Radio News

Sponsor announced for Graham Norton on Virgin Radio

Waitrose & Partners has become the official sponsor of the ad-free Graham Norton Radio Show on Virgin Radio UK. The partnership, which was conceived and brokered by MG OMD and Virgin Radio UK, begins today with promotional trails, ahead of the first sponsored weekend show on Saturday, and will run for twelve months. Graham Norton said: “I’m thrilled to be Waitrose’s latest partner. I like to think my Virgin Radio show is now officially ‘essential’.” ....

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend expands to four day event

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will return for a weekend of live music across BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer for four days this year. It’s all happening online from 28th to 31st May with over 100 live performances across the weekend. Around 50 of the performances will be brand new live sets recorded exclusively for Big Weekend 2021, with five of the new sets filmed on location in front of iconic backdrops around the UK, with more to be recorded in the BBC’s Radio Theatre. Though dependent on changes to restrictions in the UK, the BBC says Radio 1’s Big Weekend of Live Music will be designed for fans to enjoy with friends and family in parks, on beaches, in pub gardens or simply from the comfort of their own homes...

Local BBC Radio marks 12 months of Make a Difference

BBC local radio stations across England are celebrating the first anniversary of its Make a Difference campaign on 23rd March. It’s the same date the UK was first put into lockdown, and the network says it has since taken calls from over four million people. To mark the occasion, all 39 local stations are dedicating a day of thanks to those who helped make a difference throughout the last challenging 12 months. Chris Burns, Head of Audio and Digital for BBC England said: “The power of radio is huge when it comes to connecting local communities in their hour of need. The impact of Covid-19 has been reflected by ‘Make a Difference’ across all our local stations and has highlighted acts of kindness and enabled us to share some amazing stories...

Jazz FM Sunday changes sees Robbie Vincent return

Jazz FM is to introduce a new look to Sundays that sees a new daytime slot for broadcaster Tony Minvielle and the return of Robbie Vincent to a regular show. The changes follow the announcement over the weekend by Jeff Young that he is to leave the station after 10 years. Having previously hosted late-night Sunday show “Folded Space” on the station, Tony Minvielle, previously host of Folded Space on Sunday nights, will take on 10am until 1pm with a relaxed soulful selection of UK and west coast US jazz and soul. And Robbie Vincent will make a return to weekly broadcasting on Jazz FM following a series of specials in May last year. He’ll present a two-hour Sunday afternoon show 1pm – 3pm...

Roman Kemp wants you to check in on your mates

Capital Breakfast presenter Roman Kemp has hosted a special documentary for the BBC on mental health following the death of his close friend Joe Lyons. The hour-long television programme, which was broadcast on BBC One, is a deeply personal and candid film following Roman as he explores the mental health and suicide crisis affecting young men in the UK. In August 2020, Roman’s life changed dramatically with the sudden and unexpected death of his best friend, Capital producer Joe Lyons. This timely documentary sees Roman taking a closer look at the urgent issue of young men’s mental health, exploring why increasing numbers are taking their own lives and the reasons why so many of them never ask for help...

History of jazz series planned for Jazz FM

A new landmark ten-part series is heading to Jazz FM from Easter Sunday looking at the history of jazz across the UK. Starting in 1919 when the ‘Original Dixieland Jass Band’ visited London’s Hippodrome for the first official performance of jazz music in the union, the series will feature the genre in Britain and how jazz evolved over the decades, ending up where we are today. “The Definitive History of Jazz in Britain” is hosted by BBC journalist and presenter Clive Myrie who cites jazz music as one of his passions in life. Each week he’ll explore the decade with archive audio, reconstructions, and expert insight from special guests...

Jackie Brambles to host Greatest Hits Radio series

The latest Audio Content Fund includes funding a four-part series called Greatest Brits with Jackie Brambles for Greatest Hits Radio. The former BBC Radio 1 host and current BBC Radio Scotland presenter will celebrate 80s and 90s British female artists in the run-up to the 2021 BRIT Awards. It’s one of many projects awarded money in the latest round, bringing the total to £1.7m in the past year. The projects will broadcast across more than 120 different radio stations and will be produced by 19 different independent production companies...

Capital builds Ice Rink on its roof for Sonny Jay

Capital has built an actual ice rink on the roof of Global’s HQ in Leicester Square to celebrate Sonny Jay’s Dancing on Ice win. The breakfast co-host won with Angela Egan over the weekend on the ITV show. Roman Kemp and the team had Champagne and pizza during Capital Breakfast on Monday morning for the official ‘After Party’ with Sonny’s skating partner appearing on the show this morning from the Terrace. They beat actress Faye Brookes to take home the trophy after performing a Bolero routine inspired by judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s 1984 Winter Olympics figure skating performance...

BBC Radio 2 to give away VIP Camp Bestival experience

Zoe Ball announced BBC Radio 2’s Text To Win prize which will be raising money for this year’s Comic Relief. During Breakfast on Monday morning, Zoe revealed to listeners that, “This week, you could be in with the chance of winning the staycation of a century at this summer’s Camp Bestival. “We’ve sorted out VIP tickets to the festival – for either a family of 2 adults and up to 4 kids, or a ticket for you and 3 mates – to stay at Lulworth Castle, on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. You’ll spend 4 nights sleeping under the stars in a luxury Tipi in the premium Backstage Camping area, from Thursday the 29th of July to Sunday the 1st of August 2021.”...

Simon Mayo returns to Drivetime radio with GHR

Greatest Hits Radio’s new networked Drivetime show with Simon Mayo launched on Monday with Gary Barlow, Marti Pellow, Midge Ure, Tony Hadley and many more artists wishing him well. Kicking off the programme with Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’, Simon welcomed in listeners both new and old. The show is broadcast from London across the Greatest Hits Radio network in England and Wales, and features split ads/jingles, regional news and local travel news for each licence the show is broadcast on. Simon also has new sung jingles to use on the show, which are produced with VO mentions for local areas...