Music station turns tables over to vinyl for one day

Vinyl is to make a comeback to the national airwaves after more than a decade – but for one day only.

BBC Radio 6 Music is to devote 1 January to playing vinyl on air from morning until night.

Many BBC stations phased out the use of vinyl in favour of CDs in the early 1990s, and now mostly use digital versions of songs.

But 6 Music managers will now turn back the clock with their “All Vinyl” day to round off a month-long celebration of the format.

Presenters Jarvis Cocker, former Pulp frontman, and Elbow’s Guy Garvey will be among those who will ditch digital in favour of 45s. DJ Don Letts will even raid his home jukebox to bring in seven-inch singles for his three-hour show.

Dance DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall, as well as singer Cerys Matthews, will host vinyl-only shows, while singer-songwriter Richard Hawley will also host a programme talking to prominent acts such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead discussing the joys of vinyl.

Station editor Paul Rodgers said: “In a world dominated by digital music, vinyl is a format still close to the hearts of many music lovers, and increased sales demonstrate its enduring appeal.”

A spokeswoman for the station added: “Listeners can expect rare gems, insights and a few crackles and pops when digital goes analogue for one day only.”