Editing BBC Light Programme (section)

{{short description|Former British national radio station (1945–1967)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox broadcasting network
| name         = BBC Light Programme
| image        = BBC Broadcasting House 532073098.jpg
| image_size   = 220
| image_alt    = A photograph of Broadcasting House showing the art deco styling of the main facade was made from Portland stone.
| caption      = The Light Programme headquarters was at [[Broadcasting House]] in London.
| country      = [[United Kingdom]]
| headquarters = [[Broadcasting House]], [[London]], England
| owner        = [[BBC]]
| launch_date  = {{Start date and age|1945|07|29|df=y}}
| dissolved    = {{End date and age|1967|09|29|df=y}}
| language     = [[English language|English]]
| replaced     = [[BBC General Forces Programme]]
| replaced_by  = [[BBC Radio 1]]<br/>[[BBC Radio 2]]
}}
The '''BBC Light Programme''' was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream [[light entertainment]] and [[light music]] from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by [[BBC Radio 1]] and [[BBC Radio 2]].<ref name=bcglightprogramme>{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/channel/light_prog/|title=BBC Light Programme|publisher=British Comedy Guide|access-date=2024-02-28}}</ref> It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the [[long wave]] frequency which had earlier been used<ref name=radiorewind>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio2/light_programme_launch.htm|title=BBC Light Programme Launch|publisher=Radio Rewind|access-date=2024-02-28}}</ref><ref name=dafyddhancock/> – prior to the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] on 1 September 1939 – by the [[BBC National Programme]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/september/closedown-of-television|title=Close down of Television service for the duration of the War|publisher=BBC|access-date=2024-02-28}}</ref>

The service was intended as a domestic replacement for the wartime [[BBC General Forces Programme]] which had gained many civilian listeners in [[Great Britain|Britain]] as well as members of the [[British Armed Forces]].<ref name=dafyddhancock>{{cite web|url=https://transdiffusion.org/2001/08/15/forces/|title=Forces of Light|date=2001-08-15|publisher=The Transdiffusion|last=Hancock|first=Dafydd|access-date=2024-02-28}}</ref><ref name=engineeringdev/>