' (1969-70). Sadly, Douglas Smith died in 1972.

In December 1970, on a normal weekday, the late main news was at 11.15pm (first aired in March 1970). There was then a 10 minute music interlude which (since 1967) ended with "Sailing By" (SB was first used in 1967 when the music interlude ran from 11.15 to 11.45pm - until the introduction of the 11.15 late main news in March 1970), The "Sailing By" music interlude was followed at 11.45 by the weather forecast for coastal waters (in later years known as the forecast for inshore waters). Closedown was at 11.48pm with the National Anthem. There was no relay of the BBC World Service following closedown in those days, and the transmitters were usually switched off overnight. Note that the full Shipping Forecast was on Radio 2 on 1500 metres Long Wave. The Shipping Forecast moved to Radio 4 from November 1978 with the transfer of the Long Wave frequency to Radio 4. The late main news on Radio 4 was moved to midnight from April 1978. .

This December 1970 recording was on NY Eve, so things were a little different. There was no "Sailing By" music interlude that evening. At 11.45 a Watchnight service preceded the chimes of Big Ben at midnight. The weather forecast for coastal waters was moved from 11.45 to 12.02, followed by closedown at 12.05am with the National Anthem.

BBC Radio 4 first broadcast on Saturday 30 September 1967. Prior to this date it was the BBC Home Service. Here is a link to the very last Home Service closedown on Friday 29 Sept 1967.
   • The final BBC Home Service closedown,...