The UK 1940s Radio Station

The UK 1940s Radio Station is a period-music service launched in 2010. Despite the decade in its name, the broadcaster states that its selection covers original recordings released during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Original period performances are the main focus, with occasional modern recreations appearing in particular programmes.

Big-band and swing music have an important place in the station's presentation. Its own account connects the sound with dances such as the Charleston, Lindy Hop and jive, giving the selection a relationship with the social and dance culture of those periods. The range reaches across more than one decade of musical development.

Jeff Bressler presents The Make Believe Ballroom Show, Guy Roles shares recordings in My Pick of The 40s, and Lynda Moncaster hosts 40s Favourites. James Langton's This Thing Called Swing adds a musician's perspective. Archive entertainment includes variety programmes associated with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Judy Garland and Dinah Shore, alongside original news soundbites. Shaun Moncaster's Anything Goes also occasionally includes modern bands faithfully recreating the period, a limited exception to the emphasis on original recordings.

Volunteer presenters in the UK and the United States contribute their knowledge and enthusiasm. The broadcaster also operates a separate British Home Front service, but this station's main brief remains the original period music. It suits listeners seeking a sustained connection with early twentieth-century popular entertainment, with knowledgeable presentation complementing the recordings themselves.