Radio News

Complaints against Nigel Farage Show rejected

Ofcom has rejected seven complaints made against The Nigel Farage Show on LBC for comments made by the host. During a programme on 31st March, Nigel Farage said that “Jon Snow should be attacked” during a discussion with Alastair Campbell about Brexit and the fact that the UK did not leave the European Union on 29 March 2019. The complainants felt this was “inappropriate” and “unsuitable” and potentially encouraged violence against Channel 4 News journalist Jon Snow...

talkSPORT announces Premier League coverage plans

Saturdays will be known as ‘GameDay’ on talkSPORT as the station announces a new line-up of presenters for the start of the new Premier League season. The station has the rights to broadcast live matches at 12.30pm, 3pm and 5.30pm on Saturdays this year – and has increased the number of top flight games it will commentate on by more than a quarter. Wireless-owned talkSPORT is also introducing a new Friday night preview show and a quiz format on Sundays. It’s also broadcasting the first programme created by the Audio Content Fund, using government money...

Bauer to network drivetime across 11 licences in North and Midlands

Bauer Media has announced plans to network Wes Butters and Gemma Atkinson across most of its big city stations in England, meaning 7 presenters will lose their daily drivetime show. From 2nd September, Wes will be on 4-7pm across Metro Radio, TFM, Rock FM, Radio City, Hallam FM, Radio Aire, Viking FM and the four Free Radio stations in the West Midlands – in addition to his current show on Hits Radio in Manchester and on DAB across the UK. Gemma will join the show after her maternity leave...

Capital’s Roman Kemp in trouble for repeated swear words

Capital has been found in breach of two Ofcom rules for broadcasting a pre-recorded offensive item twice in the same breakfast show. Content with the offensive language, (an F bomb), was broadcast in a segment at 6.10am, to which the breakfast presenter apologised for. The exact same content, a prank call, was then broadcast again at 8.15 followed by a similar apology. At approximately 6.30 Roman Kemp said: “Just a quick note just to apologise on our behalf if you heard any bad language during"...

BBC Radio 1Xtra announces shake up to weekend schedule

BBC Radio 1Xtra has unveiled changes to its weekend schedule to take effect this autumn. • Former 1Xtra Resident Nadia Jae will take on the Weekend Breakfast show • Sideman will host a brand new show in the Saturday lunchtime slot • Sundays on the station will become home to 1Xtra Old Skool Nadia Jae will take the reins on 1Xtra’s Weekend Breakfast show (6-10am) from mid-October. Nadia, who joined the station in 2018 as part of 1Xtra’s Residency, will be bringing plenty of fun and energy to the morning slot, along with the best R&B bangers and a healthy serving of tea to get listeners through the weekend.

Record listening figures for Greg James and Dotty on Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra

Latest Rajar data (Q2 2019, 1 April - 23 June 2019) shows Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra have drawn in more listeners each week. BBC Radio 1 had a weekly reach of 10.56 million listeners aged 10+, an increase from 10.18m last quarter and 10.25m last year. BBC Radio 1Xtra also saw increases this quarter, with 1.17 million weekly listeners (10+) up on 1.13m last quarter and 1.11m last year. Highest number of listeners for Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James as he adds a quarter of a million new listeners since he started last year...

RAJAR Q2 2019: London and national brands round-up

Zoe Ball has lost more than three quarters of a million listeners to her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, according to the latest audience research from RAJAR. The show’s reach is down 781,000 quarter-on-quarter to 8.266m for the three months survey period up to the 23rd June 2019. In Q1/19 she had 9.047m listeners; in Q2/2018 Chris Evans reached 9.038m. Radio 2’s audience at breakfast is now the lowest its been since Q3/2010, when Evans was fairly new in the job.

Kate Lawler to replace Matt Richardson on Virgin Radio Drive

Virgin Radio is making a few changes to its weekday schedule as Matt Richardson leaves to focus on his comedy career. Afternoon presenter Kate Lawler is replacing Matt on Drive, with Tim Cocker moving up from evenings to take over Kate’s slot. Kate said: ”Virgin Radio has an amazing buzz about it. With the legend that is Chris Evans getting the nation to work from Monday to Friday, it’s an absolute privilege to be entrusted with getting them home again at the other end of the day. I’m soooo excited to be bringing more rock and roll to the radio at drivetime!”

Arielle Free to host weekend early breakfast at Radio 1

DJ and TV presenter Arielle Free is joining BBC Radio 1 permanently to host weekend early breakfast show starting on Friday 6th September. The show is brand new to BBC Radio 1 and will air before weekend breakfast with Matt and Mollie from Friday to Sunday. Adele Roberts will host the show Mondays to Thursdays. Arielle, who also presents podcast Love Island: The Morning After and Scrambled! on CITV as well as previously fronting BBC Scotland coverage of T in the Park. She has previously covered Early Breakfast and Radio 1’s Dance Anthems...

The week in radio: BBC 5 Live and LBC as the new PM was announced

Stanley Johnson confessed to feeling strange now his son was to be PM, while Iain Dale declared the UK irreconcilably divided. A man kept shouting. On and on, over and over, bellowing words we couldn’t quite make out. He’d go quiet for a while and then return, louder than ever, apoplectic with incoherent rage. Such was the jolly atmosphere at Westminster on Tuesday, the day Boris Johnson was confirmed as the new leader of the Conservative party. “What is that gentleman shouting, can you hear?” asked 5 Live’s Emma Barnett...