BBC Radio 2

Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in Broadcasting House. Programmes are also relayed on DAB, Sky Television, Cable TV, Freeview and the Internet.

The station started at 7am on September 30, 1967, and succeeded the Light Programme. Until the mid-1990s it was mainly known for playing middle of the road music, but under controller James Moir, more contemporary records were added to the playlist and the old easy listening style was phased out. Today Radio 2 is the most listened to radio station in the UK, with its schedule filled with top name presenters like Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Jonathan Ross and Michael Parkinson. It has a demographic of adult listeners and tends to play music from the 1980s and 1990s as well as contemporary chart and indie music.

Whilst being adult orientated, it does not broadcast complete works of classical music, the domain of Radio 3, or offer in depth discussion, or drama, the job of Radio 4. It does however carry some half-hour comedy shows. The station does offer many musical documentaries and celebrity interviews and, up until the advent of Radio Five Live, was the BBC's main radio outlet for sports coverage (before becoming Five Live, Radio 5 was originally created by splitting off Radio 2's mediumwave frequencies, leaving Radio 2 on FM only).

Being a BBC station, it is funded by the television licence fee, and does not broadcast commercials.

BBC Radio 2's last closedown was at 0202 GMT on 27 January, 1979. Sarah Kennedy (who, following the fading of her 1980s television career, has been a daily early morning presenter on Radio 2 since 1993) was at the Newsdesk after Brian Newman finished the "Round Midnight" programme. From 0200-0500 GMT the following night onwards, late night listeners could listen to "You and the Night and the Music".

See also: List of BBC radio stations