Radio News

BBC Asian Network on the lookout for new talent

BBC Asian Network is looking for new presenters to join the station who will host their own shows from March 2021. The talent search initiative is looking for 12 new voices who live and breathe British Asian culture and have a passion for reporting on the latest in music, current affairs and the world of entertainment. The search for new voices will focus on those whose strengths lie in presenting however, Asian Network welcomes applications from people with and without previous radio experience...

Special guests line up for Just a Minute return

BBC Radio 4’s Just a Minute will have long-standing panellists Paul Merton and Gyles Brandreth, as well as Lucy Porter, Stephen Fry, Jo Brand and Nish Kumar in the host’s chair for a new series beginning in February. This series will see 10 guest presenters follow in the footsteps of Nicholas Parsons who died earlier this year. Each will take a turn to lead the comedy panel game and to uphold the tradition of attempting to talk for 60 seconds with no hesitation, repetition or deviation. Sioned Wiliam, Radio 4’s Commissioning Editor for Comedy says: “We’re delighted that this group of superbly talented guest hosts will be joining us to take part in the brilliant and much loved game that is Just a Minute...

Garry Spence gets Drive on MFR and Radio Borders

Garry Spence is set to return to weekdays on MFR, the station where he started his career over 20 years ago, as well as Radio Borders. He’ll be taking over the networked 4pm to 7pm slot on both stations from Tuesday 5th January 2021. Garry grew up in Inverness and started as a volunteer at the station in 1996. He got his very first Saturday night show in 1997 at just 14 years old and by the age of 17 he was doing three shows a week and went full-time on daytime in 2001. Garry left the station in 2003 but returned earlier this year to host Saturday Night Anthems on the network...

BFBS to broadcast via BBC Radio 1 on Christmas Day

BBC Radio 1 is teaming up with BFBS on Christmas Day to give troops the opportunity to send Christmas messages to their families and friends in the UK. Four one hour shows from 10am till 2pm will broadcast from military bases in Cyprus, Germany, Brunei, Gibraltar and Bahrain, with each featuring messages from members of the forces and some surprise guests. All shows will be hosted by BFBS presenters – Akylah Rodriguez and Ben Coley will kick off the takeover at 10am from Cyprus, followed by Elliot Darby and Rosie Da Costa broadcasting from Germany between 11am and midday...

Nation Radio UK reveals weekday presenter line-up

Mike Read, Russ Williams, Neil Francis, Neil Fox and Dean Martin are leading the programme schedule for Nation Radio UK. The team of well-known presenters will be on the station from launch day – 4th January 2021 – on a number of local DAB multiplexes. It’ll be available initially in London, Scotland, the North West and the South Coast as well as the usual online places. Former BBC Radio 1 Breakfast presenter Mike Read says: “Unbelievable! Someone’s let the Jocks out. The boys are back in town…and we know how to do radio. We love the music, we have the passion, and we know how to entertain.” ...

Former Radio 1 host Dev Griffin is joining Heart

Dev Griffin will join Heart in January just weeks after leaving BBC Radio 1 at the end of December. Dev’s last show at the BBC, where he has been for the last 18 years, is on December 20th, and he’ll start on Heart January 2nd 2021. He’ll be on the Heart network every Saturday afternoon from 12pm till 4pm replacing Zoe Hardman who moves to Saturday breakfast in addition to her Sunday morning show. Andy Everett, Managing Editor of Heart, said: “Dev is a huge talent and we’re over the moon to welcome him to Heart. He brings a fresh new sound to weekends on Heart and I’m sure our listeners will instantly connect with him...

Schedule changes coming to Greatest Hits Radio

Greatest Hits Radio is getting a schedule shake-up in January as Jenny Powell and Debbie Mac join, and Andy Crane and Alex Lester move to different time slots. Debbie Mac comes over from Hits Radio to present the weekday afternoon show, replacing Andy Crane, whilst TV host Jenny Powell will host a new weekend breakfast show. Andy Crane moves to a new late-night programme from 10pm to 1am from Sunday through to Thursdays while the dark lord Alex Lester returns to the Best Time of the Day Show to keep the overnight club awake between 1am – 6am...

Capital Dance introduces breakfast show with Rio Fredrika

Capital Dance is introducing a presented breakfast show to its schedule, to be hosted by Rio Fredrika. Rio, who currently hosts Monday Drive, will be on-air from 7am till 11am weekdays from January 4th 2021. Elsewhere MistaJam will continue hosting Tuesday to Saturday 4pm till 7pm and Coco Cole continues with the Capital Dance evening show, Mondays – Thursdays (7pm – 10pm) and the all-new Capital Weekender show from 10pm. Rio Fredrika said: “Honestly this is a dream come true! I am so unbelievably excited to be launching the Capital Dance Breakfast Show! I’m the most ‘morning person’ you’ll ever meet so you can count on high energy and I’ll be playing all the biggest dance tunes to kick-start your day! Can’t wait to see you there.”...

BBC Radio 1 names 33 Christmas guest presenters

BBC Radio 1 has revealed the new schedule of 33 guest presenters set to take over the station across the festive period. New presenters will host one off programmes from Boxing Day until New Year’s Day in place of the regular line-up in an initiative first seen last year. Many of the presenters have taken an unconventional route to their first slot on Radio 1, including Will Kirk from Sheffield, whose day job is in marketing. Will has a severe to profound hearing loss in both ears and wears hearing aids, and will be Radio 1’s first deaf or hard of hearing DJ. Joining him will be Jevanni Letford from East London, who qualified as a lawyer before moving into...

The Beast returns to Union JACK for new radio quiz

Union JACK has brought back Mark “The Beast” Labbett to front a new and revamped twice-weekly quiz show. The Beast of all Pub Quizzes broadcasts live at 1pm every Tuesday and Thursday with the use of voice-activated technology using mobile phones. To join in, listeners simply need to download the Union JACK radio App for free and listen online of via DAB. Speaking of the show, Labbett said: “The Beast is back – and this time with The Beast of all Pub Quizzes! We had so much fun doing it before and this time is even better – if you think you can outwit the nation, then download the app, tune into Union JACK radio and come and have a go.”...