Radio 1 Plans Salute to Veteran DJ Annie Nightingale

She may have been broadcasting since before any of Radio 1's target audience were born -- and, indeed, before most of their parents -- but Annie Nightingale is still going strong. And now her employer of the past 40 years is to pay tribute to its longest-serving DJ.

The 68-year-old presenter became the then fledgling pop station's first female host when she began work in 1970. Since then she has survived countless schedule-rearrangements and culls of insufficiently young and vibrant hosts to maintain her weekly slot on the Radio 1 roster. She currently broadcasts from 2AM to 4AM on Friday mornings.

A night-long salute to the award-winning veteran will begin at 7PM on Sept. 9 with a two-hour documentary on her career presented by fellow DJ Zane Lowe. The main event of the tribute evening will be a three-hour concert, featuring such Nightingale-approved acts as Primal Scream, Fatboy Slim, Tinchy Stryder, Professor Green and I Blame Coco.

Following the Maida Vale gig, 'A Night with Annie Nightingale' will continue with a two-hour highlights package taken from her shows over the years, followed by a compilation of her best 'guest mixes'.

"I'm always looking forward, planning the next show, the next guest mix, the next festival broadcast," Nightingale told the BBC. "So this night will be a chance to celebrate some awesome milestones and the truly amazing musical soundtrack of my life at BBC Radio 1."