Radio Times
Created | Updated Mar 13, 2004
The Radio Times is the oldest and best loved TV and Radio listings magazine here in the UK. It has been around since September 1923, and is welcomed in to millions of homes every week.
In the 1960's, it was joined by the TV Times, which is now well established. Since the 1990's there has also been What's on TV, TV Quick, TV & Satellite Week, TV Choice, and since September 2003, Total TV Guide. There was also TV Plus and "Film and TV Week", but these did not survive and disappeared after only a few weeks.
I have a collection of old Radio Times's (together with TV Times's and other listing magazines) It contains about 400 issues, and most in mint condition - going back to, and including an original copy of the first edition, Volume 1 Number 1, from September 1923. This edition had emblazened on the front cover, the words "Hullo, What's in the air?"
My collection includes quite a few Christmas issues, together with, among others, issues for World Cups, Olympics, the Coronation in 1953, Royal Weddings, and other major occasions. I also have first and final editions of other publications.
There are presently ten different regional editions of Radio Times published weekly in the UK. They are for London, South, South West, West/Wales, Midlands, East Anglia, Yorkshire/North East, North West, Northern Ireland and Border/Scotland. When I was younger, I used to like looking at two more or regional editions from the same week, turning the pages in synchronisation, and comparing the differences.
With the growth of the internet, digital television and Electronic on-screen programme guides, it is going to be an interesting future for Radio Times.
The official Radio Times web site is on http://www.radiotimes.com
In the 1960's, it was joined by the TV Times, which is now well established. Since the 1990's there has also been What's on TV, TV Quick, TV & Satellite Week, TV Choice, and since September 2003, Total TV Guide. There was also TV Plus and "Film and TV Week", but these did not survive and disappeared after only a few weeks.
I have a collection of old Radio Times's (together with TV Times's and other listing magazines) It contains about 400 issues, and most in mint condition - going back to, and including an original copy of the first edition, Volume 1 Number 1, from September 1923. This edition had emblazened on the front cover, the words "Hullo, What's in the air?"
My collection includes quite a few Christmas issues, together with, among others, issues for World Cups, Olympics, the Coronation in 1953, Royal Weddings, and other major occasions. I also have first and final editions of other publications.
There are presently ten different regional editions of Radio Times published weekly in the UK. They are for London, South, South West, West/Wales, Midlands, East Anglia, Yorkshire/North East, North West, Northern Ireland and Border/Scotland. When I was younger, I used to like looking at two more or regional editions from the same week, turning the pages in synchronisation, and comparing the differences.
With the growth of the internet, digital television and Electronic on-screen programme guides, it is going to be an interesting future for Radio Times.
The official Radio Times web site is on http://www.radiotimes.com
