Radio News

UK radio stations set to cover US Election 2020

The biggest event of the year in US politics is set to be covered live by a number of radio stations in the UK this Tuesday. LBC, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and News Radio UK will all pause regular programmes for non-stop coverage from America. LBC’s special show starts at 10pm and will be in video as well as audio with Iain Dale and Shelagh Fogarty live from LBC’s new studios in Westminster. Tom Swarbrick will be live from the Election Hub at Global’s news centre in Leicester Square and Ben Kentish will swap Westminster for Washington, D.C. to provide the latest reaction and breaking news Stateside as the votes are declared...

Presenter and journalist Anila Dhami joins Sunrise Radio

Sunrise Radio has hired presenter and journalist Anila Dhami to host a new current affairs show. The new weekly programme starts on Sunday 1st November 2020 with the television host and marks a return for a current affairs show to the station. Tony Lit MBE said, “Sunrise Radio has always been the voice for British Asians over the past 31 years and with the challenges being faced here in the UK and Worldwide, I feel that it’s important that Sunrise keeps our listeners informed and also gives them a platform to share their opinions...

BBC Radio 2 celebrates 50 years of pop performances

BBC Radio 2 is marking 50 years of pop music performances on the BBC with In Concert 50. From Fleetwood Mac and Bill Withers in the 70s to Craig David, Florence and the Machine and Sam Smith in the 21st Century, In Concert on the BBC in sound and vision has charted the history of popular music and this month of special archive shows and performances looks back across 50 years. From Sunday 1 November, all 50 performances are on BBC Sounds, with a special 10 artist Box Set available to watch on BBC iPlayer. BBC Four broadcasts Dido (Friday 30 October) and Seal (Friday 13 November) as TV-first In Concert exclusives. Dido performs at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios from 2019...

BBC local stations create a singalong with McFly

BBC Local Radio is teaming up with boy band McFly to create a special version of their hit Happiness. All 39 stations across England are calling up on audiences in bubbles to take part in the live singalong to help raise funds for BBC Children in Need. Listeners are being asked to tune in to any local station at 10am on Monday 9th November to sing along with the radio to the song, film it, and upload clips to the BBC Make A Difference website. A montage will then be made to be played on Children in Need night. Regional BBC TV News programmes and local radio stations will also share the uploaded clips on their social media platforms...

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...

Heart Xmas launches early for Christmas 2020

Global has started its annual festive radio station Heart Xmas early this year. The service is available on lots of local digital radio multiplexes across the UK rather than the national mux D1 used previously. The switch-on comes on the same day British Summer Time ends and more than 60 days before the big day itself. This year sees a slight name change, dropping the “extra” tag used in previous years as Heart extra changed to Heart UK in March...

Nothing But Thieves to play for Radio X

Indie-rock band Nothing But Thieves will play a stripped back gig for Radio X and Barclaycard competition winners. The event is happening at London’s Clapham Grand on Tuesday 10th November and tickets will be available to win in pairs. Under the current Tier 2 guidelines for London, winning pairs will have to reside in the same household or support bubble. Radio X Presents Nothing But Thieves with Barclaycard follows the ‘Best of Capital’s Summertime Ball with Barclaycard’, which saw Global deliver a two hour live TV show celebrating 11 years of performances from artists at Capital’s Summertime Ball...

Radio 2 challenges Joe Wicks to 24 hour workout

Joe Wicks will attempt to workout for 24 hours in aid of Children in Need on BBC Radio 2 this year. Appearing on Thursday’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Joe announced his 24 Hour PE Challenge will start at 9.25am on Thursday 12 November, endeavouring to finish a day later at 9.25am on Friday 13 November. Joe will be at the BBC Studios in London and viewers can watch live on the Red Button and BBC iPlayer across the 24 hours. The final moments of Joe’s challenge on the morning of the BBC Children in Need Appeal day, from 9.05am-9.25am, will stream live on YouTube with schools up and down the country joining...

Richie Brave replaces Reece Parkinson on 1Xtra Talks

Richie Brave is joining 1Xtra as the new host of 1Xtra Talks, the hour-long Sunday evening show currently hosted by Reece Parkinson. 1Xtra Talks tells the stories of young people from across the UK with a range of topical and honest discussions on the issues impacting young people and the society they live in. Richie is a presenter, writer and broadcaster who most recently hosted 1Xtra’s podcast ‘1Xtra Talks Presents… Brave Conversations’ which explored and discussed the many different aspects of the Black experience. He has also previously appeared on Channel 4 and BET...

talkSPORT hires Troy Deeney for breakfast feature

talkSPORT has hired Watford striker Troy Deeney to join its breakfast show team. He will be a weekly regular at Breakfast with input into some live programming on the network plus talkSPORT’s podcast output. He will be alongside Laura Woods and Ally McCoist every Monday and will feature as a live football pundit across the season and continue playing for Watford. Troy will also write a new column for The Sun newspaper...