Archive for January, 2012
Absolute billboard ads to have song info
Absolute Radio is to put ‘now playing’ track information on billboard adverts as part of a relaunch of its ‘Faces For Radio’ marketing campaign.
The station has worked with outdoor advertising firms JCDecaux and Clear Channel to take a live RSS feed from the studios and put it on the roadside.
Mark Norman leaves BBC Three Counties
BBC Three Counties Radio Managing Editor Mark Norman is the latest local radio boss to announce his departure from the corporation.
He’s spent the majority of his 21-year BBC career in Luton, becoming the station’s boss in 1998.
Quiz night for radio people in Wales
The Radio Academy’s Wales branch is hosting its first event of 2012 this week and is inviting people who work in the industry to get involved.
Their pub quiz night tomorrow (1 Feb) in Cardiff will be hosted by BBC Radio Wales presenter Chris Corcoran.
DAB coverage to improve for London 2 mux
The owners of the second digital radio multiplex for Greater London have announced plans to change transmission provider from June this year and extend coverage.
Switchdigital as agreed a 12-year deal with French company VDL, which will see the service through its second licence period.
Radio 4 Extra programming boss retires
Mary Kalemkerian, who launched BBC Radio 7, has announced her retirement from the BBC after 30 years.
She’s currently Head of Programming for Radio 4 Extra, after overseeing the station’s rebranding from BBC 7 last year.
Public notice plan could help radio firms
Commercial radio stations and groups are being encouraged to take part in a government consultation on the future public notices.
The Department for Transport is looking at whether rules forcing government departments and local councils to advertise details of road closures in newspapers only should be changed.
Carl Hartley joins Town and Country
Former Lakeland Radio news editor Carl Hartley is to take up a role as programme manager for three Town and Country Broadcasting stations in South Wales from early March.
He’ll also do the drivetime show for Radio Carmarthenshire, Radio Ceredigion and Scarlet FM.
Stray FM raises £8k to help local girl
Harrogate-based UKRD station Stray FM has raise just under £8,000 to help a local toddler who is fighting cancer.
2-year old Sadie Rose Clifford from Knaresborough needs life-saving treatment in America and her family have been appealing for help in raising £150,000 to pay for it.
5 live ‘should be clearly driven by news’
The BBC Trust says Radio 5 live should ensure that discussions and features should have an obvious link to news or topical issues.
The guidance comes from the Trust’s service review of the station, which also says it should cover more minority sports that commercial radio does not.
Community station Cheshire FM closes down
Community radio station Cheshire FM has ended broadcasts after being served with a winding-up order because of unpaid debts.
The station, which launched in March 2007, fell silent on Friday afternoon.
Radio 4 dominates BBC Audio Drama Awards
Programmes broadcast by BBC Radio 4 have picked up 8 of the 11 prizes at the corporation’s first ever Audio Drama Awards.
‘Lost Property – The Year My Mother Went Missing’ was named Best Audio Drama, while the top actor and actress awards went to David Tennant and Rosie Cavaliero.
Last Radio 2 Saturday show for Zoe Ball
Zoe Ball has announced that this weekend’s Saturday breakfast show on Radio 2 was her last.
It’s understood she’ll continue to do cover work for the station but won’t have a regular weekly slot.
Key 103 chooses Wise Buddah for jingles
Bauer Media’s Key 103 has re-freshed its station sound with a new jingle package from Wise Buddah.
The package include station imaging and power intros, based around six initial main cuts and on-going updates.
Rick Vaughn leaves Bauer over competition
Radio City’s mid-morning presenter has left this week, with the station investigating an alleged breaking of its rules on promotions and competitions.
Rick Vaughn started out at the Liverpool station in the late 90s, before going on to work at stations including BRMB and Rock FM and returning to City in 2008.
Matt Cardle opens new Heart Cambs studio
X Factor winner Matt Cardle has performed at a private gig as part of the official opening of the recently refurbished Heart studios in Cambridge.
The Global Radio’s Cambridgeshire station has moved from Peterborough and back into the old home of Q103 in the village of Histon.
Rob Kelly leaves Bauer for Global Radio
Heart West Midlands and Capital FM Birmingham have a new Commercial Director.
Rob Kelly joins the Global stations from Bauer’s Viking FM and Magic 1161 where he held the same role.
Podcast for former talkSPORT host Collins
Ex-talkSPORT late show presenter Ian Collins is launching a new weekly podcast, with a sponsorship deal already in place to fund it.
‘Ian Collins Wants a Word’ will go live from next week on iTunes and include some of his old radio features.
New six-year cricket deal for BBC radio
BBC Sport and the England and Wales Cricket Board have agreed a new six-year deal for radio coverage, meaning ball-by-ball commentaries will run until at least 2019.
The agreement means live and exclusive coverage for the BBC of two home Ashes series in 2015 and 2019 as well as all England’s home Test, One-Day International and T20 series fixtures.
talkSPORT gets Sharp for Euro 2012
National sports radio station talkSPORT has announced electronics firm Sharp as an official partner of its coverage of the Euro 2012 football tournament this summer.
The firm will have bespoke on-air content around live matches and also be featured in the station’s sister title Sport Magazine as part of the build-up to the event.
BBC Hereford and Worcester boss to leave
James Coghill is leaving his job as Managing Editor of BBC Hereford and Worcester after a 23 year career with the BBC.
His entire time at the corporation has been in the two counties, with the last 13 as head of the station.
Trust asks BBC to rethink Local Radio cuts
The Chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten has asked BBC management to reconsider elements of the DQF proposals for cuts to the corporation’s local radio stations.
Plans for afternoon programme sharing, drastic changes to newsroom staffing levels and the removal of off-peak specialist programmes could all be be scrapped.
Let’s Dance for Scott, Tony and Diddy
Radio 1′s Scott Mills, Radio 2′s Tony Blackburn and radio legend David Hamilton are taking part in this year’s Let’s Dance for Sport Relief.
The show sees celebrities teaming up to recreate famous dance routines and help raise money for the BBC’s charity appeal.
Stuart Grant swaps Heart for Choice FM
Global Radio has appointed former Heart Sussex Programme Controller Stuart Grant as the new Managing Editor of London urban station Choice FM.
Stuart only joined Heart last September after a long career with Kiss in the East of England and its predecessor Vibe FM.
Nigel Dyson departs BBC Radio Cumbria
The Editor of BBC Radio Cumbria is stepping down from his role after 14 years at the station and a 36-year career with the corporation.
Nigel Dyson worked at BBC local radio stations Humberside, Lancashire, Three Counties and Cambridge before joining Radio Cumbria in 1998.
Metro Radio promote £1m of work in 24hrs
Bauer’s Newcastle-based Metro Radio has exceeded its target to help listeners find jobs – within 24 hours of launching.
The station’s latest £1m of Work campaign began on Monday morning’s breakfast show, with the aim to get companies based in the North East to promote vacancies for free on air and on the website.
Bauer restructures sales teams for brands
Bauer Radio’s sales teams are to work more closely with colleagues at Bauer Media part of a restructure of the parent group’s commercial teams.
It will enable the UK’s second biggest radio group to offer cross-platform advertising based on brands in their portfolio.
Jonathan Arendt to depart Planet Rock
Digital station Planet Rock’s Managing Director is to leave the company to set up his own digital media firm.
Jonathan Arendt has been running the station since June 2010, having previously held roles at Original 106, LBC, XFM and NME Radio.
Tony Horne back on air in NW with UTV
Former Metro Radio breakfast presenter Tony Horne is joining UTV Media to present a Sunday morning show on three stations in the North West.
The Tony Horne Sunday Show will be broadcast on Wish FM, Wire FM and Tower FM from next month.
New host for Radio 2′s Sunday Half Hour
Songs of Praise presenter Diane-Louise Joran is to take over as host of BBC Radio 2′s long-running weekly hymns and prayers programme Sunday Half Hour.
It follows the decision of Father Brian D’Arcy to leave the show after five years, with his last show this coming weekend.
Fresh stalwart joins Drystone Radio
One of the founders of Yorkshire Dales Radio has joined the team at nearby community radio station Drystone Radio.
James Wilson was made redundant from his position as Head of News at the Skipton-based station – called Fresh Radio since 1999 – last month ahead of its sale to UKRD.
