1980 in radio

Events

• 20 March – The pirate radio station Radio Caroline sinks.
• April – WDLM, a religious station based in East Moline, Illinois, adds an FM signal at 89.3 MHz. It acts as both a repeater of WDLM's AM signal and adds additional programming.
• 29 October – President Carter on a visit to Pittsburgh gives a nationally broadcast campaign interview to KDKA-AM of that city.

  Debuts

• Alex Bennett returns to his native San Francisco to host a comedy-oriented morning show for album-oriented rock station KMEL. The show will last for the next 17 years on three different area radio stations.

  Closings

• 11 February – Sears Radio Theater ends its run on CBS. Episodes are rebroadcast later in 1980 on Mutual as Mutual Radio Theater.

  Births

• 9 October – Sarah X Dylan, radio and television personality in Portland, Oregon, United States, where she produced The Rick Emerson Show on KUFO

  Deaths

• 7 January – Irene Beasley, American singer and master of ceremonies best known for her work on old-time radio.
• 29 January – Jimmy Durante, American singer, pianist, comedian and actor.
• 1 February – Jack Bailey, American actor and daytime game show host.
• 4 February – Art Ballinger, American actor, announcer and commercial spokesman.
• 11 April – Florence Lake, American actress.
• 24 July – Peter Sellers, English actor, comedian and radio personality.
• 22 August – Norman Shelley, English radio actor.
• 20 October – Isobel Barnett, British broadcasting personality.
• 8 December – Charles Parker, English documentary producer.