29 Facts About Radio Times

Radio Times is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items.

Radio Times was first issued on 28 September 1923 for the price of 2d, carrying details of programmes for six BBC wireless stations; newspapers at the time boycotted radio listings fearing that increased listenership might decrease their sales.

The Radio Times established a reputation for using leading writers and illustrators, and the covers from the special editions are now collectable design classics.

On 1 May 1927, The Radio Times produced an experimental Braille edition under the auspices of the National Institute for the Blind with its success led to a regular weekly Braille version publication costing one penny.

From 5 January 1934, the three-column programme pages were expanded to include a fourth column with the BBC's television programmes given a new section layout, and The Radio Times announced a regular series of "experimental television transmissions by the Baird process" for half an hour every night at 11.

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Thus, Radio Times became the first-ever television listings magazine in the world.

Radio Times expanded with regional editions introduced from 29 July 1945, and television resumed on 7 June 1946.

On 4 August 1962, when Radio Times was again revamped, the masthead was replaced with one incorporating the words in the Clarendon typeface; while the main change was the reduction of BBC radio schedules for three stations to a double-page spread brought down into size, the magazine now generally had between 60 and 68 pages, as compared to the relaunched format from two years earlier, which contained only 52 pages.

From 30 September 1967, Radio Times introduced the all-new colour pages of the magazine's feature sections, including "star stories", Percy Thrower's gardening, Zena Skinner's cookery, Bill Hartley's motoring and Jeffery Boswall's birdwatching, as well as 'Round and About' with up-to-the-minute stories in both television and radio from around the world.

On 6 September 1969, Radio Times was given another radical makeover, as they switched the date format from 'month-day-year' to 'day-month-year' and ceased carrying cigarette advertisements after 46 years.

On 30 August 1980, Radio Times developed a new double-page spread of Robert Ottaway's highlights from the week ahead, often used for both BBC radio and television programmes.

On 5 September 1987, Radio Times introduces an innovative title called 'Upfront This Week' devoting the first three pages of illustrated snippets to provide the latest programme highlights from all BBC television and radio networks.

On 19 November 1988, Radio Times launched a new weekly back page section called 'My Kind of Day', which was devoted to the latest star interviews with various special guests.

On 16 February 1991, the deregulation of television listings began, and Radio Times started to cover all services that include ITV, Channel 4 and satellite networks, an alphabetical list of the commercial radio stations available with the frequency and a two or three-word summary of that station's output which was added to the local radio page.

Radio Times design was refreshed on 3 September 1994, the television listings now had the day's name written vertically, beginning with the daytime section including 'today's choices', followed by the main evening's schedules in an original four-column grid, as well as the highlights section (now occupying the far left page within the satellite listings), and the movie planner is on the right page.

The special NTL edition of Radio Times replaced the monthly Cable Guide magazine and contained programme information for NTL channels, including all terrestrial services; Front Row's pay-per-view movies and events were included.

In 1934, Radio Times achieved a circulation of two million and its net profit in that year was more than one quarter of the total BBC licence income.

Radio Times has not been promoted on BBC television and radio channels since 2005, following complaints by rival publications that the promotions were unfair competition.

On 11 January 2005, Radio Times published the third 'Most Powerful People in TV Comedy' list, which was topped by the comedy duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams for their sketch show Little Britain, which the magazine called "inspired".

On 8 May 2010, Ross kept a copy of the issue of Radio Times naming him the most powerful person in radio in his office, next to a caricature of himself falling down a sewer from The Beanos Dennis the Menace and Gnasher comic strip.

Each year, Radio Times celebrates those individuals and programmes that are featured at the Covers Party, where framed oversized versions of the covers are presented.

Radio Times had several sporting events with more than one of the Home Nations taking part are often marked with different covers for each nation, showing their own team.

In recent years, Radio Times has published and sold packs of reproductions of some of the Christmas covers of the magazine as Christmas cards.

Radio Times Extra is a means of extending advertising into the medium of digital programme guides provided by Inview Technology, it offers full schedule listings and synopses forward 14 days, as well as editorialised selections such as 'pick of the day'.

From 10 October 1926, the two separate regions – 'Northern' and 'Southern' – were published before Radio Times reverted to one edition and covering all the local stations on 7 January 1934:.

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From 1 March 1991, Radio Times started carrying ITV and Channel 4 listings to begin they cover the 14 regional editions across the country:.

Radio Times website was launched in June 1997, primarily as a listings service.

On 28 September 2020, Radio Times launched its online puzzle site filled with hundreds of brainteasers from their extensive archive; the puzzle pages have been popular with readers ever since the crossword appeared in the magazine on 15 January 1933, and they later expanded the puzzles to three pages every week, with some traditional favourites from television and radio such as Eggheads, Only Connect, Pointless, Channel 4's Countdown and BBC Radio 2's PopMaster.

On 8 September 2021, Radio Times introduces the 40-minute podcast show hosted by Jane Garvey and Rhianna Dhillon, which include interviews with some of the biggest names on television to hear the stories behind the programmes as well as recommendations for must-see shows coming up in the week ahead.