BBC Radio Berkshire

BBC Radio Berkshire
City of license Reading
Broadcast area Berkshire, North Hampshire and South Oxfordshire
Frequency 104.1 MHz, 104.4 MHz, 94.6 MHz, 95.4 MHz & DAB
First air date Tuesday 21 January 1992
Format Local news, talk and music
Language English
Audience share 7.3% (September 2011, [1])
Owner BBC Local Radio,
BBC South,
BBC London (E. Berks)
Website 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 (Henley), 95.4 (Windsor), 104.1 (Hannington, north Hampshire) and 104.4 (Broad St Mall, Reading) FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest of the four by far. The station is also available on DAB and through live streaming on the internet, also on demand for seven days after broadcast through the BBC iPlayer. Notable presenters include Andrew Peach, Henry Kelly, Debbie McGee and Steve Madden.

Contents

History

The station began on 21 January 1992, starting as a sister station of Radio Oxford, broadcasting for part of the weekday and weekend mornings. Due to financial cutbacks, BBC Director-General John Birt announced that it was to merge with BBC Radio Oxford on 9 April 1996 to become BBC Thames Valley FM. On 14 February 2000 the two stations became separate once again. Andrew Peach joined the station on 10 October 1992.

Branding

The jingles used were the same as those formerly used by Radio Sheffield, provided by Bespoke Music of Penryn in Cornwall. Currently, BBC Radio Berkshire now use the generic BBC Local Radio jingle by Mcasso Music Production.

Transmitters

The Hannington transmitter for BBC Radio Berkshire's 104.1 FM frequency is located on Cottington Hill (close to Watership Down). Along with the BBC's signal it also carries television channels and Heart Berkshire on 102.9 FM. The 104.1 FM signal can be heard over most of Hampshire, certainly more than BBC Radio Solent. The Broad St Mall transmitter carries Heart Berkshire on 97 FM and BBC Radio Berkshire on 104.4 FM since 1991, although the BBC call it Fountain House after the name of the building it is fixed to. The Henley-on-Thames transmitter which carries BBC Radio Berkshire on 94.6 FM also carries Heart Berkshire on 103.4 FM. The Windsor transmitter carries BBC Radio Berkshire on 95.4 FM.

Since 31 July 2004, DAB broadcasts have come from the NOW Digital Berkshire & North Hampshire 12D multiplex from Coppid Beech (at the junction of the B3408 and A329(M) in west Bracknell), Hannington and Hemdean (just north of Caversham). The Basingstoke DAB transmitter (between Cliddesden and Winslade near the A339 in Hampshire) was added on 3 October 2005.

The station essentially covers the M4 corridor.

Programming

Weekdays

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
0100 – 0500 BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night London
0500 - 0700 Steve Madden Reading
0700 - 1000 Andrew Peach
1000 - 1300 Anne Diamond
1300 - 1600 Sarah Walker
1600 - 1900 Phil Kennedy
1900 - 2200 Roger Day Royal Tunbridge Wells
2200 - 0100 Paul Miller Southampton

Friday variations

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
1600 - 1800 Phil Kennedy Reading
1800 - 1900 Sportsweek

Saturday

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
0100 – 0500 BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night London
0500 - 0600 BBC Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports
0600 - 0900 Nicki Whiteman Reading
0900 - 1200 Henry Kelly
1200 - 1400 Greatest Hits: Phil Kennedy
1400 - 1800 Sport on BBC Berkshire: Tim Dellor
1800 - 2100 Dave Cash Tunbridge Wells
2100 - 0100 David Allen Southampton

Sunday

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
0100 – 0500 BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night BBC Radio 5 Live
0500 - 0600 BBC Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports
0600 - 0700 John Hudson Radio Berkshire
0700 - 0900 Mary Green
0900 - 1200 Debbie McGee
1200 - 1400 BBC Radio Berkshire Gardening: Nicki Whiteman & Colin Evans
1400 - 1700 Irish Eye: Henry Wymbs Radio Oxford
1700 - 1900 Gillham Gold: Tony Gillham
1900 - 2000 BBC Introducing: Linda Serck Radio Berkshire
2000 - 2100 Greatest Hits: Phil Kennedy
2100 - 2200 Louise Chandler
2200 - 0100 Harmony Night: Bill & Angela Rennells Radio Oxford

Networked and simulcast programming

From Monday to Saturday evenings, BBC Radio Berkshire simulcasts networked programming with BBC Local Radio stations in the South and South East regions, namely Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Oxford and Solent. A full evening of local programmes is broadcast on Sundays. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night is simulcast with the early morning news programme, Morning Reports, also simulcast at weekends.

External links