BBC radio programme breakdown 1927-1930
percentage of total broadcast time, one week in October
Total hours broadcast
1927: 77 hours 35 minutes
1928: 80 hours 00 minutes
1929: 78 hours 55 minutes
1930:
National Programme: 78 hours
Regional Programme: 68 hours
| |
1927 |
1928 |
1929 |
1930 |
| |
|
|
|
National
Programme |
Regional
Programme |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
| classical music |
15.79 |
19.40 |
19.32 |
14.69 |
20.01 |
| opera (whole or part, not excerpts) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
6.22 |
| orchestral (with soloists) |
10.10 |
5.63 |
7.38 |
7.45 |
6.59 |
| chamber music |
0.64 |
3.13 |
3.27 |
— |
1.83 |
| instrumental recitals |
4.73 |
5.94 |
4.12 |
2.98 |
5.37 |
| song recitals |
0.32 |
1.15 |
0.95 |
3.30 |
— |
| cantatas, oratorios, church music |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| light music |
29.45 |
21.87 |
23.87 |
20.83 |
35.84 |
| orchestra, band, small combination (with soloists) |
21.28 |
7.60 |
11.30 |
7.02 |
18.49 |
| operetta, comic opera, musical comedy |
1.83 |
— |
— |
1.59 |
1.22 |
| ballad or chorus song recitals |
— |
4.58 |
0.85 |
0.64 |
2.20 |
| café, restaurant, or cinema organ |
6.34 |
9.69 |
11.72 |
11.58 |
13.93 |
| dance music |
16.43 |
11.56 |
9.92 |
11.48 |
19.76 |
| gramophone records |
1.29 |
7.50 |
6.96 |
2.55 |
0.73 |
| drama |
— |
0.63 |
2.53 |
1.49 |
3.05 |
| features |
— |
1.04 |
1.27 |
— |
— |
| Light entertainment |
5.26 |
4.69 |
3.38 |
6.06 |
1.83 |
| music hall, vaudeville, cabaret |
3.97 |
3.44 |
3.06 |
3.19 |
— |
| revue |
— |
— |
— |
2.55 |
1.83 |
| star entertainer or celebrity |
1.29 |
1.25 |
0.32 |
0.32 |
— |
| Children's Hour |
5.80 |
5.63 |
5.70 |
6.08 |
— |
| spoken word |
14.71 |
15.09 |
15.22 |
21.61 |
16.32 |
| news and weather forecasts |
4.51 |
6.24 |
4.75 |
9.05 |
9.02 |
| ministry and society bulletins |
0.75 |
0.52 |
0.85 |
0.64 |
— |
| talks and discussions |
9.13 |
7.92 |
8.87 |
11.17 |
6.83 |
| poetry and prose readings |
0.21 |
0.31 |
0.64 |
0.64 |
0.37 |
| appeals |
0.11 |
0.10 |
0.11 |
0.11 |
0.12 |
| outside broadcasts |
1.29 |
— |
1.60 |
2.02 |
— |
| running commentaries |
1.29 |
— |
— |
1.38 |
— |
| ceremonies |
— |
— |
0.76 |
— |
— |
| speeches |
— |
— |
0.64 |
0.64 |
— |
| religion |
2.25 |
4.05 |
3.80 |
5.32 |
2.44 |
| schools broadcasts |
7.09 |
8.54 |
6.65 |
7.87 |
— |
| interludes (advertised in Radio Times) |
0.64 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
Source: BBC, quoted in Asa Briggs: History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Volume II
[0005b]
Similar data for 1934-1938 is
here
Radio statistics index
