Radio News

New national Capital Breakfast launches across the UK

Global has launched the first networked breakfast show on commercial radio in England, Scotland and Wales with the syndication of Capital Breakfast. Roman Kemp, Vick Hope and Sonny Jay have replaced almost a dozen local breakfast shows on Capital-branded radio stations supported by a national advertising campaign which kicked off on Saturday night.

Global launches national advertising campaign for Capital Breakfast

A new heavyweight advertising campaign to promote Capital’s first nationwide breakfast show has launched on TV, billboards, cinema and social. The campaign premiered on TV during The Voice UK live final on ITV1 tonight ahead of the nationwide launch of Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp on Monday, April 8th. The TV ad features Little Mix, Liam Payne, Shawn Mendes, Cheryl, Anne-Marie, Halsey, Olly Alexander, David Guetta and Marshmello.

Launch details and schedule for Country Hits Radio

Bauer’s newest radio station, Country Hits Radio, has launched this morning at 10 with Chris Young’s Raised on Country. Well known country music radio host Baylen Leonard kicked off proceedings and was joined by fellow station host Una Healy from The Saturdays. The full schedule is below, and includes Jennie longdon on Breakfast and Lou Nash in the afternoons. Later today, Ty Bentli will be broadcasting his 5pm show from The Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.

Simon Mayo to speak at 2019 Radio Festival

The first speaker for this year’s Radio Festival, taking place in London next month, has been announced as Simon Mayo. The event on Monday 13th May at the British Library is organised by the Radio Academy and is part of a cross-industry ‘Radio Audio Week’. This year’s festival theme is ‘The New Age of Audio’. Mayo launched Scala Radio last month, after leaving Radio 2 at the end of 2018 following a 37-year career with the BBC...

New Premier League contracts for Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT

BBC Radio 5 Live has secured four of the seven Premier League live commentary contracts for the next three years, whilst talkSPORT picks up the other three. talkSPORT and talkSPORT2 have rights to broadcast Premier League games across three time slots on Saturday – 12.30pm, 3pm and 5.30pm – a first for commercial radio. However, 5 Live will have first pick of the Saturday 3pm games.

Pandora replaces Toby Anstis on Heart mid-morning show

Former Capital and Kiss presenter Pandora Christie is joining Heart to host the weekday mid-morning show and Saturday night Club Classics. She takes over the UK’s biggest commercial radio show from Toby Anstis next week (8th April), three months after her departure from Kiss. Pandora started out at Global on the promo team, before beginning her presenting work with Choice FM on overnights then daytimes.

Bauer boss calls for collaboration and respect in radio

Bauer Media UK’s CEO Paul Keenan has called for the whole radio industry to unite so that the sector can continue to prosper, saying there’s never been a better time in commercial radio. He was speaking in the opening session at this year’s RadioDays Europe event in Lausanne, Switzerland – where he also revealed that 40% of Bauer’s streaming of radio in the UK comes from smart speakers.

JACK says goodbye to the Dumpy Building for a new Oasis

It’s time to pack at Jack, as the company moves from its home in ‘the Dumpy Building’ to a new studio complex just outside Oxford. The graffiti-covered commode on the Woodstock Road has been home to the Jack family of stations since 2007, but from April 1st they will broadcast from the Oasis Business Park in Eynsham. In the run-up to the move, listeners have received guided tours of the building, been given the chance to be the ‘last voice from the Dumpy Building’ and signed a book of condolence.

Toby Anstis to step down from Heart Mid-Morning Show

Heart’s mid-morning presenter Toby Anstis is stepping down from a daily radio show on the network after 16 years. He will be staying with Heart as host of Club Classics every Friday night from 7pm, replacing Annaliese Dayes (Friday and Saturday Club Classics host) who is leaving the brand. News of his next project, also at Global, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Major national marketing plan starts for Scala Radio

Simon Mayo, Angellica Bell and Mark Kermode are the stars of a new national marketing plan for Scala Radio. The creative will be focused upon ‘Classical Music for Modern Life’ targeting the station’s core audience of ‘cultural explorers’ passion for music. The campaign has several creative executions inspired by the Scala filter of 70% familiar and 30% surprise.