Radio News

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.

George Galloway says Ofcom is wasting money investigating his complaints

George Galloway says Ofcom should be investigated for wasting public money dealing with a complaint against him and his talkRADIO show. The former MP has hit out at the regulator after he was found in breach of the Broadcasting Code three times in six months. He described Ofcom’s investigation as an attempt “to silence the only presenter on British radio and television who is prepared to defend the leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition in the teeth of industrialised prejudice and legalised lying when it comes to Mr Corbyn about which Ofcom have precisely nothing to say”...

DC Thomson buys Original 106 and Kingdom FM

The owner of Dundee’s Wave 102 has bought Abderdeen station Original 106 and Fife’s Kingdom FM. DC Thomson Media acquired Wave in 2017 and is the owner of newspapers including The Press and Journal and The Courier. Mike Watson, Chief Executive Officer for DC Thomson Media, said: “These acquisitions firmly position us as the largest Scottish-owned radio group. We’re excited to have brought these two great stations in to our radio portfolio"...

Ofcom approves 2BR’s upcoming change to Capital

Ofcom has completed an assessment of 2BR’s output saying its rebrand to Capital will not require any variations to its licences. Global bought the Lancashire station from UKRD in July last year, and has just announced it will be merged into Capital Manchester. The 2BR licences, which are for the Blackburn, Burley & Pendle and Preston, Chorley & Leyland areas of Lancashire, all broadcast as 2BR and share the same programming.

Bauer launches Scala Singles Chart on Scala Radio

A new classical music chart has launched on Scala Radio – the Scala Singles Chart countdown – each Saturday at 10am. The Top 20, compiled by the Official Charts Company, reveals the most streamed classically inspired songs from the past week. The Official Scala Singles Chart is based on classically influenced tracks, including music from the classical genre, plus orchestral versions of popular music.

6 Music’s Lauren Laverne named Radio Broadcaster of the Year

Lauren Laverne has been named Radio Broadcaster of the Year at the 45th Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. The national breakfast presenter was honoured for her work on BBC Radio 6 Music as well as Desert Island Discs and Late Night Woman’s Hour, both on BBC Radio 4. The chair of the BPG radio jury, Julian Clover, said: “Our winner moves seamlessly between speech and music radio"...