Radio News

Magic and Absolute Radio to broadcast from New Zealand

Bauer Radio is to partner with Tourism New Zealand and broadcast from across the country with Magic Radio and Absolute Radio. The partnership will see the two stations create a week of bespoke programming from across New Zealand, connecting audiences to the essence of Kiwi culture and local communities through on-air breakfast show promotion, online and social video content. The campaign started on Monday 23rd September and will run till 20th October as a direct partnership between Bauer Media and Tourism New Zealand.

Jazz FM and BBC Radio 3 share content in new partnership

BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds will broadcast Jazz FM content whilst Jazz FM is to share key recordings from BBC Radio 3. The partnership is in aid of the EFG London Jazz Festival bringing the two stations together. Shared content will appear on both BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds, and whilst the two stations have collaborated before with a digital pop-up BBC Music Jazz, this will be the first time BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting content from Jazz FM on the network, with Jazz FM similarly sharing Radio 3 content from recorded concerts with...

BBC Radio 5 Live appoints Heidi Dawson as Controller

Heidi Dawson has been appointed as the new Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra. Heidi is currently Managing Editor of BBC Radio 5 Live and becomes Controller with immediate effect. She succeeds Jonathan Wall who was appointed as Controller of BBC Sounds in July 2019. Heidi started her career in local radio at BBC Radio Solent before working as a journalist on BBC Radio 4’s World At One and PM. She moved to BBC Radio 5 Live in 2001 as a Breakfast show producer; she has produced and edited most...

Ahadadream, Sandunes, DJ Firestarr and anu lead the new line-up for BBC Asian Network’s Residency

BBC Asian Network has announced the line-up for Asian Network’s Residency, a show that champions the next generation of fresh DJ talent. The strand brings listeners the biggest names in dance music, from the underground to the arena - with Ahadadream, Sandunes, DJ Firestarr and anu forming the Residency team from October 2019. Kicking off with London-based producer and DJ Ahadadream on 6 October, the Asian Network Residency will feature cutting-edge DJs and producers from the UK rotating each week on a Sunday night between 11pm-1am.

Absolute Radio’s Hometime expands across network

Absolute Radio’s Hometime show is to be shared across the other Absolute-branded stations, with 7 separate playlists. The programme, presented by Andy Bush and Richie Firth for the last year, will air on Absolute’s decades stations – 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s – as well as Absolute Classic Rock and the main station. The split playlist technology developed by RCS and Bauer is already used on the Dave Berry Breakfast Show to enable genre specific music for each service alongside the live presenter content.

Jimmy and Summaya pair up for BBC Radio Leicester Drive

Jimmy Carpenter and Summaya Mughal are joining up to present a brand new Drive show together on BBC Radio Leicester from Monday 16 September. Summaya won a talent search competition at BBC Radio Nottingham last year to host evening shows whilst Jimmy moves over from hosting the afternoon show on BBC Radio Leicester. In the first week they will be working towards giving someone the #BestCommuteHomeEver on Friday, with an open-top bus tour of the city.

US radio exec Caroline Beasley lined up for Drive to Digital

CEO of the Beasley Broadcast Group, Caroline Beasley, is lined up to speak at this year’s Drive to Digital event. Caroline most recently served as Joint Board Chair of the National Association of Broadcasters and was honored as US Radio Executive of the Year in 2017. Beasley Broadcast Group owns and runs 64 radio station in 15 markets across the US. In addition, Kevin Nolan, Vice-President, UX Innovation Practice at Strategy Analytics; Kurt Dusterhoff, Senior Specialist at SBD Automotive; and Joe D’Angelo, Vice-President: Broadcast at Xperi, will share their insights on...

Overnight changes at talkRADIO and talkSPORT

There’s a new addition to the talkRADIO weeknight schedule as Darryl Morris takes over from Paul Ross, who moves to talkSPORT. Darryl joins talkRADIO full time to host 1am till 5am, whilst Paul Ross now hosts the same slot on its sister station. In addition, Paul Coyte is launching an early sports breakfast show at 5am across the talkSPORT network. “I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to do this every day. I’m going to jump in with both feet and see what adventures await,” Darryl posted on social media.

Union JACK introduces live breakfast radio show with Adam English

Union JACK is launching a live breakfast show each weekday morning with Student Radio Awards winner Adam English. The station says Adam will be the youngest national breakfast show host in the UK, and The Full English will be the first live show on the station since it launched in 2016. Adam was awarded the Best Male winner at the Student Radio Award 2018 and presented a one-off show on BBC Radio 1 following his win. The Full English – weekdays 7am till 9am from this Friday – will feature silly games and will make Union JACK’s listeners...

BBC Local Radio starts search for New Voices

Open auditions are to take place across England and the Channel Islands for BBC local radio’s new talent search. All 39 local radio stations across England and the Channel Islands are hosting open auditions for New Voices on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September, following our report in January about the project getting underway. Hopefuls will have 60 seconds to impress a panel of judges. They could tell a story about something they care about, something local, something personal… anything as long as it’s unique. Judges across the country will include BBC editors and producers plus special guests such as vocal coaches Carrie and David Grant.