Archive for July, 2006
Gypsies land new radio show
A new radio show for travellers and gypsies in the East of England was launched this weekend. Rokker Radio is presented by Jake Bowers, Britain’s only Romani journalist, and is a weekly radio show broadcast across six local radio stations in the BBC East region.
Jake started working for the BBC a few months ago when he launched Rokker Radio on BBC Three Counties Radio, broadcasting across Beds, Herts and Bucks.
Fearne and Reggie promoted
Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates have been promoted to become the new hosts of the weekend breakfast show, taking over from Spoony who will quit later this year. Fearne and Reggie will present the first of their new shows from late September 2006.
The BBC say they will be an integral part of an already star-studded weekend daytime schedule featuring Vernon Kay, Sara Cox, Trevor Nelson and Radio 1′s Chart Show with JK and Joel. The pair, who already host a show on Friday mornings (4.00-7.00am), joined Radio 1 in September 2005.
Yorkshire Radio to launch on Sky
Digital station Yorkshire Radio, which broadcasts from Leeds United Football Club ground is set to launch on the Sky platform tonight at 6pm.
Listeners on Sky channel 0188 will be able to keep up to date with the latest Yorkshire Sports news and everything happening at Leeds United with daily updates from Elland Road and access to the Players, Manager and Chairman.
All Out celebrates BBC contract
Multi-award winning radio indie All Out Productions is celebrating its biggest ever series of commissions for BBC Radio 1. This follows the company?s first ever commission to produce audio content for Channel 4 Radio.
The Manchester-based indie has been commissioned to produce six new half-hour documentary programmes, five to be broadcast during Steve Lamacq?s Lamacq Live show starting from the 24th of July, and one during the station?s hugely successful Sunday Surgery later this year.
BRFM offer community networking
Danny Lawrence, director of new community radio station BRFM is hoping to set up a regional community radio network group.
If you are a group applying for, or recently won a community radio licence, Danny would like to arrange meetings every quarter to share experiences and help with development. It will also mean closer working relationships and for some possible joint funding applications and training.
LBC to replace DNN on DAB
London talk station LBC is set to replace the Digital News Network (DNN) on DAB regional multiplexes operated by MXR – in the North West, West Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East, South Wales and the West, from the beginning of September.
DNN closed down today, making way for ‘test transmissions’ for LBC. It will give the station an extra 17m potential listeners nationally.
Spoony to leave BBC Radio 1
Spoony has decided to leave BBC Radio 1 to explore other offers, including hosting programmes on BBC Five Live.
Spoony currently hosts the weekend breakfast show from 7 – 10am and has been with the station for six years, but now feels it is time to move on. Previously Spoony has worked on commercial stations Kiss 100 and Galaxy.
Paul Jordan back on the radio
After his recent departure from Red Rose Radio in Preston, former MD Paul Jordan is returning to the airwaves this weekend to cover ‘weekend breakfast’ on Northwest regional station 100.4 Smooth FM
Paul will present the northwest’s smooth favourites between 6am and 10am Saturday and Sunday – filling in for regular presenter Dave Croft.
Adrian Allen joins TLRC
Sunderland born talk show host Adrian Allen is heading home to present a brand new Sunday night phone-in on three TLRC stations in the Northeast – Durham FM, Alpha FM and Sun FM.
Adrian is one of the country?s one sought after phone-in radio presenters and has been referred to as ?radio?s most talked about talk show host?! He has previously worked at many UK stations including Real Radio (South Wales), talk107 (Edinburgh) and London’s LBC 97.3 FM.
talk107 do deal with Carling
talk107, the UTV-Radio owned talk station for Edinburgh have successfully secured ‘Carling’ as sponsor partner of its Saturday post football match phone in named ‘Extra Time with Carling’.
From 5.30 to 7.00pm every Saturday, ?Extra Time? will be presented live from a differnt location each week taking calls and views direct from football fans. ?Extra Time? will get out and about and mix with the real fans of east coast football in their natural post-match habitat ? their favourite bar!
Stars to help UKRD Book Club
Original Magpie presenter and campaigner for children?s radio, Susan Stranks, is the latest judge to be announced for UKRD?s exclusive ?Source Summer Book Club Competition?.
Susan will join other well known names including singer/songwriter Ronan Keating and Bernard Cribbins (the voice behind ?The Wombles? and a star of many films, including The Railway Children), deciding the winners of the competition which is encouraging children to write book reviews.
Original hires Simon James and Hill
Simon James and Hill are to join Original 106fm, the new regional radio station for Solent. The news comes just days after we brought you news of their exit from the TLRC network evening show.
Triple Sony Award-winning presenters Simon James and Hill are to host the show between 6 and 10am on weekdays. They will be joined by one of the region?s best known and most authoritative journalists, Karen Woods, who will present the news and sport each morning. Karen was a Non-executive Director for rival Solent bid Tide FM.
New technology for BBC Locals
A pocket computer phone is set to revolutionise newsrooms and newsgathering across BBC Local Radio.
Earlier this year BBC Radio Lincolnshire linked up with the Maastricht-based Technica del Arte to transform a pocket PC phone, the XDA, into a professional recording device capable of sending high quality sound down a mobile phone line or from a wi-fi spot.
Tony Blackburn back on TOTP
Top of the Pops, the UK’s longest running weekly TV chart show marks its final countdown this weekend, and helping to celebrate 42 years of pop, the god of radio, the man we all love, Tony Blackburn, will be presenting his special part of the show.
Other previous presenters including Sir Jimmy Savile, Janice Long, Mike Read, Pat Sharp, Reggie Yates and Edith Bowman will have their own slot. Like the very first show, this programme will begin with the Rolling Stones – on this occasion performing The Last Time from the Sixties on tape – and conclude with this week’s No.1.
Window for Eid RSL applications
Ofcom have not yet decided if they will change the procedure for RSL (Restricted Service Licence) applications, so until they do, they have opened a 4 week window for applications to be submitted for Ramadan and Eid in 2007.
If you would like to run one, and you think you might have competition in the area, you must submit your application between Tuesday 12 September and Monday 9 October 2006. After the deadline, applications for the 2007 Ramadan period will only be accepted for locations for where Ofcom have received no applications before the deadline.
Gloucester gets multi-ethnic station
Since Friday evening, Gloucester?s multi ethnic community was once again able to tune into a radio station dedicated to reflecting the city?s diverse nature. Gloucester FM (GFM) began broadcasting its unique blend of news, information and black music, 24 hours a day, on 96.6FM after being granted a full time community radio licence from Ofcom last year.
Smooth FM listener wins 86k
Guardian Media Group owned station 100.4 Smooth FM has given away the biggest cash prize ever on Northwest radio.
Andy Holland, a 40 year old gas engineer from Stretford in Manchester correctly guessed the smooth secret song as Quincy Jones with Razamatazz and instantly won £86,500.
Ofcom criticises 3TR FM
Radio regulator Ofcom has published its content sampling report on the output of The Local Radio Company’s Warminster-based 3TR FM from the 10th, 11th and 13th of May 2006.
The report was critical of the station’s commitment to local content, noting that “presenter links were largely taken from newspaper stories/trivia, entertainment and showbiz news; such as ‘Soapwatch’, where audio of particular scenes from the previous nights? chosen soap opera were played out and ‘Celebwatch’”. However, it was more charitable towards the ‘Town and Out’ local events guide, stating that it “covered a range of activities assumed to be in the locale … as well as those more instantly identifiable as being local.”
Simon James and Hill exit TLRC
EXCLUSIVE: Simon James and Hill have left The Local Radio Company, where they presented a network evening show on almost 30 stations since January 2005.
The show came to an end last week, and is the 2nd network programme to change presenters this month after North South Divided, presented by Mike ‘the mouth’ Elliot and Carol McGiffen was axed on 5th July.
Radio Forth secure sport sponsor
Midlothian based windows and conservatory company Lochinvar have signed up to sponsor sports coverage on 97.3 Forth One and 1548 Forth 2. The 12 month deal is valued at ?50,000 and both sides are said to be delighted with the partnership.
Lochinvar MD David Hiddleston said “We have had many years of successful partnership with Radio Forth and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to enhance that and bring our successful brands together.”
GWR FM kept 10k bingo prize
Good Music Bingo was the game, ten thousand pounds was the prize – and one lucky winner was taken to air to win the lot. But after station bosses checked her ‘bingo card’ it turns out she didn’t have all the artists listed.
So GWR FM in Bristol kept the money and didn’t award the prize. The unlucky listener then complained to Ofcom who investigated further.
LGR in breach of election rules
London Greek Radio have been investigated by Ofcom after allowing a Conservative councillor to read the news on the station, whilst local re-elections were taking place.
Andreas Tambourides, a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Barnet was employed by LGR but the station insists Mr Tambourides did not carry out interviews and was instructed not to read any items that related to the local elections in which he was a candidate.
Academy man moves to BFBS
EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Ballard is set to join BFBS as a Presenter and Producer. He will be leaving his current role as Development Manager for the Radio Academy at the end of July and will start his new role in August.
Whilst at the Academy, Anthony has been responsible for gaining a higher profile for the organisation by expanding the website and introducing some clever marketing campaigns.
New sponsor for Wales Drivetime
Real Radio Wales have signed a one year deal with Sainsbury?s to sponsor the Drivetime show.
Starting today, the sponsorship will run in Steve Wiggins (Wiggy?s) show, which broadcasts live from 2pm to 6pm weekdays and attracts 211,000 adult listeners every week.
UTV plots takeover of SMG
UTV, owners of UTV Radio stations around the UK are said to be keeping a close eye on the share price of SMG with a view to putting in a ?300million pound takeover bid for the company.
Two years ago in March 2004, UTV considered a ?400million takeover of the group, but was rejected.
Revenues down at GCap Media
GCap Media PLC have announced their latest trading update this morning (24th July) and report that total revenues (for the quarter ended 30th June 2006 and excluding Capital Radio) are down 3 per cent year on year, with a fall of 6 per cent this quarter.
At Capital Radio, the Board remains confident that management are taking the right steps to improve audience performance with improved presentation, music and general content across the station; with the arrival in August of a new Programme Director and the roll-out of a marketing plan.
Virgin Radio to promote Amstel
Amstel is teaming up with national station Virgin Radio for a tailor-made on-air and online promotion about the perfect night out on Ben Jones? Most Wanted show.
This activity, which is in play from today, is part of Amstel?s new marketing campaign, which promotes a more continental style of drinking and encourages people to think differently, try something new and have a good time without going over the top.
Forth nominated for ad award
Radio Forth have received a finalist nomination in the prestigious National Business Awards for Scotland in the category of Marketing Strategy of the Year for their installation at Edinburgh International Airport.
The installation for Forth One is in the domestic arrivals area and features pictures of the Forth One line-up of presenters and a mock up of an aircraft flightdeck featuring breakfast show presenters Boogie & Jill.
Studio Schemes build in Bulgaria
EXCLUSIVE: Studio Schemes have been contracted by SBS Broadcasting Europe BV to design the studios for 3 radio stations in Sofia ? Bulgaria.
Already with SBS in Sofia, after two visits by Design Director Richard Goodliffe, are the detailed plans and purchasing lists for use by the local building contractor who will actually build the studios to the Studio Schemes design and specification. Richard will visit again shortly to ensure the build is too design and finally to oversee the acoustic tests of the construction.
Radio Academy appoints Director
Former Managing Director of Pop for Emap and Radio 1 Producer Trevor Dann has been appointed as Director of the Radio Academy.
He replaces John Bradford who retires in the Autumn after ten years in the job. As part of his new role, Trevor will Chair the Radio Festival for 2007.
