Radio News

Ian Collins leaves BBC Radio Kent for talkRADIO

Presenter Ian Collins has left BBC Radio Kent where he has been hosting breakfast for the last 20 months. He joined in October 2018 to co-host Breakfast with Anna Cookson but all BBC local radio schedules are changing to have single presenters hosting four hour shows. Ian is now hosting afternoons on talkRADIO, weekdays from 1pm till 4pm. It marks a return to the brand for Ian, who worked at the original national speech station from 1995 to 2011. He says: “Being back on talkRADIO feels more like a privilege than a job. The news agenda is such a busy place right now and it’s never been more important to be part of a format that reflects the full range of views out there, and also to bring some positivity back to current affairs radio."...

Sir Trevor McDonald to present on Classic FM

Classic FM has hired Sir Trevor McDonald to host a special four-part Sunday evening series starting on July 12th. Sir Trevor McDonald’s Headliners will celebrate the musicians who make, or have made, the headlines around the world. They include Jacqueline du Pré, Maria Callas and André Previn, plus Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Martha Argerich and Maxim Vengerov. Sir Trevor McDonald said: “Presenting programmes about the music I love has long been on my bucket list, so I was delighted when Classic FM asked me. I am looking forward to sharing the world’s greatest music and the headlines behind that music with listeners.” ...

Capital XTRA VO meets the London Underground voice

One of the latest Tales from the Tannoy podcasts by Elinor Hamilton features a moving edition with Capital XTRA voice-over Rio Attoh-Wood. Elinor took the opportunity to look beyond the usual roster of white voice-overs in the industry for her podcast series due to the recent Black Lives Matter movement. This episode has been described as one of the most powerful conversations on the subject, with a hint of the radio and voice-over world included. On the surface, it’s a discussion between the Capital XTRA voice-over and the London Underground voice, but it goes much deeper...

Asian Network holds leavers party on the radio

The BBC Asian Network hosted an on air leavers’ party for the hundreds of thousands of pupils around the country who will be leaving school this summer without a celebration. Breakfast presenter Harpz Kaur hosted the event, with celebrity surprises from names such as Arjun, Jaz Dhami, Mickey Singh and an extended Love Friday mix during the morning show. Harpz Kaur said: “I remember how excited I was counting down the days to my Prom and saying bye to my friends and teachers at school. Due to lockdown – it’s been so hard for students in that position, who right now would have been excited to wear that dress, or get a fresh fade!"...

BBC Radio 5 Live takes overnights back from Local Radio

Dotun Adebayo is starting his new role as 5 Live’s weekday overnight presenter from next week – three months later than originally planned. Dotun was announced earlier this year as the replacement for the departing Rhod Sharp, and was due to take over the Monday to Friday 1am-5am slot from the start of April. But the Coronavirus pandemic meant that instead he has been hosting overnight shows for BBC Radio London, which the rest of the BBC Local Radio network – as well as 5 Live – have been opting in to...

Here’s how Times Radio sounded on Day One

News UK’s new national radio station Times Radio launched on schedule at 6am on Monday 29th June 2020. Radio professionals have given the service a mostly warm welcome, with executive David Lloyd blogging about a successful first day. He said: “You should never judge a station on the first day, but it’s probably fine to congratulate Times Radio on a thoroughly decent debut. Were I in charge, I would be smiling broadly and shaking hands or kicking toes or whatever we’re supposed to do these days. “It’s a thoroughly listenable offering, with a friendly, authentic, human approach – one of the toughest things to get right. Well done.” ...

Ahmed Hussain named Head of BBC Asian Network

The Head of Prison Radio, Ahmed Hussain, has been appointed to run the BBC Asian Network radio station. He has previously worked as a producer at Radio 1, 1Xtra and the Asian Network, after beginning his career on pirate and community radio stations in east London. Ahmed has also been a trustee of the Radio Academy for the last few years and after previously being on the industry’s ’30 Under 30′ list is now helping to judge the latest search for young talent. He will take up the new role at the BBC from 1st August, leaving Prison Radio where he has been overseeing the radio provision to more than 112 prisons across England and Wales since September 2016...

Diversity duo replace Tom & Daisy on KISS Breakfast

Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely, two original members of the dance group Diversity, are taking over the breakfast show on KISS. Tom Green is leaving the station whilst Daisy Maskell moves to breakfast on KISS Fresh from July 13th. Jordan recently co-hosted The Greatest Dancer’, while Perri placed as runner-up on this year’s ‘Dancing on Ice’. They are both presenters together on Nickelodeon too. Jordan and Perri said “This is major!! The minute we stepped into KISS last year, it felt like coming home. We grew up listening to the station, vibing off the playlist and we feel it just ‘gets’ us. We couldn’t be anymore gassed to get to host the Breakfast show in an exciting new era for KISS.” ...

Alex James moves from Hits Radio to XS Manchester

Hits Radio presenter Alex James is joining XS Manchester to host the breakfast show from July 6th. Alex has been on-air in the North West for 15 years, with stints at Key 103, Radio City, Real and Century. He’s also presented on Kerrang! Radio and hosted Bauer’s networked evening show In Demand. He says: “I can’t wait to get started on XS Manchester Breakfast – finding out what’s going on in our listeners’ lives, keeping an eye over everything that’s going on in and around Manchester and of course with loads of the best music to start the day in the world’s greatest city.” ...

Comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean joins BBC Radio Wales

Welsh comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is hosting a new radio programme on BBC Radio Wales. The station says Kiri will provide great music, entertainment and company for your Saturday afternoons for the next seven weeks. Kiri said; “I cannot wait to start my show on BBC Radio Wales. It’s Saturday afternoon so perfect listening for people in the car off to do the big shop and people doing the walk of shame – my ideal audience!” Joining Kiri will be an array of special guests across the seven weeks, kicking off with fellow comedians Stephen Bailey (Live at the Apollo) and Tez Ilyas (Man Like Mobeen)...