BBC Sussex
Encyclopedia
BBC Sussex is the BBC Local Radio
service for the English
county
of Sussex
. It began on 14 February 1968 as BBC Radio Brighton, later becoming BBC Radio Sussex and then part of BBC Southern Counties Radio, before adopting its present name on 30 March 2009. BBC journalists Jeremy Paxman, Kate Adie and Des Lynam started their careers at BBC Brighton.
on weekdays from 6.00 to 9.00am, and on Saturdays from 6.00 to 9.00am and 2.00 to 5.00pm. There are also dedicated news bulletins for Sussex on the hour at some times of the day. The remainder of the station's daytime output is shared with BBC Surrey
. It is part of the BBC South East
region, based in Tunbridge Wells.
stations which took to the air during the late 1960s. Broadcasting from Marlborough Place, it officially opened on 14 February 1968, though a short-lived emergency service had been broadcast during the blizzards earlier that winter. Originally broadcast on 88.1 MHz VHF only, the station later acquired a medium wave frequency of 202m, and transferred to 95.3 MHz on VHF.
In common with much of the BBC
's early local radio output, Radio Brighton broadcast only for limited daytime hours in its early years, relying on Radio 2
and Radio 4
for a sustaining service, but building to a full daytime service by the mid-1970s. In the early years, the emphasis was on structured programmes rather than the open-ended magazine shows which have since become more common. The flagship was the breakfast news programme 'Coastwise'.
, much to the confusion of listeners and presenters. The innovation was quietly dropped after his retirement.
BBC Local Radio became a training ground for many young broadcasters who went on to become well-known names. Des Lynam
and Kate Adie
both began their careers at BBC Radio Brighton, as did BBC TV News Special Reporter Gavin Hewitt
and presenter of Radio 4’s ‘Checkup’ Barbara Myers.
Others involved in the first decade of broadcasting at Radio Brighton were:
David Waine – first Programme Organiser at RB, then moved on to be Station Manager at BBC Radio Bristol and later Head of Broadcasting for the Midlands and East Anglia.
Peter Ruff – news reporter, who moved to the BBC newsroom in London, went on to become the BBC’s Moscow, then Washington, Correspondent. Now a specialist in Crisis Management, he has written a book on the subject
Phil Fothergill – moved to commercial radio and then to Anglia Television as an announcer. Following work on The Family Channel
he became Promotions Manager for QVC
John Henty – became a freelance broadcaster and a collector of Mabel Lucie Atwell, on which subject he is the world’s leading authority. He has written about her and founded and ran a museum in Cornwall dedicated to her work
Keith Slade – stayed with the station for over twenty years and was responsible for encouraging many of the younger freelance broadcasters. A man of many production talents, including drama, jazz and comedy.
Michael Fabricant
- the son of Brighton’s Rabbi Fabricant, was involved as a young freelance before university at Loughborough and Sussex. He is now Conservative MP for Lichfield.
Stuart Hobday – went on to be a Radio 2 producer for Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, David Hamilton before moving to Bristol as senior music producer for the South-West and then Birmingham
, with responsibilities including country music.
Bob Simpson
– news reporter who would later become a foreign correspondent for BBC News. He was one of two BBC journalists who defied the Corporation's wishes and stayed to broadcast from Baghdad
during the Gulf war
.
Later presenters included the programme organiser Jim Parr, Stewart Macintosh, who is now a well known newsreader for the BBC World Service, David Arscott, Piers Bishop, Neil Coppendale and Joanna Holles (whose focus was women's programmes and old-time music shows, notably the long-running 'Oh Joanna').
The transmission area was initially restricted to little more than the immediate Brighton and Hove conurbation, with the surrounding suburbs. However, it soon gained a reputation as one of the best of the early stations and coverage was extended to include Worthing
in the late 1970s.
. At first it ran a single all-talk schedule across Sussex and Surrey, however in September 1997 two dedicated breakfast shows, one for Brighton and Hove on the old 95.3 frequency, and another for the remainder of Sussex, were introduced. However the separate breakfast show for Brighton was discontinued in April 2006.
continue effectively to operate as one station, with no change in management or infrastructure from its predecessor.
stations in the South and South East (namely BBC Surrey
, BBC Radio Solent
, BBC Radio Berkshire
, BBC Radio Oxford
and BBC Radio Kent
). During the station's downtime, BBC Sussex simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live
programming including Up All Night
, Morning Reports and the Stephen Nolan show.
.
When non traditional kick off times occur, the main presenter for the club in question presents a BBC Sussex sports special. (For example 19:45 tuesday nights) These normally start at 19:30 for midweek games, and cut away from the simulcast to the frequencies for the specific club mentioned above. The live game follows, with a small round up at the end, before returning to the simulcast at 22:00. The return to the simulcast show can sometimes prove untidy, for example coming back mid song, or with a presenter mid sentence.
No matches are available on the BBC online stream service, due to a deal with The Football League
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. It began on 14 February 1968 as BBC Radio Brighton, later becoming BBC Radio Sussex and then part of BBC Southern Counties Radio, before adopting its present name on 30 March 2009. BBC journalists Jeremy Paxman, Kate Adie and Des Lynam started their careers at BBC Brighton.
Overview
BBC Sussex runs its own programming specifically for Sussex from its studios in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
on weekdays from 6.00 to 9.00am, and on Saturdays from 6.00 to 9.00am and 2.00 to 5.00pm. There are also dedicated news bulletins for Sussex on the hour at some times of the day. The remainder of the station's daytime output is shared with BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
. It is part of the BBC South East
BBC South East
BBC South East is the BBC English Region serving East Sussex, Kent, and parts of Surrey and West Sussex.The BBC region was created in September 2001 by the joining of the Heathfield transmitter , with the Bluebell Hill and Dover transmitters to form a new regional TV service...
region, based in Tunbridge Wells.
Presenters
- David Allen (Saturday & Sunday late nights - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
& BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, & with BBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
& BBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
on Saturday) - Sylvie Blackmore (Sunday lunchtimes - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Dave CashDave Cash (disc jockey)Dave Cash is a veteran British radio presenter who works for BBC Radio Kent, having had previous spells at Radio London, BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, Radio West , Country 1035 and PrimeTime Radio.-Radio career:Cash was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, U.K...
(Saturday evenings - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
, BBC Radio KentBBC Radio KentBBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
, BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, BBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
& BBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
) - Mark Carter (Sunday afternoons - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Geoff ClarkGeoff Clark (journalist)Geoff Clark is a journalist and television presenter.-Career:Clark started his broadcasting career as a football reporter with LBC Radio in London in the late 1970s before moving to a studio-based presenter's job there...
(Saturday breakfast) - Jenny Day (Saturday lunchtimes - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Roger DayRoger DayBroadcaster Roger "Twiggy" Day Real name Roger Thomas currently presents on six BBC Local Radio stations across southern England.-Early career:...
(weekday evenings - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
, BBC Radio KentBBC Radio KentBBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
, BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, BBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
& BBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
) - Allison Ferns (Monday-Thursday afternoons - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
)
- Sarah Gorrell (Drivetime - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Phil Jackson (BBC Introducing: The South, Sunday evenings - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
& BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
) - Emily Jeffery (Sunday breakfast - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Paul Miller (The Paul Miller Show - weekday late nights - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
, BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, BBC Radio KentBBC Radio KentBBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
, BBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio BerkshireBBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
& BBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio OxfordBBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
& The Paul Miller Soul Show - Sunday afternoons - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
& BBC Radio SolentBBC Radio SolentBBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
) - Danny PikeDanny PikeDanny Pike is a British Radio DJ who hosted the Breakfast Show on Southern FM in Sussex, from 1991 until the station's rebranding as Heart FM. Before joining Southern FM, Pike worked for both County Sound Radio and Radio Mercury....
(weekday & Saturday mid-mornings - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Neil Pringle (weekday breakfast)
- Joe Talbot (Friday afternoons & Dig It - simulcast with BBC SurreyBBC SurreyBBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
) - Johnny Cantor (BBC Sussex Sport commentator. Brighton and Hove Albion games only)
Newsreaders
- Fiona McCarthy
- Simon Jenkins
- Angus Moorat
- Steve Dale
- Laura Hampton
- Jules Anderson
- Suzanne Bamborough
- Jo Rickards
- Emily Jeffery
Frequencies
- AnalogueAnalog signalAn analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
VHFVery high frequencyVery high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
FMFrequency modulationIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
- 95.0 MHz - NewhavenNewhaven, East SussexNewhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
(Newhaven Transmitter) - 95.1 MHz - HorshamHorshamHorsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
(Horsham Transmitter) - 95.3 MHz - BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and WorthingWorthingWorthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
(Whitehawk Hill Transmitter) - 104.5 MHz - East and West SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, including EastbourneEastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
(Heathfield Transmitter) - 104.8 MHz - ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
(Burton Down Transmitter)
- 95.0 MHz - Newhaven
- AnalogueAnalog signalAn analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
MediumwaveMediumwaveMedium wave is the part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. For Europe the MW band ranges from 526.5 kHz to 1606.5 kHz...
AMAmplitude modulationAmplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
- 1161 kHz - East SussexEast SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
(Bexhill Transmitter) - 1485 kHz - Southern West SussexWest SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
(Brighton Transmitter)
- 1161 kHz - East Sussex
- DABDigital audio broadcastingDigital 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....
Digital Radio: Block 11B 218.64 MHz- WorthingWorthingWorthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
(Findon Transmitter) - NewhavenNewhaven, East SussexNewhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
(Beddingham Transmitter) - HastingsHastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
(Hastings Transmitter) - EastbourneEastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
(Eastbourne Transmitter) - ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
(Burton Down Transmitter) - BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
(Whitehawk Hill Transmitter)
- Worthing
BBC Radio Brighton (1968-1983)
BBC Radio Brighton was one of the first wave of BBC Local RadioBBC 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...
stations which took to the air during the late 1960s. Broadcasting from Marlborough Place, it officially opened on 14 February 1968, though a short-lived emergency service had been broadcast during the blizzards earlier that winter. Originally broadcast on 88.1 MHz VHF only, the station later acquired a medium wave frequency of 202m, and transferred to 95.3 MHz on VHF.
In common with much of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's early local radio output, Radio Brighton broadcast only for limited daytime hours in its early years, relying on Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
for a sustaining service, but building to a full daytime service by the mid-1970s. In the early years, the emphasis was on structured programmes rather than the open-ended magazine shows which have since become more common. The flagship was the breakfast news programme 'Coastwise'.
Personnel
The first manager was Bob Gunnell, who remained with the station for more than a decade. He instigated the station's idiosyncratic use of the 24-hour clock24-hour clock
The 24-hour clock is a convention of time keeping in which the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours, indicated by the hours passed since midnight, from 0 to 23. This system is the most commonly used time notation in the world today...
, much to the confusion of listeners and presenters. The innovation was quietly dropped after his retirement.
BBC Local Radio became a training ground for many young broadcasters who went on to become well-known names. Des Lynam
Des Lynam
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years...
and 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...
both began their careers at BBC Radio Brighton, as did BBC TV News Special Reporter Gavin Hewitt
Gavin Hewitt
Gavin Hewitt is a British journalist and presenter, currently BBC News's Europe Editor, a post he has held since September 2009.-Life and career:...
and presenter of Radio 4’s ‘Checkup’ Barbara Myers.
Others involved in the first decade of broadcasting at Radio Brighton were:
David Waine – first Programme Organiser at RB, then moved on to be Station Manager at BBC Radio Bristol and later Head of Broadcasting for the Midlands and East Anglia.
Peter Ruff – news reporter, who moved to the BBC newsroom in London, went on to become the BBC’s Moscow, then Washington, Correspondent. Now a specialist in Crisis Management, he has written a book on the subject
Phil Fothergill – moved to commercial radio and then to Anglia Television as an announcer. Following work on The Family Channel
The Family Channel
The Family Channel may refer to:* Television networks preceding ABC Family, an American cable television network that ran from 1988 to 1998 by Christian Broadcasting Network...
he became Promotions Manager for QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
John Henty – became a freelance broadcaster and a collector of Mabel Lucie Atwell, on which subject he is the world’s leading authority. He has written about her and founded and ran a museum in Cornwall dedicated to her work
Keith Slade – stayed with the station for over twenty years and was responsible for encouraging many of the younger freelance broadcasters. A man of many production talents, including drama, jazz and comedy.
Michael Fabricant
Michael Fabricant
Michael Louis David Fabricant is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Lichfield in Staffordshire.-Early life:...
- the son of Brighton’s Rabbi Fabricant, was involved as a young freelance before university at Loughborough and Sussex. He is now Conservative MP for Lichfield.
Stuart Hobday – went on to be a Radio 2 producer for Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, David Hamilton before moving to Bristol as senior music producer for the South-West and then 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...
, with responsibilities including country music.
Bob Simpson
Bob Simpson (journalist)
Robert Anthony Simpson was a foreign correspondent for the BBC. Nicknamed "Mr Grumpy" by his friends and family, he reported from a number of dangerous locations across the world but was best known for his reports from Baghdad during the Gulf war.-Early life:Simpson was born in Woodford, Essex....
– news reporter who would later become a foreign correspondent for BBC News. He was one of two BBC journalists who defied the Corporation's wishes and stayed to broadcast from Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
during the Gulf war
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Later presenters included the programme organiser Jim Parr, Stewart Macintosh, who is now a well known newsreader for the BBC World Service, David Arscott, Piers Bishop, Neil Coppendale and Joanna Holles (whose focus was women's programmes and old-time music shows, notably the long-running 'Oh Joanna').
The transmission area was initially restricted to little more than the immediate Brighton and Hove conurbation, with the surrounding suburbs. However, it soon gained a reputation as one of the best of the early stations and coverage was extended to include Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
in the late 1970s.
BBC Radio Sussex (1983-1994)
On 22 October 1983, as part of the BBC's move to extend its local radio network across the UK, the station expanded further to include the entire county. As a result, the 'Radio Brighton' name was dropped in favour of the more accurate BBC Radio Sussex.BBC Southern Counties Radio (1994-2009)
In 1994 BBC Radio Sussex merged with a later arrival, BBC Radio Surrey to form BBC Southern Counties RadioBBC Southern Counties Radio
BBC Southern Counties Radio was the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Surrey and Sussex. The station also covered a large part of North-East Hampshire. It was the first BBC Local Radio station to introduce a controversial all-speech format...
. At first it ran a single all-talk schedule across Sussex and Surrey, however in September 1997 two dedicated breakfast shows, one for Brighton and Hove on the old 95.3 frequency, and another for the remainder of Sussex, were introduced. However the separate breakfast show for Brighton was discontinued in April 2006.
BBC Sussex (2009-present)
In March 2009 the county name returned to the radio station name when BBC Sussex became the new name for BBC Southern Counties Radio across Sussex. BBC Sussex and its sister station BBC SurreyBBC Surrey
BBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
continue effectively to operate as one station, with no change in management or infrastructure from its predecessor.
Networked and simulcast programming
Evening programming throughout the week is networked with counterpart BBC Local RadioBBC 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...
stations in the South and South East (namely BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey
BBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
, BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, BBC Radio Berkshire
BBC Radio Berkshire
BBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
, BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
and BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
). During the station's downtime, BBC Sussex simulcasts 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...
programming including 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...
, Morning Reports and the Stephen Nolan show.
Sports Coverage
BBC Sussex cover every Brighton and Hove Albion and Crawley Town game live. On Saturdays BBC Sussex Sport starts at 14:00 presented by Johnny Cantor, from wherever Brighton are playing. This show contains interviews and features on all sports from within the region. The frequencies then split shortly before kick off, with Brighton's match on DAB, 95.0, 95.3 and 104.5FM, and Crawley on the remaining frequencies. A fans phone in then follows the game on all frequencies, before returning to simulcasting on both BBC Sussex and BBC SurreyBBC Surrey
BBC Surrey is the BBC Local Radio service covering the English county of Surrey, along with North-East Hampshire and the northern fringes of West Sussex including Crawley, East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport...
.
When non traditional kick off times occur, the main presenter for the club in question presents a BBC Sussex sports special. (For example 19:45 tuesday nights) These normally start at 19:30 for midweek games, and cut away from the simulcast to the frequencies for the specific club mentioned above. The live game follows, with a small round up at the end, before returning to the simulcast at 22:00. The return to the simulcast show can sometimes prove untidy, for example coming back mid song, or with a presenter mid sentence.
No matches are available on the BBC online stream service, due to a deal with The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...