Radio News

Cristo Foufas replaces Iain Lee on talkRADIO lates

talkRADIO has replaced Iain Lee with Cristo Foufas on the 10pm till 1am slot. Cristo started his show on Tuesday night after Iain hosted his last show on Monday. Iain says he was told on Tuesday that he wouldn’t be on-air again. Cristo is now covering the slot until a replacement is announced. “From tonight, and every weeknight from 10pm to 1am I’ll be stepping into the late show @talkRADIO where we’ll give you the chance to discuss the days’ big news, tell your stories, and keep each other company in the small hours. Can’t wait to talk to you all!,” Cristo tweeted...

Iain Lee announces departure from talkRADIO after 4 years

talkRADIO’s late night presenter Iain Lee says last night’s show was his final programme on the station, after receiving the news that his contract isn’t being renewed. He joined the station from its launch in 2016 and during that time has won two Radio Academy ARIAs – for Best Speech Presenter in 2017 and Radio Moment of the Year in 2020. In a post on Facebook and Twitter, Ian wrote: “I’ve been waiting for a while to find out if my contract was going to be renewed and today I was finally told that, no, it isn’t. I won’t be going back on air. My last show was last night’s (which I thought was a little dull, a 5 out of 10 only! Out with a whimper!)...

BBC launches search for best new spoken word artists in lockdown

BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Asian Network have launched Words First alongside BBC Arts and Contains Strong Language Festival, aiming to discover the best emerging spoken word artists from across the UK. Working together with poetry organisations across the country, the Words First scheme is looking for people who are passionate about spoken word in any form. From rappers and MCs to poets and lyricists, anyone with an interest in developing their spoken word skills can apply from 29 May until 19 June 2020. In previous years, shortlisted artists would attend regional workshops in person...

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...

Jonny Owen joins Mark Webster at talkSPORT

Welsh TV actor, director and producer Jonny Owen has joined talkSPORT to launch a new two hour Sunday morning show with Mark Webster. A new Sunday evening investigative journalism show The Dive has also started designed to present a deep dive into the world of sport. Welshman Jonny Owen was the director of I Believe in Miracles, the story of the history-making Nottingham Forest team that won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, ‘Don’t take me home’ the story of Wales’ journey at the Euro’s, and was the Producer/Presenter of ITV Wales Soccer Sunday...

Annie Mac: ‘I'm happy in chaos and noise’

Annie Mac is not your average DJ. Through her Radio 1 show and hit podcast, she has championed new music and is not afraid to tackle grittier subjects such as misogyny in rap and knife crime. Laura Snapes finds out what drives her and the secret of her self-confidence. Annie Mac is busy doing her homework when I reach her by video one morning in early May. She’s due to give her weekly “rave lesson” on fellow BBC Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw’s teatime show (today’s subject: the week-long Castlemorton party of 1992). I had wondered if these lessons were a sneaky way of teaching teenagers how to kickstart parties in the wreckage of...

Orchestra to perform BBC Local Radio’s Great Northern Playlist

BBC Local Radio listeners across the North of England are being asked to nominate the song that best symbolises their area, with the winners then being performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. An ensemble of up to 80 players will adapt and perform each of the 10 songs, with each individual part recorded from the musicians’ own homes. The final 10 songs will be selected by a presenter from each of the stations involved – which are Radio Merseyside, Radio Manchester, Radio Lancashire, Radio Cumbria, Radio Newcastle, Radio Tees, Radio Leeds, Radio York, Radio Humberside and Radio Sheffield...

What does the BBC’s Annual Plan say about Radio?

OPINION: The BBC is required to publish its annual plan each year. Just as with every broadcaster, however – and every industry – this year’s is atypical. Even when the COVID crisis abates, life will never be the same again. My notes here focus largely on radio, but it is worth citing the general headlines from the report, which bear out Ofcom’s latest research published yesterday: “As social distancing began in the UK in the third week of March, pan-BBC reach among adults peaked at 94%. That is: 94% of the British public used the BBC that week. 86% of young adults aged 16-34 used the BBC that week, up from 77% the week before”...

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...

KISS to join six other Bauer stations in Europe for #RadioRave

A 5-hour dance music show is to air across seven radio station in Europe at the end of this month – across the seven countries that Bauer Media operates radio stations in. The #RadioRave will broadcast on KISS in the UK, along with KISS branded stations in Norway and Finland, RMF Maxxx in Poland, The Voice in Denmark, NRJ in Sweden and Radio Expres in Slovakia. The line-up for the show at 8pm Central European Time on Saturday 30th May will feature DJs including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Majestic and Joel Corry, in what Bauer is calling ‘one of Europe’s largest house parties’...