BBC Radio Bristol
Encyclopedia
BBC Radio Bristol is the BBC Local Radio
service for the English city of Bristol
and the surrounding former Avon area
. Launched in September 1970, it broadcasts from Broadcasting House in Bristol on FM
frequencies 94.9 MHz (Dundry), 104.6 MHz (Bath), 103.6 MHz (Weston-super-Mare
), on AM 1548 kHz (Mangotsfield
) and on DAB
.
The Mendip transmitter, near Wells, used to broadcast BBC Radio Bristol on 95.5 MHz over a very large area, but from 3 December 2007, this was transferred to the new BBC Somerset service. BBC Somerset and BBC Radio Bristol share many programmes, mainly during off-peak hours. Since the BBC relaunched BBC Somerset on FM, BBC Radio Bristol has been left free to concentrate editorially on Bristol, Bath and the rest of the former Avon area.
Radio Bristol's main competitors in the Bristol area are Heart Bristol on 96.3 MHz, 106 Jack FM (Bristol)
and The Breeze on 107.2 MHz. In Bath, Radio Bristol faces competition from Heart Bath on 103 MHz and The Breeze on 107.9 MHz. In Weston-super-Mare (which is editorially covered by both Radio Bristol and BBC Somerset), competition comes from Star Radio (Weston)
.
Kate Adie
produced and presented programmes for BBC Radio Bristol in the 1970s alongside Michael Buerk
. Theirs were the first two voices to be heard on the station. Chris Morris
was also part of the team. Other past presenters include the late Roger Bennett who presented the flagship breakfast programme Morning West for 30 years and Susan Osman
who also co-presented Points West
for 14 years. Current editor Tim Pemberton took over from Jenny Lacey in spring 2006.
region simulcast Keith Warmington - Access All Areas and Trevor Fry's late show. At weekends, evening programming is produced in Plymouth by BBC South West
. Sunday afternoon output originates in Gloucester.
Radio Bristol broadcasts local programmes overnight on Fridays and Saturdays. From Sunday to Thursday, the station simulcasts Radio 5 Live's Up All Night
after closedown.
was dismissed following an incident in which she made alleged racist remarks made in an off-air phone conversation during a weekday afternoon show. Whilst phoning a taxi firm in order to send her 14-year-old daughter from Mason's Clifton home to her grandparents' home, she was said to have asked the company not to send an Asian driver.
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
service for the English city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and the surrounding former Avon area
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
. Launched in September 1970, it broadcasts from Broadcasting House in Bristol on FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
frequencies 94.9 MHz (Dundry), 104.6 MHz (Bath), 103.6 MHz (Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
), on AM 1548 kHz (Mangotsfield
Mangotsfield
Mangotsfield is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated north of the Bristol suburb of Kingswood, bounded to the north by the M4 motorway and to the east by the Emersons Green housing estate....
) and on DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
.
The Mendip transmitter, near Wells, used to broadcast BBC Radio Bristol on 95.5 MHz over a very large area, but from 3 December 2007, this was transferred to the new BBC Somerset service. BBC Somerset and BBC Radio Bristol share many programmes, mainly during off-peak hours. Since the BBC relaunched BBC Somerset on FM, BBC Radio Bristol has been left free to concentrate editorially on Bristol, Bath and the rest of the former Avon area.
Radio Bristol's main competitors in the Bristol area are Heart Bristol on 96.3 MHz, 106 Jack FM (Bristol)
106 Jack FM (Bristol)
106 Jack FM is an English language adult hits format radio station that broadcasts on 106.5MHz FM in Bristol, United Kingdom and is owned by Celador Radio.-History:...
and The Breeze on 107.2 MHz. In Bath, Radio Bristol faces competition from Heart Bath on 103 MHz and The Breeze on 107.9 MHz. In Weston-super-Mare (which is editorially covered by both Radio Bristol and BBC Somerset), competition comes from Star Radio (Weston)
Star 107.7
Nova Radio is a United Kingdom radio station based in Weston-super-Mare. The station was launched on 23 October 1999 as 107.7 WFM and later relaunched as Star 107.7, the studios are based on Beaconsfield Road in the centre of Weston-super-Mare.-History:...
.
Kate Adie
Kate Adie
Kathryn "Kate" Adie , OBE , is a British journalist. Her most high-profile role was that of chief news correspondent for BBC News, during which time she became well known for reporting from war zones around the world...
produced and presented programmes for BBC Radio Bristol in the 1970s alongside Michael Buerk
Michael Buerk
Michael Duncan Buerk is a BBC journalist and newsreader, most famous for his reporting of the Ethiopian famine on 23 October 1984, which inspired the Band Aid charity record.-Early life:...
. Theirs were the first two voices to be heard on the station. Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
was also part of the team. Other past presenters include the late Roger Bennett who presented the flagship breakfast programme Morning West for 30 years and Susan Osman
Susan Osman
Susan Osman is a British journalist and television news presenter with almost 30 years of broadcasting experience in both television and radio. She currently works and lives in Beijing hosting a live daily news programme, The Beijing Hour With Susan Osman, for CRI...
who also co-presented Points West
BBC Points West
BBC Points West is the BBC's regional news programme for the West of England, covering Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire...
for 14 years. Current editor Tim Pemberton took over from Jenny Lacey in spring 2006.
Weekdays
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 – 0500 | BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries... : Up All Night Up All Night (radio show) Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night... |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0500 - 0530 | BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries... : Morning Reports |
|
| 0530 - 0630 | Faye Dicker | Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
| 0630 - 0900 | Steve Le Fevre | |
| 0900 - 1200 | John Darvall | |
| 1200 - 1400 | Steve Yabsley | |
| 1400 - 1600 | Elise Rayner | |
| 1600 - 1900 | Ben Prater | |
| 1900 - 2200 | Keith Warmington | |
| 2200 – 0100 | Trevor Fry |
Wednesday variations
| Time | Main presenter/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 - 0130 | UK Black: Eddie Nestor Eddie Nestor Eddie Nestor is an English actor, stand up comedian, TV and radio presenter, who is best known for his starring roles in The Real McCoy and Desmonds, as well as playing a small role in Trainspotting.He hosted... |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0130 - 0200 | Desi Download: Satnam Rana Satnam Rana Satnam Rana is a presenter for the BBC, currently presenting on BBC news programme Midlands Today and features on BBC WM. She worked at Five Live for two years then came to BBC Birmingham where she has been working since 2002.-Early life:... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
| 0200 - 0230 | Faith in England: The Reverend Gavin Ashenden | Brighton Brighton Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain... |
| 0230 - 0500 | BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries... : Up All Night Up All Night (radio show) Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night... |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Saturday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 - 0300 | BBC Introducing: Richard Pitt & Sam Bonham | Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
| 0300 - 0400 | Ujima Radio | |
| 0400 - 0500 | BCFM BCFM BCFM or Bristol Community FM is a community radio station broadcasting to the City of Bristol in the United Kingdom on 93.2 FM. BCfm started broadcasting on 26 March 2007... : Phil Gibbons & Joanne Schofield |
|
| 0500 - 0600 | Martin Evans | |
| 0600 - 0900 | Ali Vowles | |
| 0900 - 1200 | Saturday Surgery: Phil Hammond | |
| 1200 – 1300 | 3Geese: Alivia Rose, Jo Bailey & Chrissie Lloyd | |
| 1300 - 1830 | Saturday Sport | |
| 1830 - 2000 | The Vintage Top 40 | Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
| 2000 - 2200 | Geoff Barker's Rock 'n' Roll Party | |
| 2200 - 0100 | Graham Torrington's Saturday Night Love Songs |
Sunday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 - 0300 | BBC Introducing: Richard Pitt & Sam Bonham | Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
| 0300 - 0400 | Ujima Radio | |
| 0400 - 0500 | BCFM BCFM BCFM or Bristol Community FM is a community radio station broadcasting to the City of Bristol in the United Kingdom on 93.2 FM. BCfm started broadcasting on 26 March 2007... : Phil Gibbons & Joanne Schofield |
|
| 0500 - 0600 | Martin Evans | |
| 0600 - 1000 | Sunday Starts: Trevor Fry | |
| 1000 - 1300 | The Sunday Show | |
| 1300 - 1400 | Johnny Coppin | Gloucester Gloucester Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham.... |
| 1400 - 1530 | Paul Moss | |
| 1530 - 1700 | Manny Masih | |
| 1700 - 1900 | Alex Lewis | Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
| 1900 - 2000 | Sounds of Brass: Phillip Hunt | Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
| 2000 - 2200 | Swingers and Singers: David Lowe | |
| 2200 - 0100 | Graham Torrington's Night Time |
Networked, simulcast and overnight programming
From 7pm - 1am each weekday, all BBC local radio stations in the BBC WestBBC West
BBC West is the BBC English Region serving Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.-Television:...
region simulcast Keith Warmington - Access All Areas and Trevor Fry's late show. At weekends, evening programming is produced in Plymouth by BBC South West
BBC South West
BBC South West is the BBC English Region serving Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands.-Television:BBC South Wests television service consists of the flagship regional news service Spotlight, the opt-out service BBC Channel Islands, the topical magazine programme Inside Out and a 20-minute...
. Sunday afternoon output originates in Gloucester.
Radio Bristol broadcasts local programmes overnight on Fridays and Saturdays. From Sunday to Thursday, the station simulcasts Radio 5 Live's Up All Night
Up All Night (radio show)
Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night...
after closedown.
Controversy
In November 2008, BBC Radio Bristol presenter Sam MasonSam Mason
Sam Mason is a British radio and television presenter.Mason began her broadcasting career in the late 1980s as a continuity announcer for HTV West and presented the station's overnight strand Night Club...
was dismissed following an incident in which she made alleged racist remarks made in an off-air phone conversation during a weekday afternoon show. Whilst phoning a taxi firm in order to send her 14-year-old daughter from Mason's Clifton home to her grandparents' home, she was said to have asked the company not to send an Asian driver.
External links
- BBC Radio Bristol
- Frequency Change in 2007
- Media UK - BBC Radio Bristol
- MDS975's Transmitter Map.
- History of local radio in Avon and Somerset
- Bath mast (also digital)
- Dundry East (digital)
- East Dundry Lane mast
- Hutton mast (also digital)
- Ilchester Crescent, Bedminster mast.
- Mangotsfield mast.
- Milbury Heath (digital)