Latest news about BBC Radio 1

Broadcasters unite once again for Mental Health Minute

Commercial Radio and the BBC are once again uniting to broadcast a one-minute message in support of mental health awareness. For the second year Mental Health Minute will feature globally famous voices and unite stations all over the UK, from national networks such as those run by Global, Bauer and Wireless, to smaller local stations and community stations, together with BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and 5 Live.

Greg James and James Purnell sign up for Radio Festival

The Radio Festival will include sessions from BBC Radio 1 breakfast show presenter Greg James, and the BBC’s Director of Radio and Education James Purnell. Other new sessions announced today are from Google News’ Brenda Salinas and Katy Leeson of Social Chain. James Purnell will be joining RadFest to share his thoughts on the importance of treasuring radio amidst significant change in the industry and in people’s listening habits.

BBC to create single role to Control Radio 1 and Radio 2

The BBC is to create a new single role of Controller of its pop music stations Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, Radio 2 and 6 Music. Heads of each station, plus BBC Music and the Music TV commissioning heads, will report to the new Controller. A source tells RadioToday that Ben Cooper, currently Controller of Radio 1, 1Xtra and BBC Asian Network is expected to be appointed to the new position across all five services.

BBC Radio 1 to tour the North East ahead of Big Weekend

BBC Radio 1 will host a number of outreach sessions in schools, colleges, universities and community centres across the North East in the run up to Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Middlesbrough. Comprising of a schools tour, a takeover of Middlesbrough College, and a skills showcase at Teesside University, the Inspire ME tour will give young people from Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas an introduction to working in the creative and sporting industries, providing them with the skills, know-how and motivation they need to take those all-important first steps.

Radio professionals head to Student Radio event in Swansea

A number of radio presenters, producers and management are in sharing their experience and knowledge with students in Swansea this week. The annual Student Radio Conference is taking place over three days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and has a line-up to rival most other industry events. Radio presenters giving up their time include Greg James, Adele Roberts, Aled Hayden Jones, Stephanie Hirst, Matt Edmondson, Mollie King, Tim Cocker, Will Manning, Vicki Blight, Trevor Nelson, Tom Swarbrick, Alex Mansuroglu and Sam Darlaston.

Greg James and Roman Kemp win at the TRIC Awards 2019

The winners for the Television & Radio Industries Club awards have been announced, with Greg James and Roman Kemp amongst those recognised. BBC Radio 1 breakfast presenter Greg James took home the Radio Personality award whilst about-to-be-national Capital Breakfast’s Roman Kemp won Best Radio Programme. BBC Radio 5 Live’s “You Me & The Big C” won Podcast of the Year...

Greg James to present his first show on BBC Radio 4 this May

Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Greg James will present a new series - Rewinder - on Radio 4 this May. This is the first time James has presented on Radio 4. In this new Saturday morning series Greg, who is a passionate radio enthusiast, digs deep into the BBC’s archives using current stories as a portal into the past. Each week he takes topical news events, talking points and trends, and tracks down audio from the past which might add to our understanding or make us reflect or laugh...

Greg James is stuck in the Radio 1 Escape Room

BBC Radio 1’s latest on-air promotion started on Monday morning and sees Greg James locked in a room needing help from listeners to get out. Greg was taken away from his breakfast show before 8am, blindfolded and put in the back of a van. He later emerged in a locked room with a keypad on the door, requiring a six-digit code to open.

Commercial radio ignored in Greatest Radio Shows list

The Radio Times has named what it considers to be the ’30 greatest radio shows of all time’ – but every single one is a BBC programme. The magazine’s new edition contains a six-page feature counting down the shows – from Radio 3’s Private Passions at number 30 to Desert Island Discs at number 1. But the feature has attracted criticism that no commercial radio shows are included. Former radio executive John Myers wrote on Twitter: “I’m sorry, but this is the most insulting and ill informed article on radio I’ve read in a long time."...

Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James increases listeners by more than 300,000

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James has increased listeners by more than 300,000 in his first full quarter. Latest Rajar data shows since Greg James started on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, there has been an increase of listeners aged 10+ to 5.59m (Monday-Thursday), from 5.28m last quarter. The same period (17 September-16 December 2018) has also seen a record for digital listening, with the proportion of digital listening now at 52.6%...