All BBC national radio stations change their medium or long wave transmission wavelength as part of a plan for BBC AM broadcasting in order to improve national AM reception, and to conform with the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975.[4]Radio 1's transmission wavelength is moved from 247m (1214 kHz) to 275 & 285m (1089 & 1053 kHz) medium wave.[5]Radio 2's wavelength is moved from 1500m (200 kHz) long wave to 433 & 330m (693 & 909 kHz) medium wave. Radio 3 is moved from 464m (647 kHz) to 247m (1215 kHz) medium wave. Radio 4 is moved from various medium wavelengths to 1500m (200 kHz) long wave.
Due to Radio 4's transfer from medium wave to long wave, BBC Radio Scotland launches as full-time stations on Radio 4's former Scottish medium wave opt-out wavelengths of 370m (810 kHz), albeit initially with very limited broadcast hours due to very limited coverage of Radio 4 on FM in both[clarification needed] countries.
1979
5 October – The Scottish Gaelic service BBC Radio nan Eilean launches, broadcasting to north west Scotland from Stornoway.
1980s
1980
17 October – Radio Tay begins broadcasting to the Dundee area.
14 November – Radio Tay begins broadcasting to the Perth area.
1 October – BBC Radio nan Gàidheal launches as the BBC's first full-time Gaelic language station.
1986
No events.
1987
No events.
1988
12 August – Radio Clyde launches a weekend-only chart music on FM, with the full Radio Clyde service continuing on MW.
1 September – Radio 1 begins broadcasting on FM across central Scotland.
1989
19 December – BBC Radio 1 starts transmitting on FM in southern Scotland.[7]
1990s
1990
3 January – Radio Clyde splits on a permanent basis with the full time launch of its classic hits service on MW. The FM station, Clyde 1, relaunched as a contemporary hit music station.
22 January – Radio Borders begins broadcasting across the Scottish Border region.
21 May – South West Sound begins broadcasting across Dumfries and Galloway.
19 August – BBC Radio 1 broadcasts its first split programming when it introduces weekly national new music shows for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Session in Scotland is presented by Gill Mills and Vic Galloway.
15 November – Britain's first national commercial DAB digital radio multiplex, Digital One, goes on air to England, and parts of Scotland and Wales.
19 November – Beat 106 begins broadcasting a new music service across the Scottish central belt.
2000s
2000
The two Radio Forth stations are relaunched as 97.3 Forth One and 1548 FORTH2. Many changes occurred at this time, including new presenters and revamped station sounds. Forth 2 is redesigned as an adult contemporary music station while Forth One continues to play chart and contemporary music for under 35s.
29 January – Bauer completes its purchase of Emap's radio, television and consumer media businesses for £1.14 bn.[10]
8 August – Thomas Quirk, the former managing director of Saga 105.2 FM (the predecessor to 105.2 Smooth Radio in Glasgow) criticises parent company GMG Radio's decision to sack six local Scottish presenters in favour of increased networking of shows from Smooth stations in London and Manchester. The station had operated a 24-hour schedule of local programming until August 2008.[11]
8 November – XFM Scotland returns to a dance and r&b format when it is relaunched as Galaxy Scotland.[12]
23 December – Edinburgh station Talk 107 closes after two years on air.
1 July – Bauer's Scottish MW stations start to receive a networked breakfast show from Glasgow presented by Robin Galloway. Consequently, there is now no local programming on any of these stations.[17]
September – The specialist output on MFR ends and is replaced by networked content from Bauer's 'Greatest Hits Network' of Scottish AM stations.
16 November – The Superstation Orkney closes due to a lack of public funding and dwindling advertising revenue.[20]
2015
5 January – Bauer creates a national Scotland network for its AM stations called The Greatest Hits Network) with some peak time opt-outs.
13 September – Global hands back the Paisley licence, on which it had broadcast XFM Scotland, to Ofcom when the regulator refused Global's request to network Radio X 24/7 from London.
2016
29 February – The UK's second national commercial multiplex starts broadcasting. However, only 73% of the UK's population is able to receive it.
2017
No events.
2018
3 April – Aberdeen station Northsound 2 stops broadcasting on MW. The station continues to broadcast on DAB and online. It becomes the first commercial radio station in Scotland – and the first of Bauer's local stations – to cease analogue broadcasting.[21]
15 May – Sound Digital announces that it will add 19 transmitters to its network. They will launch in the South West, East Anglia, Wales and North of Scotland and will increase Sound Digital's coverage by nearly 4 million new listeners in more than 1.6m new households.[22]
15 August – NECR closes after 28 years on air.[23]
1 April – Your Radio closes and the frequency begins transmitting Nation Radio Scotland.
2021
1 November – Argyll FM launches its Internet radio service, the last radio station operating on a commercial licence in the UK to do so. Consequently, all commercial radio stations in the country are now available online.[24]
2022
11 July – The Edinburgh small-scale DAB multiplex goes live.[25]
17 August – The Glasgow small-scale DAB multiplex begins broadcasting.[26]
2023
3 April – Bauer Radio rebrands Clyde 2, Forth 2, MFR 2, Northsound 2, Tay 2, West Sound in Ayrshire, and West Sound in Dumfries & Galloway, and Radio Borders as Greatest Hits Radio, bringing its Scottish stations under the Greatest Hits banner alongside those in England and Wales.[27][28]
11 December – Bauer shuts down all of its remaining MW Greatest Hits Radio transmissions.[29]
