Radio News

Alex Jones joins BBC Radio Wales weekends

The One Show’s Alex Jones is joining BBC Radio Wales to host a new weekend show. Alex says: “I’m so excited to get my headphones back on for BBC Radio Wales and to play some of my favourite songs. “There is something so special about radio – the connection you can have with the listeners and there’s something extra special about talking to people in Wales.” So far the “Sunday Morning with…” slot has been presented by a series of Welsh names which have included Keeping Faith star Eve Myles, presenter Carol Vorderman, athlete Colin Jackson, actress Suzanne Packer and broadcaster Anna Ryder Richardson...

Greatest Hits Radio Drivetime presenters revealed

Greatest Hits Radio will have nine regional Drivetime shows across its network of over 50 local radio stations in England and Wales when it expands on September 1st. There will be nine ‘super stations’ made up of all the current services operating as GHR by Bauer, and those previously owned by UKRD, Celador, Wireless and Lincs FM Group. The new enlarged regional areas are the North West, North East, Yorkshire, Midlands, East, South West, South and Wales. Each area, except for the existing North East region which takes the national feed, and Wales which has its own dedicated daytime schedule, will have a regional drivetime show...

Changes at KISS including new weekend schedule

Bauer’s KISS has today unveiled a fresh new weekend schedule. Charlie Powell, Swarzy Macaly, Alex Mansuroglu, Sam Darlston & Omah Howard all feature on the new look line-up launching on the 7th of September. Brand new pairing Sam and Omah are both previous winners of ‘KISS Chosen One’. This is Omah’s first regular show on the main KISS station, joining 2015 KISS Chosen One winner Sam, who previously presented late nights on the station and on KISS Fresh, for their 2-5pm show. KISS evening host Alex Mansuroglu now launches a new mid-morning show on the station from 11am-2pm, while listeners will also be able to...

New Youth Orchestra series for Scala Radio

Scala Radio is to broadcast a new show ‘Sunday Night Scala in the Youth Orchestra’. It’ll be a four-part series where Scala will hand the music and microphone over to the next generation of classical music stars. With takeovers from members of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the Chineke! Juniors and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Scala says the episodes will offer complete musical immersion and escapism as the weekend draws to a close. One episode will also be hosted by a member of the National Open Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the world’s first disabled-led national youth orchestra...

Bauer launches Magic 100% Christmas in August

Bauer Media has today launched pop-up station Magic 100% Christmas – four months before the big day. The station will be online only this year, with Bauer saying the service is needed to lift the spirits of the UK. Tony Moorey, Group Content Director, Magic Radio, told RadioToday: “At Magic Radio we are constantly evolving our offerings and launching innovative new shows and stations to ensure that we reflect our audience’s needs. “With listeners seeking cheer and fun during these challenging times and a strong understanding of how music and Christmas are interlinked, we knew that the next expansion of the Magic brand had to be around the joy of Christmas.” ...

Miley Cyrus, Little Mix, YUNGBLUD, Jorja Smith, Biffy Clyro and more to perform for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month 2020

BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month will return for September 2020 with brand new live performances from Miley Cyrus, Little Mix, YUNGBLUD, Jorja Smith, Biffy Clyro and more. Running from Tuesday 1 - Wednesday 30 September, Live Lounge Month 2020 will feature brand new live performances from (in alphabetical order): Anne-Marie, Arlo Parks, Biffy Clyro, Declan McKenna, Jorja Smith, Little Mix, London Grammar, Miley Cyrus, YUNGLBUD - Hosted by Clara Amfo, each Live Lounge will see artists perform their own music as well as exclusive cover tracks. Every Monday-Thursday throughout September, the Live Lounge can be heard live on Radio 1 and BBC Sounds from midday...

New date for Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2021

The Radio Academy’s annual awards ceremony, the ARIAS, is returning to a May date in 2021. The actual event for the Audio and Radio Industry Awards will be either virtual or physical, depending on what’s appropriate nearer the time. The move has been made in order to shift the awards’ eligibility window to end on 31 December, and to allow members more time in 2020 to prepare their entries. The eligibility window will pick up where last year’s left off, meaning that content broadcast from 1 Oct 2019 all the way through to 31 Dec 2020 can be included...

Union JACK looks for Britain’s Best Beer Garden

Union JACK has launched a competition to find Britain’s Best Beer Garden. The national DAB station is inviting listeners to nominate their top choice from anywhere in the country. The winning pub will become the host venue for a day of live broadcasts including its Full English Breakfast Show; and a live pub quiz hosted by Mark “The Beast” Labbett, who will also be a part of the live broadcast. Listeners will also have the chance to win themselves a year’s worth of drinks. Ahead of the competition launch, Union JACK radio asked listeners to share their thoughts on what constitutes a good beer garden, with these ideas used to develop the criteria on which entries will be judged. Have a listen to an example below...

Simon Mayo joins Greatest Hits Radio line-up

Scala Radio presenter Simon Mayo will do a Sunday afternoon album show on Greatest Hits Radio from next month. The former BBC Radio 2 host will be on 1-4pm on Sundays from 6th September as the brand is rolled out to local radio stations across the country. It’s addition to his six shows a week for Bauer’s sister station Scala. The station says he will be ‘indulging his passion for the finest albums, and their greatest hits, of the 70s, 80s and 90s’. ‘The Album Show with Simon Mayo’ will celebrate and explore listeners’ record collections along with a weekly Classic Album Countdown...

Radio 1 signs Vick Hope to host weekend shows

Former Capital Breakfast co-host Vick Hope is joining BBC Radio 1 from Sunday 6 September to co-host Life Hacks followed by The Official Chart: First Look. Vick will join current co-host Katie Thistleton on Life Hacks, the show which discusses issues affecting young people, and The Official Chart: First Look. Newcastle born Vick previously worked at MTV, ITV and Channel 4. She also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and most recently, spent three years as co-host of Capital FM’s Breakfast Show. The news of Vick’s signing to Radio 1 had been delayed after the sudden death of Capital producer Joe Lyons last week. She posted on...