Editing Johnny Beerling (section)

===Radio 1===
In 1967, the Marine Offences Bill led to the close down of the pirate radio stations and the BBC decided to set up Radio 1 to provide a legal alternative. Johnny was at the forefront of this process, recruiting the DJ talent and devising the jingles, subsequently producing the first ever show with Tony Blackburn.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

He became an Executive Producer in 1972 and the following year conceived and launched the show for which he is best known, the [[Radio 1 Roadshow]]. This grew from a small caravan operation on Newquay Beach to an 80-foot mobile stage show housed in a series of articulated trucks, supported by a giant outdoor TV display visited by 500,000 people a year.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

In 1985, he was appointed Controller of the Radio 1 Network, responsible for the entire output including such major projects as the sound for Live Aid. During his time there he cultivated the "[[Smashie and Nicey]]" image despite appointing more music oriented presenters like [[Mark Goodier]], [[Nicky Campbell]] and [[Simon Mayo]]. He oversaw the transfer of the network from [[Amplitude modulation|AM]] to a better quality [[FM broadcasting|FM]] transmission system. In programming, he was responsible to for increasing the number of social action campaigns, extending news coverage and increasing the coverage of live concerts and music sessions recorded in Radio 1 studios. He also introduced comedy onto the airwaves of Radio 1 with shows like ''[[The Mary Whitehouse Experience]]'' and [[Victor Lewis-Smith|Victor Lewis Smith]].{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

While Controller of Radio 1, he removed [[Jimmy Savile]] from the BBC Radio airwaves "because his programme was tired and boring". Of Savile's abusive behaviour, he said: "Jimmy Savile was a loner. He rarely socialised with any of the DJs or staff at Radio 1...I was not aware of any sexual improprieties which have now been uncovered."<ref name="Telegraph Beerling">{{cite web|last1=Beckford|first1=Martin|title=BBC will investigate Jimmy Savile claims after police|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9594725/BBC-will-investigate-Jimmy-Savile-claims-after-police.html|website=The Telegraph|date=9 October 2012 |accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>

During this time, Beerling was affectionately known, and referred to on air by some such as [[Steve Wright (DJ)|Steve Wright]] in his afternoon show, as "Johnny Bee-Leg". Whilst he was controller, Radio 1 began broadcasting 24 hours a day in May 1991. Beerling took enforced early retirement, aged 56, from the station in October 1993, and many of the station's veteran DJs either resigned or were sacked when [[Matthew Bannister]] succeeded him as controller. The network's ethos, music policy and target audience changed dramatically. Beerling publicly criticised the new regime at the BBC, specifically [[Director-General of the BBC|Director-General]] [[John Birt]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

In May 1995, the BBC re-hired Beerling on a short-term contract to organise the "Music Live '95" event in [[Birmingham]], which was broadcast across all the BBC national networks, including Radio 1.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}