Latest news about BBC Local Radio

Radio services off-air after fire at a North Yorkshire transmitter site

Local and regional radio stations including Capital, Heart, TFM and BBC Radio Tees have lost their analogue FM services around North Yorkshire following a fire at the Bilsdale mast. National stations Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4 and Classic FM along with local DAB services on the MuxCo multiplexes are also suffering from reduced coverage in the area. Freeview services carried by the site are also off-air...

Elise Evans to replace Daz Hale at BBC Radio WM Breakfast

Elise Evans has been appointed as the new breakfast show presenter on BBC Radio WM. Elise, who will replace Daz Hale, has been presenting for 10 years and joined BBC Radio WM two years ago. She has fronted shows across the schedule and most recently was the voice of the BBC Radio Wolverhampton Breakfast show, the temporary station launched in response to the pandemic...

MBE for Simon Mayo in the Queen’s Birthday Honours

Simon Mayo has been awarded an MBE for services to radio broadcasting in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021. The list demonstrates the extraordinary efforts made by individuals in all four nations of the United Kingdom during the pandemic. Also being recognised is Beverley Humphreys from BBC Radio Wales for her services to Community Cohesion and Broadcasting, Mark Robinson, founder of Prison Radio, for services to...

BBC Radio Scotland signs up Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil joins BBC Radio Scotland’s presenting line-up next month with a brand new six-part series that will explore his love of music. He’ll also share tracks from artists that have inspired him as a musician and music fan. Each show will focus on a different music genre with Simon sharing a unique and passionate look into tracks that have provided the backdrop to both his personal and professional life...

Allan Beswick moves to weekends on Local BBC Radio

Weeknight phone-in host Allan Beswick, who is heard across BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Manchester Monday to Thursday, is moving to weekends only. Allan has hosted the show since 2014, and the move means each station will move to provide local programmes in their own areas. John Gillmore will host 10pm till 1am on BBC Radio Lancashire (and Cumbria), whilst Anna Jameson will be on BBC Radio Manchester...

Local BBC Radio to support children’s mental health organisations

Local BBC radio stations are promoting opportunities to volunteer with organisations through the ‘Make a Difference Happy Heads’ campaign, to support children and young people’s mental health and well-being. All 39 stations will be promoting these roles on-air and online and encouraging audiences to volunteer via the BBC Make a Difference website. Recent data published by BBC Children in Need found that more than two-thirds of children and...

BBC Essex introduces its own local Late Show

BBC Essex has introduced a new local late show presented by Tony Fisher. Tony will is now on-air Monday to Thursday weeknights between 10pm and 1am having started this week, with Fridays continuing to be presented by Nick Risby. Nick hosts the show Monday to Friday across the Eastern region and will continue to do this. Also from this week, the local BBC Radio station becomes one of the only stations in England to...

Stephanie Hirst leaves BBC Radio Leeds show

Stephanie Hirst is leaving BBC Radio Leeds this week after three years on-air hosting a daily show. She joined the station to host mid-mornings in 2018 but has more recently been presenting 2pm till 6pm whilst all local stations have standardised four hour slots. Stephanie’s last show will be this Friday. She told RadioToday: “Thank you to the BBC for allowing me to live out a childhood dream of working for the corporation. “I’ve worked alongside some of the most talented and...

Local BBC radio stations gets back to business

Local BBC Radio is launching Make a Difference – Back to Business, to support the arts sector in England. The initiative will run across 40 Local Radio Mid-Morning programmes and see presenters go behind the scenes of museums, galleries and theatres leading up to the eagerly-anticipated curtain-raiser in May. Today, BBC presenters will shine a spotlight on the lengths venues have gone to ensure their survival while taking a closer look at...

Claire Sweeney hosts new series on BBC Radio Merseyside

Broadcaster Claire Sweeney is joining BBC Radio Merseyside to host a new series chatting with special guests about their careers, favourite memories and Merseyside heritage. Guests on Claire Sweeney Meets include Jason Isaacs, John Barnes, Holly Johnson, Paul O’Grady and Lady Anne Dodd, the wife of the late legendary comic Sir Ken Dodd. All of the guests are from Liverpool or have a Merseyside connection, and are all either friends of Claire’s or people she has worked with during her career.