 Due to the resistance to any use of Radio 4 FM or LW frequencies, it was decided that Radio 5, criticised by John Birt as "improvised and disjointed", would relaunch as a combined news and sport channel.The "old" Radio 5 signed off at midnight on Sunday 27 March 1994 with a pre-recorded "Nigel and Earl" sketch at the end of one of the network's Irish music magazine programme "Across the Line".Ten minutes later, the frequencies closed down for the night following a generic "BBC Radio News and Sport" bulletin and the new Radio Five Live began its 24-hour service at 5am on Monday 28 March 1994.