BBC Radio Bristol

BBC Radio Bristol
City of license Bristol
Broadcast area Bristol and the surrounding former Avon area
Frequency FM 94.9 MHz (Dundry), 103.6 MHz (Hutton), 104.6 MHz (Bath)
AM 1548 kHz (Mangotsfield)
DAB
First air date September 1970
Format Local news, talk and music
Language English
Audience share 8.1% (March 2011, [1])
Owner BBC Local Radio,
BBC West
Website BBC Radio Bristol

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.

Contents

Programming

Weekdays

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
0100 – 0500 BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night London
0500 - 0530 BBC Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports
0530 - 0630 Faye Dicker Bristol
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 London
0130 - 0200 Desi Download: Satnam Rana Birmingham
0200 - 0230 Faith in England: The Reverend Gavin Ashenden Brighton
0230 - 0500 BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night London

Saturday

Time Main presenter(s)/programme Location
0100 - 0300 BBC Introducing: Richard Pitt & Sam Bonham Bristol
0300 - 0400 Ujima Radio
0400 - 0500 BCFM: 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
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
0300 - 0400 Ujima Radio
0400 - 0500 BCFM: Phil Gibbons & Joanne Schofield
0500 - 0600 Martin Evans
0600 - 1000 Sunday Starts: Trevor Fry
1000 - 1300 The Sunday Show
1300 - 1400 Johnny Coppin Gloucester
1400 - 1530 Paul Moss
1530 - 1700 Manny Masih
1700 - 1900 Alex Lewis Bristol
1900 - 2000 Sounds of Brass: Phillip Hunt Plymouth
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 West 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.

Controversy

In November 2008, BBC Radio Bristol presenter Sam Mason 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.[1][2]

References

External links