BBC Radio Berkshire
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
s 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.
). 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.
stations in the South
and South East
regions. 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.
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
service for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, as well as parts of North Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, including Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 (Henley
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
), 95.4 (Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
), 104.1 (Hannington
Hannington, Hampshire
Hannington is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is situated between Basingstoke and Newbury, on the North Hampshire Downs in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, north Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
) and 104.4 (Broad St Mall, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
) FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
from its studios at Caversham Park
Caversham Park
Caversham Park is a Victorian stately home with parkland in the suburb of Caversham, on the outskirts of Reading, England. Historically it was in Oxfordshire, but since 1911 it has been in Berkshire.-Early History:...
near Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest of the four by far. The station is also available on DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
and through live streaming on the internet, also on demand for seven days after broadcast through the BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
. Notable presenters include Andrew Peach
Andrew Peach
Andrew Peach is a radio presenter in the UK. He presents regular news and phone-in shows on BBC WM and BBC Radio Berkshire...
, Henry Kelly
Henry Kelly
Patrick Henry Kelly is an Irish television presenter and radio DJ.Henry Kelly was born in Athlone, Co Westmeath, Ireland. He was educated at Belvedere College SJ, and at University College Dublin where he was Auditor of the Literary and Historical Society...
, Debbie McGee
Debbie McGee
Debbie McGee is an English television, radio and stage performer who is best known as the wife and assistant of magician Paul Daniels. McGee is a former ballet dancer and, for three years, she was artistic director of her own ballet company...
and Steve Madden.
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 OxfordBBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
on 9 April 1996 to become BBC Thames Valley FM
BBC Thames Valley FM
BBC Thames Valley FM was a BBC Local Radio station covering the English counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, broadcasting between 1996 and 2000.-History:...
. On 14 February 2000 the two stations became separate once again. Andrew Peach
Andrew Peach
Andrew Peach is a radio presenter in the UK. He presents regular news and phone-in shows on BBC WM and BBC Radio Berkshire...
joined the station on 10 October 1992.
Branding
The jingleJingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s used were the same as those formerly used by Radio Sheffield, provided by Bespoke Music
Bespoke Music
Bespoke Music refers to a service provided by a composer, where music is custom-made to the commissioner's specification.-About:Whilst most music is bespoke in its inception, the term bespoke music usually describes a process initiated by an individual or group that requires new music for a...
of Penryn
Penryn, Cornwall
Penryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
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 DownWatership Down, Hampshire
Watership Down is a hill, or down, at Ecchinswell in the civil parish of Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green in the English county of Hampshire. It rises fairly steeply on its northern flank , but to the south the slope is much gentler . .The Down is best known as the setting for Richard...
). 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
BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
. 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
NOW Berkshire & North Hampshire
NOW Berkshire & North Hampshire is the name of the DAB multiplex operator for the Reading & Basingstoke areas. It serves northern portions of Hampshire in the commuter belt and the Unitarian Authorities of Reading, Slough, West Berkshire and Wokingham....
Berkshire & North Hampshire 12D multiplex from Coppid Beech (at the junction of the B3408 and A329(M)
A329(M) motorway
The A329 is a motorway in Berkshire, England. It is 4 miles long and runs from the north of Bracknell to the south east of Reading.-Route:...
in west Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
), Hannington
Hannington, Hampshire
Hannington is a civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It is situated between Basingstoke and Newbury, on the North Hampshire Downs in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and Hemdean (just north of Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...
). The Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
DAB transmitter (between Cliddesden
Cliddesden
Cliddesden is a parish in Hampshire, England located 3 miles south of Basingstoke, close to the M3 motorway. In the 2001 census it had a population of 489...
and Winslade
Winslade
Winslade is a hamlet and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. It lies south of Basingstoke and covers an area of...
near the A339 in Hampshire) was added on 3 October 2005.
The station essentially covers the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
corridor.
Weekdays
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 – 0500 | BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries... : Up All Night Up All Night (radio show) Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night... |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0500 - 0700 | Steve Madden | Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
| 0700 - 1000 | Andrew Peach Andrew Peach Andrew Peach is a radio presenter in the UK. He presents regular news and phone-in shows on BBC WM and BBC Radio Berkshire... |
|
| 1000 - 1300 | Anne Diamond Anne Diamond Anne Margaret Diamond is an English radio and television presenter and journalist. She hosted Good Morning Britain for TV-am and the similarly titled Good Morning... with Anne and Nick for BBC1, both with Nick Owen as her co-presenter... |
|
| 1300 - 1600 | Sarah Walker | |
| 1600 - 1900 | Phil Kennedy Phil Kennedy Phil Kennedy is a British broadcaster who currently presents with two BBC Local Radio stations.-Biography:Phil's radio career began on Radio Jackie when it was still a pirate radio station, he then moved to Top Shop's instore radio station on London's Oxford Street... |
|
| 1900 - 2200 | Roger Day Roger Day Broadcaster Roger "Twiggy" Day Real name Roger Thomas currently presents on six BBC Local Radio stations across southern England.-Early career:... |
Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex... |
| 2200 - 0100 | Paul Miller | Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest... |
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 Up All Night (radio show) Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night... |
London |
| 0500 - 0600 | BBC Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports | |
| 0600 - 0900 | Nicki Whiteman | Reading |
| 0900 - 1200 | Henry Kelly Henry Kelly Patrick Henry Kelly is an Irish television presenter and radio DJ.Henry Kelly was born in Athlone, Co Westmeath, Ireland. He was educated at Belvedere College SJ, and at University College Dublin where he was Auditor of the Literary and Historical Society... |
|
| 1200 - 1400 | Greatest Hits: Phil Kennedy Phil Kennedy Phil Kennedy is a British broadcaster who currently presents with two BBC Local Radio stations.-Biography:Phil's radio career began on Radio Jackie when it was still a pirate radio station, he then moved to Top Shop's instore radio station on London's Oxford Street... |
|
| 1400 - 1800 | Sport on BBC Berkshire: Tim Dellor | |
| 1800 - 2100 | Dave Cash Dave Cash (disc jockey) Dave Cash is a veteran British radio presenter who works for BBC Radio Kent, having had previous spells at Radio London, BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, Radio West , Country 1035 and PrimeTime Radio.-Radio career:Cash was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, U.K... |
Tunbridge Wells |
| 2100 - 0100 | David Allen | Southampton |
Sunday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0100 – 0500 | BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night Up All Night (radio show) Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night... |
BBC Radio 5 Live |
| 0500 - 0600 | BBC Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports | |
| 0600 - 0700 | John Hudson | Radio Berkshire |
| 0700 - 0900 | Mary Green Mary Green Mary Green is a British radio and television presenter. She currently hosts the Sunday Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Berkshire from 7-9am.Previously, she presented Thames Valley Tonight on ITV Thames Valley, covering the Central South and Meridian West regions, until 6th February 2009... |
|
| 0900 - 1200 | Debbie McGee Debbie McGee Debbie McGee is an English television, radio and stage performer who is best known as the wife and assistant of magician Paul Daniels. McGee is a former ballet dancer and, for three years, she was artistic director of her own ballet company... |
|
| 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 RadioBBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
stations in the South
BBC South
BBC South is the BBC English Region serving West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, western Berkshire, Oxfordshire, south east Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.-Television:...
and South East
BBC South East
BBC South East is the BBC English Region serving East Sussex, Kent, and parts of Surrey and West Sussex.The BBC region was created in September 2001 by the joining of the Heathfield transmitter , with the Bluebell Hill and Dover transmitters to form a new regional TV service...
regions. A full evening of local programmes is broadcast on Sundays. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night
Up All Night (radio show)
Up All Night is a programme broadcast on the national radio station BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom, and is on air between the hours of 1 am and 5 am every night...
is simulcast with the early morning news programme, Morning Reports, also simulcast at weekends.