Scala Radio

Last updated

Scala Radio
Scala Radio.svg
  • London
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Frequency
Programming
Format Classical music
Network Bauer National
Ownership
Owner Bauer Media Audio UK
History
First air date
4 March 2019 (2019-03-04)
Links
Webcast Planet Radio
Website planetradio.co.uk/scala-radio OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Scala Radio is a classical music digital radio station in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Radio since its launch in March 2019. The station broadcasts nationally on the DAB Sound Digital multiplex, via Smart speaker, app, and online. The station was the first national classical music service to launch on terrestrial radio in the UK since Classic FM in 1992.

Contents

The station's playlist features 70% popular classics and 30% new and "surprising" music. Scala also aims for more speech content – or more "storytelling" – than Classic FM or BBC Radio 3. [1]

History

On 22 December 2018, following the demise of his BBC Radio 2 drivetime show which had been co-hosted with Jo Whiley since May 2018  Simon Mayo revealed that "...the new radio show will be announced in January. It will be startling." [2]

A month later, on 21 January 2019, Bauer Radio announced plans to launch a new national classical music service under the name Scala Radio from March, with Mayo having signed up to be one of the lead presenters of the new station. [3] More information about presenters and their shows was confirmed in February 2019. [4]

Scala Radio launched at 10am on 4 March 2019 with Simon Mayo hosting the first live programme. The first track played was the prélude to Carmen Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet. [5]

Advance weekly listings for Scala Radio were published from launch in Radio Times and the Bauer-owned Total TV Guide. The Radio Times removed listings for BBC Radio 1Xtra and details of news and weather bulletins on Radios 1 and 2 to make space for the new station.

The station launched on Sky on 1 May 2019 on channel 0216 (later moved to channel 0151). It was removed on 14 December 2022, and was replaced by sister station Greatest Hits Radio on the platform. [6]

Changes made to the programming schedule from 2 March 2024 resulted in a presenter-less format for most weekday slots, in response to falling listening figures. The changes also led to the loss of Mark Kermode, Luci Holland, Richard Allinson, Sam Hughes, and Mark Forrest as presenters. [7]

Presenters

The presenters on Scala Radio include a range of radio and television personalities, some of whom have previously presented on other Bauer stations, as well as with competitor stations such as Classic FM. The current presenters with regular shows are: [8]

Former presenters

Audience

According to RAJAR data, the station has a weekly reach of 199,000 people as of December 2023. [9]

Activities

Album of the Week

Scala Radio recommends an album weekly as their Album of the Week, and conducts relevant give-away activities. [10]

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.

BBC Radio Newcastle is the BBC's local radio station serving Newcastle upon Tyne, the neighbouring metropolitan boroughs, Northumberland and north east County Durham.

BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC's local radio station serving Merseyside, north-west Cheshire and West Lancashire. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire</span> Radio station in Birmingham

Hits Radio Herefordshire & Worcestershire is a forthcoming Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wave 105 (UK radio station)</span> Radio station in Fareham

Wave 105 was a regional radio station based in Fareham, England, owned and operated by Bauer. It broadcast to South Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, Wiltshire, and Dorset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hits Radio East Midlands</span> Radio station in Nottingham

Hits Radio East Midlands is a forthcoming Independent Local Radio station based in Nottingham, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the East Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic (UK radio station)</span> Adult contemporary radio station in London

Magic Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer. The station is available on 105.4 FM in London and across the UK on Digital Radio and online. It plays "soft adult contemporary classics" such as Elton John, Madonna, Hot Chocolate, Whitney Houston, UB40 and Simply Red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Mayo</span> English radio presenter and author

Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Kermode</span> English film critic

Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter, author and podcaster. He is the co-presenter, with Ellen E. Jones, of the BBC Radio 4 programme Screenshot and co-presenter of the film-review podcast Kermode & Mayo's Take alongside long-time collaborator Simon Mayo. He is a regular contributor to The Observer, for whom he was chief film critic between September 2013 and September 2023. He is the author of several books on film and music, including It's Only A Movie, Hatchet Job, How Does It Feel? and The Movie Doctors. He has also written three volumes for the BFI's Modern Classics series, on The Exorcist, The Shawshank Redemption and Silent Running. Since the late 1980's he has contributed to the BFI's film magazine Sight & Sound and its predecessor The Monthly Film Bulletin, and since January 2016 he has presented a monthly live show, MK3D, at the BFI South Bank. It is the BFI's longest running live show.

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

Hits Radio Manchester is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack FM (United Kingdom)</span> Radio station in Oxford, United Kingdom

JACK FM was an adult hits format radio station that broadcast on 106.8 MHz FM in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, and on DAB in Oxfordshire. Between 2016 and 2017 it also broadcast in Surrey and parts of Hampshire. The station shared premises in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, with its sister stations JACK 2 and JACK 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greatest Hits Radio</span> UK classic hits radio network

Greatest Hits Radio is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2015.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2016.

A timeline of notable events relating to Magic 105.4, a commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio, and the former Magic Network broadcast on AM stations in the north of England.

This is a list of events taking place in 2019 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

This is a list of events taking place in 2021 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

This is a timeline of notable events relating to Greatest Hits Radio, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio. The timeline also covers the Magic and Big City 2 networks, which were the forerunners to Greatest Hits Radio.

This is a list of events taking place in 2022 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

This is a list of events in 2024 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. Hann, Michael (1 March 2019). "Can Scala Radio disrupt the UK's classical market?" . Financial Times . London. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. Mayo, Simon [@simonmayo] (22 December 2018). "An ex-Radio 2 host writes... So thank you all for all the wonderful comments here. Quite moved by it all. I've done a daily national BBC show for 31 years solid so this might take a while to adjust to...anyway the new radio show will be announced in January. It will be startling" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 May 2020 via Twitter.
  3. "Simon Mayo joins new classical station". BBC News . BBC. 21 January 2019.
  4. "Scala Radio announces more names for presenter line up". Digital Radio UK. 21 February 2019.
  5. "Simon Mayo launches Scala Radio on DAB digital radio". Radio Today . 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. https://rxtvinfo.com/scala-radio-to-leave-sky/ Scala Radio to leave Sky
  7. Martin, Ray (22 February 2024). "Mark Forrest, Mark Kermode, Luci Holland, Richard Allinson and Sam Hughes to leave Scala Radio". Radio Today.
  8. "Presenters - Scala Radio". Planet Radio. Bauer Media . Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  9. RAJAR https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php
  10. David May. "WIN - Scala Radio's Album of the Week". Scala Radio.

51°30′44″N0°08′13″W / 51.5122°N 0.1369°W / 51.5122; -0.1369