Radio News

The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show launches BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words competition

The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show today launched BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words 2019, the short-story writing competition for children aged between 5-13 years of age. Zoe revealed that this year’s live final will take place in the spectacular surroundings of Windsor Castle on Friday 14 June. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall returns as an Honorary Judge and, to mark today’s launch, features in a specially-created animation. The competition is now open and the closing date for entries is 7pm on Thursday 8 March. Full details are...

Scala Radio to launch on full DAB in stereo

Launching a radio station in stereo should not be a news headline in 2019, but the industry has long decided it would rather provide more services in mono than fewer services in stereo. A radio station playing classical music needs to be in stereo to fully appreciate the content, and if Scala Radio has any chance of competing with Classic FM, it needs to at least match its bit rate of 128 kbit/s stereo.

Global reports ninth year of increased profits

The latest accounts filed by Global show sales revenues grew 28% to £388m, with earnings up 34% to £104m in the year to March 2018. Global says it was in a strong financial position at the end of its last financial year, which was before it entered the out-of-home sector in autumn 2018, reporting a pre-tax profit of £25m compared with a £3m loss a year earlier...

Bauer to launch classical station Scala Radio

Simon Mayo is returning to daily radio with Bauer from 4th March as host of mid mornings on a new classical music station called Scala Radio. The station will be the first national classical station in nearly 30 years and is set to challenge Classic FM. RadioToday understands it will broadcast on the SDL national DAB multiplex, replacing heat Radio.

Chris Evans on Virgin Radio – same show, different station

Chris Evans returned to the radio this morning with the same show, different station. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio has the same jingles, most of the same people, and the same energy from his BBC Radio 2 show which is finished on December 24th. The first song, Lucky Man, was played live by Richard Ashcroft, followed by Queen’s Dont Stop Me Now.

Zoe Ball on taking over Radio 2’s Breakfast Show: “I’ve got my work cut out – but I’m ready for it”

She may have had missed a few early stars during her Radio 1 present days, but Radio 2's new breakfast show host says she's 'not the same Zoe from 20 years ago'. When Zoe Ball finished her final Radio 1 breakfast show in 2000, after two-and-a-half years of burning the candle at both ends...

heat radio to be removed from SDL national DAB mux

Bauer is taking heat Radio off national DAB and removing presenters, turning it into an online-only non-stop music station. In a statement to RadioToday, a Bauer spokesperson confirmed the move and added: “heat radio continues to evolve as part of Bauer Radio’s IP broadcast strategy, which sees the team focus on a number of IP audio brand extensions of the master brand heat radio, to meet the needs of younger audiences which will sit alongside the magazine and heatworld website.

Zoe Ball welcomes listeners to new Radio 2 Breakfast

BBC Radio 2’s new breakfast show started this morning with Zoe Ball welcoming listeners old and new to the programme and the new team. Zoe’s first song was Respect by Aretha Franklin just after 6.30am on Monday. Her team includes Richie Anderson on travel, Mike Williams on sport, weather with Carol Kirkwood, news with Tina Daheley and a daily Pause For Thought.

Come over for breakfast, says Chris Evans & family

Chris Evans and his family are appearing in a new marketing campaign for his upcoming Virgin Radio breakfast show... Joining Chris at Virgin Radio from Monday 21st January will be many of his team from Radio 2, including Vassos Alexander as sports reporter and Rachel Horne who will be expanding her role as the breakfast show travel guru – providing regular news bulletins as well.

The week in radio and podcasts: Lauren Laverne; Mary Anne Hobbs; Shaun Keaveny

New year, new regime. Radio 2 starts its big shake-up on 14 January, with Zoe Ball and Sara Cox sliding into their fresh weekday time slots of breakfast and drivetime respectively: expect tabloid coverage and on-air laffs. Radio 1’s Charlie Sloth bowed out from the station in October, with the young yet experienced Tiffany Calver taking over his 9pm Saturday night Rap Show slot, and Rickie, Melvin and Charlie, ex-Kiss FM, due to start in his weekday evening The 8th slot soon...