This is a list of events in British radio during 2012.
Events
January
6 January – Following its sale to UKRD, Fresh Radio, which broadcast on MW across the Yorkshire Dales, closes. The more populous parts of the area are later served by Stray FM which is expanded to cover areas such as Skipton and Wharfedale, and the Richmond area is served to Star Radio North East. 7 January – Alan Titchmarsh joins Classic FM to present a new Saturday morning programme. After having his car stolen the previous evening, Graham Norton asks listeners of his Radio 2 show to help find it. Calling it "The Great Car Hunt" he tells listeners to "Keep your eyes out for it. It was filthy by the way." The car is subsequently returned to him. 8 January – Graham Torrington joins Smooth Radio to host his Late Night Love show on the network. 12 January – GMG Radio confirms a deal with US syndication firm Premiere Networks to air 1970s editions of the original American Top 40 show presented by Casey Kasem at weekends on its new digital station "Smooth 70s". The station also features Disco Lunch and Late Night Love Songs among its weekday programming. 21 January – Under new guidelines to come into force from 30 April clinics which charge for pregnancy services including abortions will be able to advertise on radio and television after the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice ruled there was no justification for barring such clinics from advertising their services. 23 January – GMG Radio announces it is conducting a "full review" of its news staff. Currently the broadcaster employs 39 journalists, nine of whom are based in Scotland. 26 January – The UK-based British Army radio station, Garrison FM switches on two more transmitters in Inverness, making the city the second in Scotland to receive the service after Edinburgh. 28 January – Zoë Ball announces she is stepping down from her Saturday breakfast show on Radio 2 and that she has presented her final programme. She will continue to provide cover for other presenters on the network. 29 January – Radio 4's Desert Island Discs celebrates its 70th anniversary, having first been broadcast on 29 January 1942.
February
3 February –
UTV Media acquires the licences for The Wyre and The Severn from MNA Broadcasting. Manx Radio, the Isle of Man's national radio station sets out proposals to cut all but one of its staff presenters as the broadcaster faces cuts in contributions in the forthcoming Government budget for 2012–13. 7 February – UTV Media unveils plans to merge The Wolf, The Wyre and The Sever and rebrand them as Signal 107. The rebrand happens on 26 March. 14 February – Poole community radio station The Bay 102.8 is re-branded as Hot Radio. 16 February – Ofcom gives the KMFM n e t w o r k permission to network the breakfast show, meaning programming will be identical across all seven stations at all times. 19 February – Jazz FM issues an apology after listeners heard five minutes of what appeared to be an adult film played over the beginning of one of its programmes the previous evening. Ofcom later launches an investigation into the incident after receiving three complaints. 21 February – Global Radio places an immediate ban on the playing of tracks by the boy band One Direction on its stations after group member Harry Styles mistakenly thanked Radio 1 during a BRIT Awards acceptance speech for an award voted for by listeners of Capital Radio, a Global station. 25 February – Television presenter Anneka Rice makes her debut on Radio 2, presenting the Saturday breakfast show vacated by Zoë Ball. 26 February – The Top Ten countdown from The Radio 1 Chart Show is made available in vision for the first time through the station's website. 28 February – LBC introduces the first client-hosted programme with the weekday "Bupa Wellbeing Hour". 29 February – The BBC World Service celebrates its 80th anniversary.