1974 in radio

Events

• April 24–5 - Music aired on the radio in Portugal acts as a secret signal to trigger the Carnation Revolution there: at 10:55 p.m. on April 24, Paulo de Carvalho's "E Depois do Adeus" on Emissores Associados de Lisboa alerts rebel captains and soldiers that the coup is beginning; at 12:20 a.m. on April 25, Rádio Renascença broadcasts "Grândola, Vila Morena", a song by Zeca Afonso, an influential political folk musician and singer who has been banned from Portuguese radio up to this time, signalling the Armed Forces Movement to begin the takeover of strategic points of power in the country from 3.00 a.m.

  Debuts

• January 6 - CBS Radio Mystery Theater debuts and is broadcast on 218 stations.
• February 19 - BRMB begins broadcasting to the Birmingham area
• April 2 - Piccadilly Radio begins broadcasting to the Manchester area
• April 3 - As tornadoes ravage much of the United States and Canada in what becomes known as the 1974 Super Outbreak, WHAS-AM Louisville, Kentucky air-traffic reporter Dick Gilbert takes to the skies to track a twister as it rakes across the Louisville metro area. He, and the station, receive a Presidential commendation for their storm coverage.
• July 15 - Metro Radio begins broadcasting to the Newcastle upon Tyne area
• September - Paul Gambaccini first broadcasts on British radio, initially on BBC Radio 1.
• September 30 - Swansea Sound, the first Independent Local Radio station in Wales, begins broadcasting to the Swansea area
• October 1 - Radio Hallam begins broadcasting to the Sheffield area
• October 21 - Radio City begins broadcasting to the Liverpool area

  Births

• February 6 - Aljo Bendijo, Filipino journalist and broadcaster
• February 22 - Chris Moyles British radio presenter
• March 28 - Scott Mills, British radio DJ
• May 3 - Peter Everitt, Australian rules footballer, later radio host
• June 13 - Katharina Bellowitsch, Austrian broadcast presenter
• June 21 - Natasha Desborough, British radio presenter
• July 14 - David Mitchell, English comic actor
• December 13 - Sara Cox, British broadcast presenter

  Deaths

• January 12 - Helen Claire, American actress on stage and radio, primarily in soap operas
• May 4 - Ludwig Koch, German-born British natural sound recordist
• July 14 - Elizabeth Reller, American actress on stage and radio
• July 28 - Truman Bradley, American radio actor
• November 11 - Jane Ace, American radio actress
• December 26 - Jack Benny, American comedian, vaudeville performer, and radio, television and film actor