May 1991 highlights   The on-screen image of BBC1 and BBC2 had just been radically revamped with new idents on both channels - by now the controversial 'virtual world' of BBC1 and multiple BBC2 symbols were just beginning
to gain acceptance, and would go
on to become award-winners.
Radio 1 had just commenced 24 hour broadcasting (on 1st May). Bob Harris, Gary King, Simon Mayo and Jenny Costello all found their shows extended, plus there was one new recruit, Neale James. And on this particular day another newcomer, one of Radio 1's craziest presenters ever, The Man Ezeke, presented his Sunshine Show. The television channels, on the other hand, were nowhere near 24 hour broadcasting - in fact on this day BBC1 and BBC2 both packed up at midnight. Only ITV carried on through the night at this time. Terry Wogan's thrice nightly chat show was still going, with just over a year to run before he would be usurped by Eldorado. He was followed by the American comedy about a teenage doctor, Doogie Howser, MD. And in an unusually international Wednesday evening line-up, this was in turn followed by an Australian police action drama series, Police Rescue. Nowadays you will never find imported programmes on primetime BBC1. Children's BBC brought us The Movie Game, originally hosted by Phillip Schofield, but now with Bread star Jonathan Morris in charge, and a repeat of the BBC's dramatisation of the famous children's book Tom's Midnight Garden - this had first been shown in 1989. Rob Curling took time out from Newsroom South East to host the daily quiz Turnabout, which had earned itself a repeat the following morning, while actor Sir Michael Hordern had been recruited to be our 'tour guide to the electronic frontier of cyberspace' in a repeated edition of Horizon which was apparently 'filmed on location on virtual reality itself'.
And in Radio Times 4-10 May 1991 Price 50p  Maureen Lipman found herself sharing the cover with 'Soundcheque' this week - as did all RT cover stars over an eight week period. Each copy of Radio Times had a unique 'Soundcheque' number on it, and the lucky reader who had their number read out by Mark Goodier (left) on Radio 1's Complete UK Top 40 stood to win a share of £100,000. Designed to boost both Radio Times sales and Radio 1 listener figures, this type of gimmick has never been repeated.
And it was no coincidence that it came at a time when Radio Times, for the first time in its 68 year existence, was facing competition. Since 1st March 1991 any publication had the right to publish a full week's television and radio listings. So Radio Times now carried details of ITV, Channel 4 and satellite channels, while a rash of imitations had hit the market, some lasting longer than others (TV Plus closed after just three issues). But Radio Times led the field convincingly, both in sales and in quality - though it was eventually overtaken in sales by What's On TV. 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1999 Radio Times Covers | 
