Radio 1 FM 'Switch-On Day' and roll-out

FM was once like DAB. Most folk had AM radios in their cars and homes; and a few, by the early 60s, had FM 'VHF' sets, although it was some years before the latter arrived in cars.

Radio 1 had launched in 1967 on 247m on the AM medium frequency band, before being awarded the better 275/285m in November '78 (1089 and 1053 kHz; the latter, from Droitwich, was the UK's most powerful AM Tx). By that time the business of radio was largely still transacted on AM. Indeed, after BBC Local Radio was launched just on FM, it was soon awarded sympathetic AM frequencies to help along the fledgling network. Similarly, when ILR launched on FM in the 70s, AM 'backup' simulcast was clearly seen as crucial.

FM was quickly to prove hugely attractive. Radio 1 enjoyed some trial London FM, with roll-out proper beginning in Oct 1987. September 1st 1988 was hailed as Radio 1 Switch-On Day, when Bros joined in the celebrations as listeners adopted their new FM programmes in the North, the Midlands and Central Scotland Y. More FM coverage followed weeks later in South Wales and the West of England, as can be heard in these announcements.

The UK Radio 1 FM network was largely complete by the end of '89; and the station waved farewell to crackly AM in July 1994.

                                                                                                                                         So, the BBC began using FM in 1955, and by 1994 was 'turning off' AM simulcast, that's 40 years.  If DAB properly started in 1995, does that make switch off date 2034?