Historical eventOctober 191988

1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions

The British government restricted the broadcast of the voices of representatives from Sinn Féin and several Irish republican and loyalist paramilitary groups on television and radio.

Everything on October 19Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, October 19 198838 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1988.

What happened

From October 1988 to September 1994 the British government banned broadcasts of the voices of representatives from Sinn Féin and ten other Irish republican and loyalist groups on television and radio in the United Kingdom. The restrictions, announced by the Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd, on 19 October 1988, followed a heightened period of violence in the course of the Troubles, and reflected the UK government's belief in a need to prevent these groups from using the media for political advantage.

October 19 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19881988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions
  2. 2003Mother Teresa
  3. 2004Corporate Airlines Flight 5966
  4. 2005Hurricane Wilma
  5. 2005Saddam Hussein
  6. 2012Assassination of Wissam al-Hassan
  7. 20132013 Buenos Aires train crash
  8. 2013YouTube
  9. 2017Robert Weryk
  10. 2019House of Lords
  11. 2025French Crown Jewels

Also in 1988

  • September 9Vietnam Airlines Flight 831Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashes in Khu Khot, Thailand, while on approach to Don Muang International Airport, killing 76.
  • March 14Johnson South Reef skirmishChina defeated Vietnam in a naval altercation while attempting to establish oceanographic observation posts on the Spratly Islands.
  • September 12Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica; it turns towards Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula two days later, causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.
  • September 13Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert reached a minimum pressure of 888 mb (26.22 inHg) with sustained flight-level winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), making it th…
  • September 188888 UprisingThe 8888 Uprising in Myanmar comes to an end.
  • September 18Henri NamphyGeneral Henri Namphy, president of Haiti, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by General Prosper Avril.
  • September 18Magna Charta UniversitatumThe Magna Charta Universitatum, asserting key principles essential to the free operation of universities, is signed in Bologna by the rec…
  • August 10Civil Liberties Act of 1988The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Everything we record for 1988 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1988-1994-british-broadcasting-voice-restrictions-1988-october-19, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did 1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions happen?

October 19 1988 — 38 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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