BBC Radio Merseyside

Last updated

BBC Radio Merseyside
Broadcast area Merseyside
Frequency FM: 95.8 MHz
DAB: 10C
Freeview: 714
RDS BBC MRSY
Programming
Language(s) English
Format Local news, sport, talk and music
Ownership
Owner BBC
Operator BBC North West
History
First air date
22 November 1967
Former names
BBC Merseyside
Former frequencies
1485 MW
Technical information
Licensing authority
 Ofcom
Links
Website BBC Radio Merseyside

BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC's local radio station serving Merseyside, North and West Cheshire and West Lancashire. [1] It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds, from studios on Hanover Street in Liverpool. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 179,000 listeners and a 7.8% share as of December 2023. [2]

Contents

History

Radio Merseyside studios, 2021 BBC Radio Merseyside 2021.jpg
Radio Merseyside studios, 2021

BBC Radio Merseyside was the third BBC Local Radio station to start broadcasting, launching on 22 November 1967 and broadcasting from the sixth floor of council-owned offices in Commerce House, Liverpool. In late 1981, Radio Merseyside moved to a new purpose-built studios on Paradise Street, Liverpool. Broadcasts began from the new studios on 7 December 1981. On 15 July 2006, Radio Merseyside moved from its former home to a new purpose-built studio building on the corner of Hanover Street and College Lane in Liverpool. This building has two ground-floor studios next to a public performance space. An open learning centre was previously located on the first floor and the main office is on the second floor.

In October 2006, the studio building was nominated and made the Building Design shortlist for the inaugural Carbuncle Cup, which was ultimately awarded to Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth. [3]

Until the late 1980s the station was generally on air from breakfast until teatime, with any local programming after 6 pm being specialist music and magazines aimed at specialist interests and ethnic minority programming, such as Orient Express with June Yee. [4] with BBC Radio 2 being carried during the evening and overnight. In early 1989, the four BBC stations in North West England launched an evening service called Network North West. This replaced the Radio 2 simulcast with regional programming. The strand was broadcast each night from 7:30 pm until midnight. In May 1991, the four north-west stations joined the BBC Night Network, which had previously provided evening programming for the BBC's six North East and Yorkshire stations. At this point, local broadcasts ended at 7:05 pm (7 pm at weekends) until midnight, extending to 12:30 am in the early 1990s, and to 1 am by the end of that decade.

Technical

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts on 95.8 MHz (Allerton Park) and DAB from the Allerton Park site and DAB signals come from the Bauer Digital Bauer Liverpool 10C Multiplex from Billinge Hill (between St Helens and Wigan), Hope Mountain (between Buckley and Wrexham) and the Radio City Tower (on top of Radio City's studios).

In 2018, BBC Radio Merseyside launched on BBC Sounds. Local sports commentaries are not broadcast on this service, due to licensing agreements.

The station also broadcasts on Freeview TV channel 714 in the BBC North West region.

In March 2020, BBC Radio Merseyside's 1485 AM license was handed back to Ofcom.

Programming

Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's Liverpool studios from 6 am to 6 pm on weekdays and for sports coverage. Until October 2023, the station's late show was simulcast with BBC Radio Lancashire on Friday nights and originated from BBC Radio Manchester on Saturday and Sunday nights. It was replaced by an England-wide late show which is broadcast seven days a week. [5]

During the station's overnight downtime, BBC Radio Merseyside simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live.

Presenters

Notable past presenters

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Oxford</span> Radio station in Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Oxfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Kent</span> Radio station in Royal Tunbridge Wells

BBC Radio Kent is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Kent.

BBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Berkshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds. It has studios at Thames Valley Park near Reading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Solent</span> BBC Local Radio service for Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, England

BBC Radio Solent is the BBC's local radio station serving Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, broadcasting on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road in Southampton.

BBC Radio Cornwall is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Cornwall.

BBC Radio Guernsey is the BBC's local radio station serving the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Jersey</span> Radio station in Saint Helier

BBC Radio Jersey is the BBC's local radio station serving the Bailiwick of Jersey.

BBC Radio Nottingham is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Nottinghamshire.

BBC Radio Humberside is the BBC's local radio station serving the former county of Humberside which includes the unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Leeds</span> Radio station in Leeds

BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Sheffield</span> Radio station in Sheffield

BBC Radio Sheffield is the BBC's local radio station serving South Yorkshire, north Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio York</span> BBC Local Radio service for North Yorkshire, England

BBC Radio York is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of North Yorkshire.

BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Lancashire.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Wiltshire</span> Radio station in Swindon

BBC Radio Wiltshire is the BBC's local radio station serving the English county of Wiltshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Stoke</span> Radio station in Stoke-on-Trent

BBC Radio Stoke is the BBC's local radio station serving Staffordshire and South Cheshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio WM</span> Radio station in Birmingham

BBC Radio WM is the BBC's local radio station serving the West Midlands.

BBC Radio Manchester is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Surrey</span> BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Surrey

BBC Radio Surrey is the BBC's local radio station serving Surrey and north-east Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hits Radio Liverpool</span> British radio station based in Liverpool

Hits Radio Liverpool, formerly Radio City, is an Independent Local Radio station based in Liverpool, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Merseyside, Cheshire and parts of north Wales.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC - About Radio Merseyside". BBC. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "RAJAR". RAJAR. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ↑ bdonline.co.uk. "Bottom of the barrel - Carbuncles 2006" . Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Presenter Profile: June Yee". BBC . Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. ↑ Collins, Steve (27 July 2023). "Becky Want and Jo Good to host new Local BBC Radio late show". Radio Today. Retrieved 27 July 2023.

53°23′57″N2°59′32″W / 53.399097°N 2.992277°W / 53.399097; -2.992277

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.