Latest news about Classic FM

Classic FM to air programmes for pets and owners

Classic FM’s Pet Sounds is returning this year to help anxious pets and their owners during the fireworks season. The feature, now in its third year, is hosted by weekend presenter and dog-owner Bill Turnbull. It will air on Guy Fawkes Night, Thursday 5th November, with a second programme on Saturday 7th November. Bill says he will play a selection of soothing and relaxing music, specially curated to help calm the nerves of the nation’s pets. There will also be dedications to listeners’ pets and advice from the RSPCA for any owners looking to reassure their animals...

Classic FM signs up Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE

Classic FM is launching a new Sunday night series with Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, the double-bass player and founder of the Chineke! Foundation. Starting on Sunday 4th October at 9pm, Chi-chi’s Classical Champions will shine the spotlight on Black, Asian & ethnically diverse composers and performers who have enjoyed success, as well as those yet to receive recognition. Across six weeks, Chi-chi will champion brilliant music; tell the stories behind the works and performances, and play a varied range of recordings – all personally chosen by her – by artists from diverse backgrounds from the 16th century up to the present day...

Additional weekend show for Moira Stuart on Classic FM

A new programme starts on Classic FM this Sunday 9th August called Moira Stuart Meets. Moira will host the eight-part series programme in addition to her Saturday afternoon show. Broadcast every Sunday at 9pm, Moira Stuart Meets… marks her first-ever interview series, as she chats to well-known names from the worlds of the arts, politics, sport and entertainment. Katherine Jenkins is the guest on the first show followed by Sir Tim Rice. A second eight-part series of Moira Stuart Meets… has already been lined up for later in the year on the Global station...

Sir Trevor McDonald to present on Classic FM

Classic FM has hired Sir Trevor McDonald to host a special four-part Sunday evening series starting on July 12th. Sir Trevor McDonald’s Headliners will celebrate the musicians who make, or have made, the headlines around the world. They include Jacqueline du Pré, Maria Callas and André Previn, plus Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Martha Argerich and Maxim Vengerov. Sir Trevor McDonald said: “Presenting programmes about the music I love has long been on my bucket list, so I was delighted when Classic FM asked me. I am looking forward to sharing the world’s greatest music and the headlines behind that music with listeners.” ...

Alexander Armstrong to host Classic FM mornings

After almost 10 years hosting Classic FM’s morning show, John Suchet is moving to present a new weekday evening concert programme. The Classic FM Concert with John Suchet will feature orchestras, choirs and soloists from across the UK and around the world. The new show, weekdays 8pm till 10pm, will be in addition to John’s current year-long Saturday night series, Beethoven: The Man Revealed. Alexander Armstrong will replace John on the weekday morning programme and becomes the fourth presenter of the show in the station’s 28-year history...

The Prince of Wales to host Classic FM shows

Classic FM is to broadcast two special programmes with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales next week. Both two-hour programmes will be a celebration of His Royal Highness’s life-long support and enjoyment of classical music – with each piece personally chosen by him through recordings made by his extensive musical patronages across the UK. These include the Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Monteverdi and Bach Choirs, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Classic FM presenter Alan Titchmarsh will join His Royal Highness for the first programme, on Monday 25th May at 8pm...

RAJAR Q1 2020: London and national brands roundup

BBC Radio 2 has lost almost a million listeners in the last year, according to the Q1/2020 audience research from RAJAR. The reach of the UK’s biggest radio station fell from 15.356m at the start of 2019 to 14.362m over the first three months of this year. The two biggest commercial radio networks – Heart and Capital – both lost significant reach over the 12 months too. The Heart network lost 787,000 listeners to leave a reach of 7.737m, while Capital dropped 815,000 to 6.386m. When you add in the other Heart and Capital branded stations – 70s, 80s, 90s, Dance, Xtra and Xtra Reloaded – the Heart brand reaches 9.365m and the Capital brand 7.502m...

Global radio stations join in with mass applause

LBC, Heart, Capital, Capital XTRA, Smooth, Classic FM, Radio X and Gold will pause for a mass applause to thank NHS workers this week. All the Global stations will join the show of appreciation at 8pm on Thursday 26th March, encouraging people up and down the country to stand and clap at their windows, front doors, balconies and in their living rooms. The call-to-action, which will amplify the sentiment of the online ‘Clap for our Carers’ campaign, was launched this morning at 0815 on-air...

Global’s Classic FM Live event won’t go ahead

Global says its Classic FM Live event at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 18th May won’t now go ahead. This follows the government’s advice regarding mass gatherings because of the developing coronavirus outbreak, together with the uncertainty surrounding live events and the Royal Albert Hall’s closure period. The sold-out concert was to be in celebration of the 20th anniversary of ‘Classic FM Live’...

RAJAR Q4 2019: London and national brands round-up

Coverage of the general election helped 5 Live, Radio 4 and LBC each add half a million listeners across 2019. 5 Live is up from 4.9m to 5.4m in the Q4/2019 RAJAR listening figures, while Radio 4 has added a similar amount, rising from 10.4m a year ago to 10.9m now. LBC, including new digital station LBC News, posts a record high of 2.7m listeners (up more than half a million year on year), while talkRADIO is up more than 40% from 12 months ago to now have 433,000 listeners a week – another record high for the Wireless station...