This is a list of events taking place in 2023 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.
Events
January 1 January – BBC Radio 2 dedicates five hours of New Year's Day programming to Take That, including a two-hour countdown of their top hits. Damian Lewis presents a two hour programme, A Blues and Swing Special, on Jazz FM. Charlie Higson returns to Scala Radio for a second series of Charlie Higson and Friends. 2 January – Former Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell takes over as presenter of the weekday Early Breakfast show at Heart. Adil Ray presents a one-off show for Jazz FM on New Year Bank Holiday Monday. The Community Media Association undergoes a rebrand for its 40th anniversary. 3 January – CassKidd joins BBC Radio 1Xtra to present a Tuesday evening show previously hosted by Jamz Supernova. Sonny Jay begins presenting the weekday late night show on Capital. Former Jack FM presenter Trevor Marshall joins Get Radio Oxfordshire to present weekday drivetime. The Radio Today website reports that during V2 Radio's six-week toy appeal leading up to Christmas 2022, listeners donated more than 2,400 toys for local charities and organisations in West Sussex. 4 January – Bauer Radio confirms all of Absolute Radio's mediumwave transmitters will be switched off by the end of January, making it exclusively a digital station. The switch-off is expected to take place on 23 January. The Asian Network Takeover returns for a new series, with a new presenter each month. 5 January – Figures released by BBC Sounds show there were 57.7 million listens to its content between 20 December and 2 January. 6 January – Ofcom begins awarding the fourth tranche of its small-scale DAB licences, beginning with those for Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, Ludlow, and Newport and Chepstow. Shaun Keaveny begins a four-week presenting stint on The Radio 2 Rock Show, standing in for regular presenter Johnnie Walker. Radio News Hub have been acquired by Markettiers4DC, a broadcasting PR agency. 7 January – Former Capital presenter Rob Howard begins presenting weekend Early Breakfast at Heart. Trevor Marshall and Rich Smith begin presenting weekend breakfast for Get Radio Oxfordshire. 8 January – Andrew Marr joins Classic FM to present a Sunday morning programme in which he selects some of his favourite pieces of classical music alongside newer releases. 9 January – Phil Williams and OJ Borg confirm Williams is taking over Borg's Sunday night into Monday morning show on Radio 2, with Borg continuing to present four nights a week. Five folk songs about modern folk heroes by artists such as Chris Difford and Thea Gilmore have been created as part of Radio 2's 21st Century Folk project. BBC Asian Network confirms that Nikita Kanda will be its new regular breakfast show presenter, Kanda having presented the programme for the past six months. Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs joins Virgin Radio to present the weekday drivetime show. Sam Thompson begins presenting Hits Radio's weekday evening show, Hits UK. Hits Radio presenter Jordon Lee takes over weekday early breakfast on Kiss, but continues with his breakfast show on Hits Radio Pride and afternoons on Heat radio. Gaydio becomes available on DAB in a further seven UK cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Sheffield. Rock FM is found to be in breach of Ofcom regulations following the broadcast of a pre-recorded voice note from a listener on the 19 October 2022 edition of its breakfast show in which the word "cunt" was heard at the end of the recording. The piece had not been vetted before broadcast. 10 January – It is confirmed that Bob Shennan, the former Controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC 6 Music and the BBC Asian Network is to leave the broadcaster after 36 years. Lauren Mahon and Steve Bland, presenters of the podcast You, Me and the Big C, have said they are ready to step down from their roles, but hope that the podcast will continue without them. Victoria Quinn leaves Q Radio to become breakfast show presenter at Downtown Country. 11 January – Bauer Media Audio UK have appointed Lucie Cave to the newly created role of Chief Creative Officer for Podcasts and Commercial Content. Ofcom is reported to be considering a request by community station Cross Counties Radio for it to be allowed to change the number of hours of original content it must provide from 161 hours per week to 70. Sports journalist Martin Samuel joins Talksport as a contributor to the breakfast show, and to co-present a weekly programme on Thursday evenings. 13 January – Sam Jackson is appointed as Controller of BBC Radio 3, effective from April 2023. Ofcom revokes the small-scale DAB licence it awarded to Like DAB Limited for the Scilly Isles after Like DAB said it would not be able to launch the service by the deadline given to it by Ofcom. BBC Sports broadcaster Jennie Gow announces she has suffered a stroke, affecting her speech. 14 January – Emperor Rosko joins Radio Caroline to present a series of monthly breakfast shows. 17 January – Ken Bruce announces on his Radio 2 show that he will be leaving the network at the end of March. Shortly afterwards, Greatest Hits Radio confirms he will join in April, replacing Mark Goodier on their mid-morning show, and taking the PopMaster quiz with him. 18 January – Following feedback, the BBC have made some changes to their proposals for BBC Local Radio, including those relating to the networking of shows and the pairing of stations. But plans to cut the number of local BBC Introducing programmes from 32 to 11 are met with concern from musicians and those from the music industry who fear it could a negative effect on new acts trying to break through on to the scene. Regency Radio have hired Tommy Boyd to present a show on Sunday nights, with a start date to be confirmed. Fun Kids launches a subscription service titled Fun Kids Podcast+. 19 January – Members of the National Union of Journalists are to hold a consultative ballot on whether to strike over the proposed changes announced for BBC Local Radio. 20 January – At midnight Absolute Radio stops broadcasting on MW. Consequently, Absolute Radio is now a digital-only station. Jack FM teams up with comedian Dom Joly for the last gig of his nationwide tour by sponsoring a show at Oxford's New Theatre. Dance station Juice FM, launched in December 2022, announces plans to join DAB in North Wales and West Cheshire. 23 January – Used car marketplace company cinch takes over as sponsor of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio, succeeding Sky as the programme's sponsors with a three year sponsorship deal. Former GB News reporter and presenter Rosie Wright joins Times Radio to present Weekday Early Breakfast. Shaun Tilley joins Liverpool Live to present the drivetime show from 4.00pm. The Radio Today website reports that Josh Tate may have become the UK's youngest newsreader after joining Radio Exe at the age of 16. Steve McGoldrick has been appointed as the new Head of Marketing at Radiocentre. 24 January – Bristol's Ujima Radio submits a request to Ofcom to change its Key Commitments by broadcasting less non-English output. Ofcom have found Leicester-based Radio2Funky and Takeover Radio, as well as Cumbernauld FM, in breach of their commitments after receiving complaints they were not producing enough original output. BFBS launches its second series of BFBS Esports Live, presented by OJ Borg. 25 January – City University of London announces the launch of the UK's first MA degree in podcasting, along with a Centre of Podcasting Excellence, with the first students scheduled to begin their studies in September 2023. Smooth Radio undergoes a "brand refresh", with a new logo and strapline. "Your relaxing music mix" is replaced by "Always the best music". Made in Manchester announces a partnership with Workerbee to generate new content ideas for radio and television. 45 Radio announces that it has hired former Radio 1 presenter Bruno Brookes to present Bruno's Mega Hits on Saturdays and Sundays from midday. Josh Tate, believed to be the UK's youngest newsreader, appears on Matt Chorley's show on Times Radio, where he is invited to read the midday headlines. 27 January – BBC Arabic radio service closes down. Ofcom initiates proceedings to revoke Bauer Radio's mediumwave licence following its decision to close the national AM feed of Absolute Radio, and consequently ending its licence eight years ahead of schedule. Ofcom also considers financial penalties against Bauer after it confirmed the decision the previous day. Frisk Radio have hired David Alley, a former presenter on Heart Bedford and Chiltern FM, to present their weekday drivetime show. 30 January – BBC Radio 2 begins its 2023 Radio 2 Piano Room feature, which runs until 24 February, and sees different artists performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Maida Vale Studios. The performances are broadcast live on Ken Bruce's mid-morning show. The Radio Academy holds its inaugural "Last Mondays" event in Central London, a monthly gathering for members of the audio industry featuring guest speakers. Listeners to Greatest Hits Radio have voted "Mr. Blue Sky" the top Feel Good Anthem following a poll of songs that make listeners feel good. Technology company Aiir announce the launch of Aiir Scheduler, a cloud-based music scheduler for radio stations to create and manage playlists via a web browser. 31 January – Members of the National Union of Journalists have voted to take industrial action over planned changes to BBC Local Radio. January – Signal 1's Stafford and Congleton transmitters switch to broadcasting Greatest Hits Radio, with Signal 1 continuing to broadcast to Stoke-on-Trent.
February 1 February – BBC Radio Bristol presenter Laura Rawlings is appointed as presenter of The Radio Academy Podcast for the next six months, covering for regular presenter Roisin Hastie while she is on maternity leave. Dee Ford, Managing Director of Bauer Media Audio UK, announces plans to leave the role after 35 years with the company. 2 February – BBC Radio WM announces that its new building in Digbeth, Birmingham, will be known as "The Tea Factory". It will also be home to BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, Radio 4's The Archers and BBC Asian Network News. 3 February – The BBC confirms the latest plans to merge its BBC Music Introducing shows, with 20 shows spread across 39 BBC Local Radio stations, airing twice a week, and some shows merging with those of neighbouring stations. Former Secretary of State for Culture Nadine Dorries begins presenting a weekly Friday evening show, Friday Night with Nadine, for Talkradio and TalkTV. Her first guest is the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It is reported that Pierre Petrou has resigns as London Greek Radio's chief programming and content manager. The BBC confirms it has hired Erewash Sound Drive presenter Lewis Allsopp as a studio director for Radio 4 and the World Service at Broadcasting House. 5 February – Radio 2 airs Happy Birthday Tony Blackburn: 80 Poptastic Years to celebrate Tony Blackburn's 80th birthday on 29 January. 6 February – Bauer Radio launches an ad-free subscription services for Magic Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, enabling listeners to hear additional stations without commercials, and skip live content. Iain Lee announces he is leaving Jack FM, and that he is retiring from broadcasting. 7 February – Lucy Frazer replaces Michelle Donelan as Culture Secretary following a cabinet reshuffle. Nielsen has reported a weekly audience of 211,000 tradespeople for Fix Radio. 8 February – Ofcom awards a further five small-scale DAB licences in Inverclyde, Newry, Northampton, Southampton and Wolverhampton. 9 February – Perminder Khatkar and Victoria Easton-Riley are announced as having been elected to the Radio Academy Board of Trustees.