| Broadcast area | London |
|---|---|
| Slogan | London's live news, travel and weather station |
| Frequency | 1152 kHz Sky: Channel 0124 Virgin Media: Channel 919 |
| First air date | 5 October 1994 |
| Format | News |
| Audience share | 0.5% (December 2009, [1]) |
| Owner | Global Radio |
| Website | www.lbc.co.uk |
LBC News 1152 is London's only rolling news radio station broadcasting in Greater London on AM, DAB, Sky, Virgin Media and online. The station's aim is to provide more in depth coverage of the day's news stories. It also offers the most up to date travel information for London.[2]
The station's news partners include Sky News Radio and Fox News Radio.
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The frequency has a complicated history of format and ownership, most recently with the swap between 1152 AM and 97.3 FM. In January 2003 the station relaunched as LBC News 1152.
The history of continuous news radio in London dates back to the early 1990s. In September 1993 London News Radio was awarded the FM and AM licenses previously held by LBC. They proposed a continuous news service on FM and a news/talk format on AM.
By the time the license was due to start in October 1994 London News Radio had been through several upheavals, first acquiring LBC and then itself being bought up by Reuters.
At launch on 5 October 1994 the company was known as London Radio Services and it operated London News 97.3FM and London News Talk 1152AM.
London News initially operated on a 20-minute wheel. The first presenters on air were Michael Wilson and Clare Catford. The morning sequence was presented by LBC veteran Jonathan Staples with Nicky Broyd the afternoon presenter. Drivetime was in the hands of Christopher Terry and Brenda Ellison. John Terrett was the evening host.
By spring 1995 the rolling news format gave way to a more traditional schedule of news sequences and magazine programmes.
In summer 1995 the station's name was shortened to News 97.3.
In 1996 Reuters sold London Radio Services to the newly formed London News Radio (unrelated to the previous LNR company), in which ITN, DMGT, Reuters and GWR Group held equal shares.
In summer 1996 the station reverted to a rolling news format, initially with no name (the station was branded as 97.3FM).
In autumn 1996 - following a move to ITN's headquarters - the station was relaunched as News Direct 97.3FM and Chris Mann was appointed editor.
In 2000 the station was renamed ITN News Direct 97.3FM
In late 2002 - following the sale of the station to Chrysalis Radio - the station dropped the ITN prefix and returned to its previous name until the rebrand as LBC News 1152.
During Christmas and New Year 2002/03 an LBC News-branded rolling news service was carried on both 97.3FM and 1152AM prior to the full launches of LBC 97.3 and LBC News 1152.
In Spring 2007 it was announced that the station will be replaced by Sky News Radio.[3] This move comes alongside Channel 4's 4 Digital Group second DAB multiplex bid.
On 18 October 2007, the station's new owners Global Radio announced that they and Sky have scrapped a joint venture to turn LBC News 1152 into a 24 hour Sky News branded station.[4]
In Summer 2008 the 1152 service was substantially cut back. The overnight automated service was abandoned and replaced with a simulcast of LBC 97.3.
The daytime service became semi-automated, with much greater reliance on recorded audio from LBC's FM talk station and Sky News. LBC's five-and-a-half-year relationship with business news provider Bloomberg was also abandoned in favour of business updates from CNBC.
On 15 November 2010, LBC News 1152 was added to the Sky and Virgin Media EPGs, with the station using channel slots formerly occupied by Galaxy Yorkshire.[5] This came six weeks ahead of Galaxy's rebranding to Capital FM.
The station broadcasts between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and from 7am to 5pm at the weekend.
There are news headlines every 15 minutes, sport and business updates every 30 minutes, with travel and weather every 10 minutes.
Portions of the daytime service are automated.
Other than during the breakfast sequence, the short news bulletins every 30 minutes are simulcast with LBC 97.3.
The evening and overnight service is a simulcast of sister station LBC 97.3.
LBC NEWS 1152 has 373,000 listeners every week, who listen for around 3.4 hours a week. Since 2005, the station has shown consistent moderate growth in terms of people listening, and roughly static total hours.
In terms of competitors, it falls short of sister station LBC 97.3, which achieves 928,000 listeners (who listen for 11.7 hours a week), and BBC London, which achieves 560,000 listeners (who listen for 5.5 hours a week).
(Source: RAJAR Q3 2010; Media UK)
Weekday breakfast is presented by Jim Diamond, mid-mornings by Howard Hughes, Andy Hayes presents Drive-time. Other presenters include: Holly Ford, Dan Freedman, Declan Harvey, Alex Kirkland and Rupert Bhatia.
Current sport presenters include Russell T Hargreaves, Phil Blacker, Phil Kitromilides, Katie Murrells and Nick Lester
Past presenters include: Luisa Baldini, Rick Kelsey, Jamie Shepherd, Douglas Cameron, Peter Deeley, Sandy Warr, James Hirst, Maggie Doyle, James Hartigan, Sue Mansfield, Kim Michaels, Russell Hookey, Richard Midson, Clemancy Norris, Richard Hakier and Jonathan Savage. Former Sky News anchorman Bob Friend was a guest presenter on the station at the time of the 2005 British general election.
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