A trip down memory waves: first ever 'chart show' to be recreated in Blackpool for United DJs anniversary series

To celebrate 70 years since the very first radio ‘chart show’ was broadcast on Radio Luxembourg an anniversary show will be presented on United DJs – the station of the stars.

That pioneering programme in 1950 – complete with the hits from the 1940s - is to be recreated from studios in Blackpool and broadcast globally on the online radio station, which was launched in 2018.

The show will be presented on Sunday September 27 at 7pm.

The 208 Top 20 will be presented by Simon Tate. Simon built his radio broadcast career in the 1970s and 80s on Liverpool’s Radio City, Red Rose Radio in Lancashire and as the launch programme controller at Britain’s first small-scale radio licence, the recently closed Radio Wave in Blackpool.

Simon said: “I’ve got big shoes to fill. The Radio Luxembourg Top Twenty has been presented in the past by Pete Murray, Paul Burnett, Bob Stewart, Peter Powell and of course Tony Prince so I hope I do it justice.”

United DJs founder and former programme boss at Radio Luxembourg, Tony Prince, who also presented The 208 Top 20 in the 1980s, added: “Radio historians, musicologists and chart fans will simply love this.

“The Radio Luxembourg Top Twenty was the first chart show to be heard in The United Kingdom and as such is a very important piece of music radio history.”

The Top Twenty went on to be Radio Luxembourg’s biggest audience winner peaking at 12 million listeners in 1959 and the most successful format in music radio history around the world.

Online radio station United DJs was founded by former Radio Luxembourg presenter Tony Prince and launched in April 2018.

The station has a number of radio presenter who were well known in the 70s, 80s and 90s including former Radio One breakfast host Mike Read, Emperor Rosko, David “Kid” Jensen, Dr Fox and David Hamilton.

United DJs is available online at www.uniteddj.com on smart speakers, from Tune-In and via the free UDJ app.