BBC Radio London: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|BBC Local Radio station for London}} |
{{Short description|BBC Local Radio station for London}} |
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{{Original research|date=December 2023}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} |
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{{Use British English|date=August 2012}} |
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}} |
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{{infobox radio station |
{{infobox radio station |
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| name = BBC Radio London |
| name = BBC Radio London |
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| logo = BBC Radio London (2022).svg |
| logo = BBC Radio London (2022).svg |
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| city = London |
| city = [[London]] |
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| area = [[Greater London]] |
| area = [[Greater London]] |
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| airdate = 6 October 1970 |
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| frequency = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: 94.9 MHz<br>[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 12A<br>[[Freesat]]: 718<br>[[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]: 721<br>[[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky]]: 0135<br>[[Virgin Media]]: 937 |
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| airdate = {{start date|1970|10|06|df=yes}} |
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| rds = BBCLondn |
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| frequency = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: {{frequency|94.9|[[MHz]]}}<br />[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 12A<br />[[Freesat]]: 718<br>[[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]: 721<br />[[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky]]: 0135<br />[[Virgin Media]]: 937 |
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| format = Local news, talk and music |
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| language = [[English language|English]] |
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| former_names = BBC GLR (1988–2000)<br>BBC London Live 94.9 (2000–2001)<br>BBC London 94.9 (2001–2015) |
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| language = English |
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| former_frequencies = 95.3 FM<br>1458 [[AM broadcasting|MW]] |
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| operator = [[BBC London]] |
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| owner = [[BBC Local Radio]],<br>[[BBC London]] |
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| licensing_authority = [[Ofcom]] |
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| former_names = BBC GLR (1988–2000)<br>BBC London Live 94.9 (2000–2001)<br>BBC London 94.9 (2001–2015) |
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| website = {{url|https:/bbc.co.uk/radiolondon}} |
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| former_frequencies = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: {{frequency|95.3|[[MHz]]}}<br>[[Medium wave|AM]] {{frequency|1458|[[kHz]]}} |
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| owner = [[BBC]] |
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| website = {{url|https:/bbc.co.uk/radiolondon}} |
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| coordinates = |
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| network = [[BBC Local Radio]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''BBC Radio London''' is |
'''BBC Radio London''' is the [[BBC Local Radio|BBC's local radio station]] serving [[Greater London]]. |
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It broadcasts on [[FM broadcasting|FM]], [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]], digital TV and via [[BBC Sounds]] from studios at [[Broadcasting House]] in [[Langham Place, London]]. |
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The station's output is generally similar to that of other BBC Local Radio stations and targets a broad, mainstream audience. While previous incarnations of the station offered a more diverse range of programmes for London's various [[Ethnic group|ethnic]], religious, social and cultural communities, specialist programming now remains in a smaller form and is mostly broadcast at weekends. |
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According to [[RAJAR]], the station has a weekly audience of |
According to [[RAJAR]], the station has a weekly audience of 548,000 listeners and a 0.9% share as of December 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php|title=RAJAR|publisher=RAJAR|access-date=2015-09-27|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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{{For timeline}} |
{{For timeline}} |
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=== |
===1970–1988: Radio London=== |
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Local radio arrived in [[London]] as part of the second wave of BBC local stations, following a successful pilot project headed by [[Frank Gillard]], who on visiting the United States, discovered local radio stations of varying formats and brought the concept to Britain.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The origins of BBC Local Radio|url=https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/research/local-radio/|access-date=2023-05-31|website=www.bbc.com|language=en}}</ref> |
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Test transmissions for the new local radio station were carried out from [[Wrotham]], [[Kent]], on 95.3 [[MHz]] in [[FM broadcasting|FM]] [[Monaural|mono]], relaying [[BBC Radio 1]] (at the time broadcast only on [[medium wave]]), with several announcements informing listeners of the new service. On 6 October 1970, '''Radio London''' was launched, three years before commercial radio for [[Greater London]] in the guise of [[LBC]]. An additional medium wave frequency was allocated on 1457 kHz (206 metres) from [[Brookmans Park transmitting station|Brookmans Park]]. 95.3 soon changed to 94.9. |
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Local radio arrived in [[London]] as part of the second wave of BBC local stations, following a successful pilot project headed by [[Frank Gillard]], who on visiting the United States discovered local radio stations of varying formats and brought this concept to Britain.{{CN|date=January 2022}} |
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BBC Radio London was the local station for the capital, although, in its early days, it relied heavily on news reports from other stations in the BBC network and often shared programming with BBC Radio 1 and [[BBC Radio 2]]. For several months after launch, the station was not able to play commercial records as no agreement had been reached over so-called [[needle time]], which led to London listeners becoming acquainted with broadcast library music from outside the UK (including the Canadian Talent Library) and music from film soundtracks. A phone-in programme, ''[[Sounding Brass (radio show)|Sounding Brass]]'', was first presented by Owen Spencer-Thomas in 1977. Listeners were invited to choose a Christmas carol or hymn while a [[Salvation Army]] brass band stood by in the studio to play their request live. It later moved to BBC Radio 2 and was presented by [[Gloria Hunniford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/02/08/bbclondonradio_history_feature.shtml|publisher=BBC - London|title=The History of BBC London 94.9|work=bbc.co.uk|date=13 November 2014}}</ref> |
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Test transmissions for the new local radio station were carried out from [[Wrotham]], [[Kent]], on 95.3 [[MHz]] in [[FM broadcasting|FM]] mono, relaying [[BBC Radio 1]] (at the time broadcast only on medium wave), with several announcements informing listeners of the new service. On 6 October 1970 '''Radio London''' was launched, three years before commercial radio for [[Greater London]] in the guise of [[LBC]]. An additional medium wave frequency was allocated on 1457 kHz (206 metres) from Brookman's Park. 95.3 soon changed to 94.9. |
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As soon as [[Independent Local Radio]] stations LBC and [[Capital London]] went on air, public attention to Radio London declined.{{citation needed|date = December 2023}} |
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BBC Radio London was the local station for the capital, although, in the early days, it relied heavily on news reports from other stations in the BBC network and often shared programming with [[BBC Radio 1]] and [[BBC Radio 2]]. It took on a fairly lively sound and featured (as it does to this day) extensive traffic reports, phone-in programmes — it pioneered the daily phone-in in the UK — and much contemporary and [[Middle of the road (music)|middle-of-the-road]] music. For several months after launch, the station was not able to play commercial records as no agreement had been reached over so-called [[needle time]], which led to London listeners becoming acquainted with broadcast library music from outside the UK (notably the Canadian Talent Library) and music from film soundtracks. A phone-in programme, ''[[Sounding Brass (radio show)|Sounding Brass]]'', was pioneered, devised and first presented by Owen Spencer-Thomas in 1977. Listeners were invited to choose a Christmas carol or hymn while a [[Salvation Army]] brass band stood by in the studio to play their request live. It later moved to [[BBC Radio 2]] and was presented by [[Gloria Hunniford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/02/08/bbclondonradio_history_feature.shtml|publisher=BBC - London |title=The History of BBC London 94.9|work=bbc.co.uk|date=13 November 2014}}</ref> |
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Radio London started regular broadcasts from Harewood House, 13 [[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]], near [[Oxford Circus]], later moving to 35 [[Marylebone High Street]] – the former ''[[Radio Times]]'' warehouse. |
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As soon as [[Independent Local Radio]] stations [[LBC]] and [[Capital London]] went on air, public attention to Radio London declined, with the station attempting to copy both. |
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Tests for FM [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]] began in 1981 with ''Music on the Move'', a programme featuring non-stop music, before its full launch on 11th February. The FM transmitter was shortly moved to [[Crystal Palace Transmitter|Crystal Palace]]. This coincided with the planned relaunch in 1981, which saw the station take on a style that was softer than BBC Radio 2 – a station predominantly playing "[[easy listening]]" music. The music ranged from softer contemporary pop, such as [[The Carpenters]], to light classical music. The relaunch led to improved audience figures and a string of awards and accolades.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} |
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Radio London started regular broadcasts from Harewood House, [[Hanover Square, London|Hanover Square]], near [[Oxford Circus]], later moving to 35 [[Marylebone High Street]] - the former ''[[Radio Times]]'' warehouse, famously without windows and providing an enormous sub-basement studio. |
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One of its programmes on the schedule was ''Black Londoners'', devised by Ray Criushank, a community relations officer for the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]], and presented by [[Alex Pascall]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-02-15|title=Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture (Encyclopedias of Contemporary Culture)|url=https://silo.pub/companion-to-contemporary-black-british-culture-encyclopedias-of-contemporary-culture.html|access-date=2023-02-27|website=silo.pub|language=en}}</ref> The programme helped to develop on-air talent from London's Afro-Caribbean community, namely [[Juliet Alexander]], [[Syd Burke]] and [[Mike Phillips (writer)|Mike Phillips]] and was the pioneering programme on television or radio to regularly speak to Black Londoners. The programme's title was changed to ''Black London'' shortly before Radio London closed. It was revived for a short time in 2003, with Pascall returning as a presenter. The forerunner to the [[BBC Asian Network]] was an [[British Asian|Asian]] programme, ''[[London Sounds Eastern]]'', presented by [[Vernon Corea]] who was appointed the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Adviser in the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-04|title=Ethnic Minorities Advisor to the BBC|url=https://vernoncorea.wordpress.com/tag/ethnic-minorities-advisor-to-the-bbc/|access-date=2023-05-31|website=Vernon Corea 1927-2002|language=en}}</ref> |
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Tests for FM stereo began in 1981 with ''Music on the Move'', a programme featuring non-stop music, prior to full launch on 11 February. The FM transmitter was shortly moved to [[Crystal Palace Transmitter|Crystal Palace]]. This coincided with the planned relaunch in 1981, which saw the station take on a style that was softer than BBC Radio 2 - a station predominantly playing "[[easy listening]]" music. The music ranged from softer contemporary pop, such as [[The Carpenters]], to light classical music. This move was unpopular with employed staff, who thought it very un-hip, and politicians who would question the need for a local radio station to sound like the two music-based BBC national networks. However, the relaunch led to improved audience figures and a string of awards and accolades. |
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A programming relaunch in 1984 saw Radio London adopt the tagline ''"The Heart and Soul of London"'', with more soul music being played during the day. [[Tony Blackburn]] from BBC Radio 1 moved up the schedule to host a morning show. Regular Soul Night Outs were held initially in [[Kilburn, London|Kilburn]] but later in other venues, such as [[Ilford]]. This was where [[Dave Pearce]] (who later went to BBC Radio 1) made his first regular appearances as a BBC DJ on a Monday night programme.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} |
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One of its programmes on the schedule was ''Black Londoners'', devised by Ray Criushank, a community relations officer for the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]], and presented by [[Alex Pascall]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-02-15 |title=Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture (Encyclopedias of Contemporary Culture) |url=https://silo.pub/companion-to-contemporary-black-british-culture-encyclopedias-of-contemporary-culture.html |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=silo.pub |language=en}}</ref> The programme helped to develop on-air talent from London's Afro-Caribbean community, namely [[Juliet Alexander]], [[Syd Burke]] and [[Mike Phillips (writer)|Mike Phillips]] and was the pioneering programme on television or radio to regularly speak to Black Londoners. The programme's title was changed to ''Black London'' shortly before Radio London closed (see below). It was revived for a short time in 2003, with Pascall returning as a presenter. The forerunner to the [[BBC Asian Network]] was an [[British Asian|Asian]] programme, ''[[London Sounds Eastern]]'', presented by [[Vernon Corea]] who was appointed the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Adviser in the 1970s.{{citation needed|reason=hugely popular|date=April 2016}} [[Pandit Ravi Shankar]], Indian pop star [[Usha Uthup]], were among those interviewed for ''London Sounds Eastern'', launched on BBC Radio London in 1976 and produced by Keith Yeomans. The programme introduced the [[Bollywood]] music of [[Asha Bhosle]] and [[Lata Mangeshkar]] to new London audiences. |
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''Radio London'' closed on 7 October 1988. The final programme, just before its 18th birthday, was presented by [[Mike Sparrow]] and Susie Barnes. Immediately after closedown at 7 pm, test transmissions began in preparation for the launch of its replacement, Greater London Radio (GLR). |
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A programming relaunch in 1984 saw Radio London adopt the tagline ''"The Heart and Soul of London"'', with more soul music being played during the day. [[Tony Blackburn]] from BBC Radio 1 moved up the schedule to host a morning show for housewives, playing classic soul of the 1970s and presenting a show laced with cheeky jokes and ''[[double entendres]]'', once daring to "get out his 12-incher" - referring to an LP record. He was dismissed in 1988 crossing the line of taste and decency, conveniently in time for the station's first relaunch. Regular Soul Night Outs were held initially in [[Kilburn, London|Kilburn]] but later in other venues, such as Ilford. This was where [[Dave Pearce]], later of BBC Radio 1 fame, made his first regular appearances as a BBC DJ (Monday night programme "A fresh start to the week"). Two of the station's producers, Guy Hornsby (Tony Blackburn) and Mike Gray (Robbie Vincent Telephone Programme), went on to create the ground-breaking commercial dance stations [[Galaxy Manchester|Kiss 102]] and [[Galaxy Yorkshire|Kiss 105]], which recaptured the somewhat anarchic spirit of BBC Radio London in its mid-1980s heyday to great audience and commercial success.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} |
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===1988–2000: Greater London Radio (GLR)=== |
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''Radio London'' closed on 7 October 1988. The final programme, just before its 18th birthday, was presented by [[Mike Sparrow]] and Susie Barnes. Immediately after [[Sign-on and sign-off|closedown]] at 7{{nbsp}}pm, test transmissions began for the next 17 days, preparing for a new radio station for London, Greater London Radio (GLR). |
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{{sources|section|date=December 2023}} |
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Test transmissions for the new ''Greater London Radio'' GLR began as soon as Radio London closed. Its pre-launch announcements stated in no uncertain terms that GLR was to be radically different in style. GLR was to be the first new radio station in London for 15 years. |
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=== 1988–2000: Greater London Radio (GLR) === |
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Test transmissions for the new ''Greater London Radio'' GLR began as soon as Radio London closed. Its pre-launch announcements stated in no uncertain terms that GLR was to be radically different in style promising the fastest news, traffic and travel news every 20 minutes and the best music mix. GLR was to be the first new radio station in London for 15 years. |
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An irreverent announcement, voiced by [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]], aired four days before launch: |
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{{cquote|This is Greater London Radio and as I'm sure you will have noticed by now we the BBC have been paying you the public to patronise [you]... Sorry to say that this all changes at 6{{nbsp}}am Tuesday 25 October. Interruptions to the music will then be performed by a host of celebrities and stars...and also appearing will be Nick ''"who, he?"'' Abbot, Emma ''"Oh my God!"'' Freud, Johnnie ''"who him?"'' Walker, Timbo the Bimbo [Tim Lloyd] and Tommy ''"No seriously!"'' Vance. Sorry this is the best we could come up with, with the budget available and at least thank God you won't be forced to look at them! GLR: as heard but not seen in London starting 6{{nbsp}}am, Tuesday 25 October.}} |
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[[File:BBC GLR Logo.png|thumb|GLR logo 1991]] |
[[File:BBC GLR Logo.png|thumb|GLR logo 1991]] |
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Heading the new station were Managing Editor [[Matthew Bannister]] and Programme Organiser [[Trevor Dann]]. Bannister came from [[Capital London]], while Dann came from Radio 1, via BBC TV's ''[[Old Grey Whistle Test|Whistle Test]]'', and developed an album-oriented music policy. GLR was aimed at ''people who hate pop but love music, hate prattle'' (excessive on-air talk) ''but want to know what's what where in the world''. The station was aimed at 25 to 45-year-olds. Early promotions used the phrase "rock 'n' rolling news". Much of the daytime speech output covered London events and nightlife, with comedians and other artists being interviewed. The music mix was best described as [[Adult album alternative]], though indie bands were also played. |
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[[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]] took on a variety of roles on GLR, often presenting a weekend show, ending in 1993. [[Danny Baker]] presented Weekend Breakfast from 1989 to 1990 and then returned to present a Sunday morning show from 1996 to 1998. [[Janice Long]] presented the Breakfast show on the station from 1989 to 1991, and [[Kevin Greening]] started as a producer in 1989, before becoming a presenter of the Breakfast show with [[Jeremy Nicholas (broadcaster)|Jeremy Nicholas]] in 1991. [[Bob Harris (radio presenter)|Bob Harris]] also presented shows for the station from 1994 to 1998 after leaving [[BBC Radio 1]]. Early afternoon programming previewed London's entertainment scene, interviewing comedians and other performers. [[Richard Cook (journalist)|Richard Cook]] had a Saturday night jazz show. |
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Heading the new station were Managing Editor [[Matthew Bannister]] and Programme Organiser [[Trevor Dann]]. Bannister, from [[Capital London]], favoured a young, racy, news and speech format, miles away from the typically stuffy BBC Local Radio sound. Dann came from Radio 1, via BBC TV's [[Old Grey Whistle Test|Whistle Test]], and developed an album-oriented music policy. GLR was aimed at ''people who hate pop but love music, hate prattle'' (excessive on-air talk) ''but want to know what's what where in the world''. The station was aimed at 25 to 45-year-olds, who perhaps grew up with Radio 1, but now wanted to be intelligently informed about the city in which they live, and the world in general. Early promotions used the phrase "rock 'n' rolling news". Much of the daytime speech output covered London events and nightlife, with comedians and other artists being interviewed. The music mix was best described as [[Adult album alternative]], though indie bands such as The Wonder Stuff were also played. It has been said this Triple-A format inspired the launch of [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] years later. |
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Specialist speech programmes in the evening were aimed at London's communities: [[South Asia|Asian]], [[British African-Caribbean community|Afro-Caribbean]], [[Jewish]], [[Gay]], and [[Irish people|Irish]]. ''Black London'' was replaced with Margaret Jones (aka The [[Ranking Miss P]]). Later, a programme for the gay community, ''Lavender Lounge'', was launched. It was presented by comedian [[Amy Lamé]]. Weekends featured extensive sports coverage, centring on football and London's numerous clubs such as [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Tottenham Hotspur|Tottenham]], and [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]. |
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[[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]] took on a variety of roles on GLR, often presenting a weekend show, ending in 1993 as his media career took off. [[Danny Baker]] has had a long association with the station, presenting Weekend Breakfast from 1989 to 1990 and then returning to present a Sunday morning show from 1996 to 1998. [[Janice Long]] presented the Breakfast show on the station from 1989 to 1991, and [[Kevin Greening]] started as a producer in 1989, before becoming a presenter of the Breakfast show with [[Jeremy Nicholas (broadcaster)|Jeremy Nicholas]] in 1991. [[Bob Harris (radio presenter)|Bob Harris]] also presented shows for the station from 1994 to 1998 after leaving [[BBC Radio 1]]. Early afternoon programming previewed London's varied entertainment scene, interviewing comedians and other performers. [[Richard Cook (journalist)|Richard Cook]] had a Saturday night jazz show. |
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In 1989, GLR set up a youth-based radio training facility at [[Lambeth College|Vauxhall College]], SW8, which was followed by a second course based at [[White City, London|White City]], W12. This was allocated funds from the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]] and the British parliament. |
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Specialist speech programmes in the evening were aimed at London's communities: [[South Asia|Asian]], [[British African-Caribbean community|Afro-Caribbean]], [[Jewish]], [[Gay]], and Irish. ''Black London'' was replaced with Margaret Jones aka The [[Ranking Miss P]], who was dropped by [[BBC Radio 1]]. ''Lavender Lounge'', the programme for the gay community, was presented by comedian [[Amy Lamé]]. Weekends featured extensive sports coverage, centring on football and London's numerous clubs such as [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Tottenham Hotspur|Tottenham]], and [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]. |
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GLR had the ability to directly access Scotland Yard's network of traffic cameras across London's busiest streets. This enabled its reporters, most commonly "Bob at the Yard", to give accurate traffic and travel news to its listeners. The reports were known as ''20/20 Travel'', named because its travel reports were read out every 20 minutes during peak times. No other radio station had this access for a while, even managing to outdo [[Capital Radio]]'s traffic plane, known as the ''Flying Eye''. |
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In 1989 GLR set up a youth-based radio training facility at Vauxhall College, SW8, which was followed by a second course based at [[White City, London|White City]], W12. This was allocated funds from the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]] and the British parliament. |
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====Criticism and closure==== |
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One unique aspect of GLR was the ability to directly access Scotland Yard's network of traffic cameras across London's busiest streets. This enabled its reporters, most commonly "Bob at the Yard", to give unparalleled accurate traffic and travel news to its listeners. The reports were known as ''20/20 Travel'', named because its travel reports were read out every 20 minutes during peak times. No other radio station had this access for a while, even managing to outdo [[Capital Radio]]'s traffic plane, known as the ''Flying Eye''. |
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Three years into the new relaunch, the station was given an additional three years to prove itself to its audience by senior BBC management or close for good; this threat was also applied to its other metropolitan BBC local radio stations [[BBC Radio WM|BBC WM]] in [[Birmingham]] and [[BBC Radio Manchester|BBC GMR]] in [[Manchester]]. The threat was lifted after the BBC deemed it sufficiently patronised to remain on-air; however, criticism of the station grew from its Radio London days, causing [[David Mellor]], then [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]] to remark: "The [[BBC]] must think hard whether it is occupying radio frequencies without making much use of them." This claim was rejected by senior management. |
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In 1991, Matthew Bannister left to spearhead the BBC's charter-renewal strategy called Extending Choice. He was replaced as Managing Editor by Trevor Dann. Kate Marsh was appointed News Editor. In 1993, GLR was forced to relinquish its 1458 kHz medium wave frequency, for a new commercial radio station, which was eventually won by [[Sunrise Radio]]. Previously it had been simulcasting with 94.9 MHz FM, with a few programmes which occasionally opted from FM. In 1993, Nigel Chapman, Head of BBC South & East, drove through a policy of "speech shoulders", forcing GLR to drop its music / speech mix at breakfast and drive times. Dann resigned in protest and left the BBC.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1998-10-18|title=The radio presenters' nursery|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-radio-presenters-nursery-1179313.html|access-date=2023-05-31|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> |
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GLR continues to be celebrated many years after its demise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2008/oct/24/radio|title=It was 20 years ago today - happy birthday GLR|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=24 October 2008}}</ref> |
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Steve Panton, formerly Managing Editor of [[BBC Radio Solent]], took over at GLR in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Steve Panton, Consultant, Panton Enterprises|url=https://www.interspill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Steve-Panton-Consultant-Panton-Enterprises.pdf}}</ref> One of its noted DJs on-air at the time was [[Gary Crowley]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Page·Features·|first=Andy|date=2022-02-02|title=IN CONVERSATION: Gary Crowley - God Is In The TV|url=https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2022/02/02/in-conversation-gary-crowley/|access-date=2023-05-31|language=en-US}}</ref> who had a weekend show which regularly showcased new and unsigned bands. Kaleem Sheikh presented the A to Z of Indian Film and Classical music to a mainstream and specialist audience. |
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==== Criticism and closure ==== |
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Three years into the newly relaunched station, the station was given an additional three years to prove itself to its audience by senior BBC management or close for good; this threat was also applied to its other metropolitan BBC Local Radio stations [[BBC WM]] in [[Birmingham]] and [[Manchester]]'s [[BBC GMR]]. The threat was lifted after the BBC deemed it sufficiently patronised to remain on-air; however, criticism of the station grew from its Radio London days, causing then [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Minister for Broadcasting]] David Mellor to remark: "The [[BBC]] must think hard whether it is occupying radio frequencies without making much use of them." This claim was rejected by senior management. |
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In 1999, following a consultation exercise on local broadcasting in the [[South East England|South East]], the BBC decided to rebrand GLR and substantially change the programming. A campaign to "Save GLR" was organised and a petition was delivered to the BBC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcgregor99.freeserve.co.uk/Odds/SaveGLR.htm|title=Save GLR Page (or not!)|date=29 December 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011216200650/http://www.mcgregor99.freeserve.co.uk/Odds/SaveGLR.htm|archive-date=16 December 2001|access-date=22 February 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The argument became acrimonious. In particular, those opposed to the changes argued that the BBC never organised a public meeting in London as part of the consultation exercise and, when one was organised by supporters of the station, no one involved in the consultation exercise attended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.connectotel.com/glr/|title=Save Greater London Radio (GLR)!|work=connectotel.com}}</ref> Although the campaign was unsuccessful in saving GLR and the rebranding went ahead the next year, it demonstrated the existence of a loyal audience for its format. GLR's music format and several of its presenters returned to the BBC with the launch of the national digital station [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|author=John Plunkett|date=24 October 2008|title=It was 20 years ago today - happy birthday GLR|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2008/oct/24/radio|work=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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In 1991, Matthew Bannister left to spearhead the BBC's charter-renewal strategy called Extending Choice. He was replaced as Managing Editor by Trevor Dann. Kate Marsh was appointed News Editor. In 1993 GLR was forced to relinquish its 1458 kHz medium wave frequency, for a new commercial radio station which was eventually won by [[Sunrise Radio]]. Previously it had been simulcasting with 94.9 MHz FM with a few programmes which occasionally opted from FM. In 1993 Nigel Chapman, Head of BBC South & East, drove through a policy of "speech shoulders", forcing GLR to drop its music/speech mix at breakfast and drive times. Dann resigned in protest and left the BBC. |
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===2000–2001: BBC London Live 94.9=== |
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Steve Panton, formerly Managing Editor of BBC Radio Solent, took over and GLR limped on with a small listener base, but its music policy gained a cult following, particularly among its younger adult listeners. One of its noted DJs on-air at the time was Gary Crowley, who had a weekend show which regularly showcased new and unsigned bands, often not getting much airplay on commercial radio stations, and to a lesser extent, Radio 1. Kaleem Sheikh presented the A to Z of Indian Film and Classical music to a mainstream and specialist audience. Other DJs, notably [[Bob Mills (comedian)|Bob Mills]] ("Millsie"), had a loyal following of cab drivers and cockney phone-ins. With the launch of new specialist commercial stations [[Kiss 100 London|Kiss 100]], [[102.2 Jazz FM|Jazz FM]], and [[XFM]] GLR remained distinct. Speech rather than music formed a higher percentage of airtime than most commercial stations. |
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Facing even more public criticism over GLR's position in the London radio market and its very low listening reach, the station was relaunched on 27 March 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://the-media-leader.com/bbc-radio-announces-rebranding-of-its-glr-service/|title=BBC Radio Announces Rebranding Of Its GLR Service|date=25 February 2000|work=The Media Leader}}</ref> as '''BBC London Live 94.9'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/glr-becomes-london-live-in-bbc-rebrand/1226017.article|title=GLR becomes London Live in BBC rebrand|date=17 December 1999|work=Broadcast}}</ref> Promising even more speech and less music, London Live — originally the title for GLR's lunch-time news show (presented by Charles Carroll, now on BBC Radio 4) — was launched with new on-air personalities and new shows, including a speech-heavy breakfast show and a mid-morning phone-in and debate. Only ''Drivetime'' and the specialist shows would remain, albeit refreshed. The re-launch at the time was promoted by huge billboards and television spots on BBC ''[[Newsroom South East]]'' depicting London's famous landmarks as radio paraphernalia (a woman seen raising [[Big Ben]] as a radio aerial, for example). It cost the BBC in excess of £20 million, an amount seen by critics{{who|date=December 2023}} as an "obscene amount of money" and added to calls for the [[Television licence|licence fee]] to be scrapped.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} |
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Leading the relaunch was Station Director David Robey, who hired such personalities as [[Lisa I'Anson]], [[Vanessa Feltz]], [[Tom Watt (actor)|Tom Watt]], and various black presenters including [[Eddie Nestor]] and [[Dotun Adebayo]]. |
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In 1999 following a consultation exercise on local broadcasting in the South East, the BBC decided to rebrand GLR and substantially change the programming. A campaign to "Save GLR" was organised and a petition was delivered to the BBC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcgregor99.freeserve.co.uk/Odds/SaveGLR.htm |title=Save GLR Page (or not!) |date=29 December 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011216200650/http://www.mcgregor99.freeserve.co.uk/Odds/SaveGLR.htm |archive-date=16 December 2001 |access-date=22 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The argument became acrimonious. In particular, those opposed to the changes argued that the BBC never organised a public meeting in London as part of the consultation exercise and, when one was organised by supporters of the station, no one involved in the consultation exercise attended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.connectotel.com/glr/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718173745/http://www.connectotel.com/glr/|title=Save Greater London Radio (GLR)!|archive-date=18 July 2011|work=connectotel.com}}</ref> Although the campaign was unsuccessful in saving GLR and the rebranding went ahead the next year, it demonstrated the existence of a loyal audience for its format. GLR's music format and several of its presenters returned to the BBC with the launch of the national digital station [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] in 2002. |
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=== |
===2001–2015: BBC London 94.9=== |
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[[File:BBC London 94.9 Logo.png|thumb|BBC London 94.9 logo 2010]] |
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Facing even more public criticism over GLR's position in the London radio market and its very low listening reach, the station was relaunched on 25 March 2000 as '''BBC London Live 94.9''' in a blaze of publicity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/glr-becomes-london-live-in-bbc-rebrand/1226017.article|title=GLR becomes London Live in BBC rebrand|date=17 December 1999|work=Broadcast}}</ref> Promising even more speech and less music, London Live — originally the title for GLR's lunch-time news show (presented by [[Charles Carroll (radio presenter)|Charles Carroll]], now on BBC Radio 2) — was launched with new on-air personalities and new shows, including a speech-heavy breakfast show and a mid-morning phone-in and debate. Only ''Drivetime'' and the specialist shows would remain, albeit refreshed. The re-launch at the time was promoted by huge billboards and television spots on BBC Newsroom South East depicting London's famous landmarks as radio paraphernalia (a woman seen raising [[Big Ben]] as a radio aerial, for example). It cost the BBC in excess of £20 million, an amount is seen by vocal critics led by private media as an "obscene amount of money" and added to repeated calls for the [[licence fee]] (which also funds radio) to be scrapped.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} |
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In October 2001, the name was changed to '''BBC London 94.9'''. Newly updated jingles were added with its new slogan ''"On TV, On Radio, Online"'', voiced by [[BBC London (TV programme)|BBC London News]] host [[Emily Maitlis]]. The overall branding for this was '''BBC LDN'''. |
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New recruits to BBC London 94.9 included [[Jon Gaunt]] from [[BBC Three Counties Radio]], former GLR presenter [[Danny Baker]], and [[Sean Rowley]] (hosting the ''Guilty Pleasures'' show). Danny Baker hosted a breakfast show, which was co-hosted with American comedian [[Amy Lamé]]. Jon Gaunt then hosted the mid-morning phone-in show. [[Robert Elms]] was kept at lunchtime. Vanessa Feltz took over [[Lisa I'Anson]]'s afternoon slot with a phone-in. Then there was ''Drivetime with [[Eddie Nestor]] and Kath Melandri'', with news updates, sport, travel and debates with the public. Specialist programmes for the Black community emerged at the weekends along with sports coverage and alternative music shows in the evening. BBC London also saw the return of [[Tony Blackburn]] on Saturdays, more than 20 years since he first appeared on the station. His show was as before, playing classic soul music and chat. |
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Leading the relaunch was Station Director [[David Robey]], who hired such personalities as [[Lisa I'Anson]], [[Vanessa Feltz]], [[Tom Watt (actor)|Tom Watt]], and various black presenters including [[Eddie Nestor]] and [[Dotun Adebayo]]. Most notably another presenter, [[Henry Bonsu]], was controversially sacked for reportedly being "too intellectual".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/mar/09/bbc.radio|title=Axed DJ accuses BBC of failing black community |author=Claire Cozens|work=The Guardian|date=9 March 2009}}</ref> |
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Although having joined at the end of the station's time as GLR, [[Norman Jay]]'s ''Giant 45'' show attracted a large and loyal following until Jay's eventual departure in February 2008 having been moved to a "digital only slot".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/feb/18/bbc.radio1|title=DJ Norman Jay leaves BBC London|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=18 February 2008}}</ref> This was by no means the first change to specialist music programming by Robey to have attracted a negative reaction. In 2003, a campaign called ''Londumb Live'' was briefly launched as a response to the axing of a number of specialist shows including [[Coldcut]] and Ross Allen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/djs-slam-dumb-bbc-radio-7291009.html|title=DJs slam 'dumb' BBC radio|author=Jessica Hodgson|work=Evening Standard|date=21 January 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jan/20/bbc.radio|title=Stars campaign against 'dumb' LDN|author=Julia Day|date=20 January 2003|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Another presenter, Henry Bonsu, was controversially sacked for reportedly being "too intellectual".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/mar/09/bbc.radio|title=Axed DJ accuses BBC of failing black community |author=Claire Cozens|work=The Guardian|date=9 March 2009}}</ref> |
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=== 2001–2015: BBC London 94.9 === |
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BBC London 94.9 was the first [[BBC local radio]] station to air a 24-hour live-stream online, which coincided with the 2001 re-launch. It also aired on [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]] Digital Radio (from July 2000) and on [[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky]] channel 0152 (from 2005) in the London area, but it can be accessed within the UK and Ireland by manual tuning. |
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In October 2001 the name was changed to '''BBC London 94.9'''. Newly updated jingles were added with its new slogan ''"On TV, On Radio, Online"'', voiced by BBC London News host [[Emily Maitlis]]. The overall branding for this was '''BBC LDN'''. |
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Additional coverage for football was made possible through a combination of its DAB platform, on Sky channel 0152, and via a [[BBC Essex]] transmitter on 765 kHz medium wave (for [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham]] commentaries). |
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[[File:BBC London 94.9 Logo.png|right|thumb|BBC London 94.9 logo 2010]] |
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New recruits to BBC London 94.9 included [[Jon Gaunt]] from [[BBC Three Counties Radio]], former GLR presenter [[Danny Baker]], and [[Sean Rowley]] (hosting the ''Guilty Pleasures'' show). [[Danny Baker]] hosted a breakfast show, which was co-hosted with American comedian [[Amy Lamé]]. Jon Gaunt then hosted the mid-morning phone-in show. [[Robert Elms]] was kept at lunchtime. Vanessa Feltz took over [[Lisa I'Anson]]'s afternoon slot with a phone-in. ''Drivetime with [[Eddie Nestor]] and Kath Melandri'' guide Londoners home with news updates, sport, travel and debates with the public. Specialist programmes for the Black community emerged at the weekends along with sports coverage and alternative music shows in the evening. BBC London also saw the return of [[Tony Blackburn]] on Saturdays, more than 20 years since he first appeared on the station. His show was as before, playing classic soul music and chat. |
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[[File:BBC Radio London logo 2020.svg|thumb|BBC Radio London logo, from 2020 to 2022]] |
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Although having joined at the end of the stations time as GLR, [[Norman Jay]]'s ''Giant 45'' show attracted a large and loyal following until Jay's eventual departure in February 2008 having been moved to a "digital only slot".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/feb/18/bbc.radio1|title=DJ Norman Jay leaves BBC London |author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=18 February 2008}}</ref> This was by no means the first change to specialist music programming by Robey to have attracted a negative reaction. In 2003, a campaign called ''Londumb Live'' was briefly launched as a response to the axing of a number of specialist shows including [[Coldcut]] and Ross Allen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/djs-slam-dumb-bbc-radio-7291009.html|title=DJs slam 'dumb' BBC radio |author=Jessica Hodgson|work=Evening Standard|date=21 January 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jan/20/bbc.radio|title=Stars campaign against 'dumb' LDN|author=Julia Day|date=20 January 2003|work=The Guardian}}</ref> |
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Additional coverage for football was made possible through a combination of its [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]] Digital Radio platform, on Sky channel 0152, and on a BBC Essex transmitter 765 kHz medium wave (for West Ham commentaries). |
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BBC London 94.9 was the first [[BBC Local Radio]] to air a 24-hour live-stream online, which coincided with the 2001 re-launch. It also aired on [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]] Digital Radio in July 2000 and on [[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky]] (channel 0152) in 2005 in the London area but it can be accessed within the UK and Ireland by manual tuning. |
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===2015–present: BBC Radio London=== |
===2015–present: BBC Radio London=== |
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[[File:BBC Radio London logo 2020.svg|right|thumb|BBC Radio London logo, from 2020 to 2022]] |
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On 6 October 2015, BBC London 94.9 was re-branded as BBC Radio London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/sep/28/bbc-radio-london-name-rebrands|title=BBC Radio London name to return after 27 years of rebrands|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=28 September 2015}}</ref> |
On 6 October 2015, BBC London 94.9 was re-branded as BBC Radio London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/sep/28/bbc-radio-london-name-rebrands|title=BBC Radio London name to return after 27 years of rebrands|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=28 September 2015}}</ref> |
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On 23 March 2020, to prioritise resources during the [[Coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom|Coronavirus pandemic]] 5 Live suspended overnight programmes between |
On 23 March 2020, to prioritise resources during the [[Coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom|Coronavirus pandemic]], [[BBC Radio 5 Live]] suspended overnight programmes between 01:00 and 05:00 and carried the output of BBC Radio London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/03/bbc-radio-5-live-to-take-radio-london-overnight-shows/|title=BBC Radio 5 Live to take Radio London overnight shows|date=20 March 2020|first=Roy|last=Martin|website=[[Radio Today (website)|Radio Today]]|access-date=23 March 2020}}</ref> This continued until early July, when 5 Live resumed its overnight programming.<ref name=Dotun>{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/07/bbc-radio-5-live-takes-overnights-back-from-local-radio/|title=BBC Radio 5 Live takes overnights back from Local Radio|website=Radio Today|first=Stuart|last= Clarkson|date=1 July 2020|access-date=2 Sep 2020}}</ref> In 2022, presenter Salma El-Wardany took over the Breakfast Show,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0903tj6|title=Salma El-Wardany}}</ref> after Vanessa Feltz left the station after almost twenty years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2022/vanessa-feltz-radio-2-radio-london|work=BBC|access-date=19 December 2022|date=28 July 2022|title=Vanessa Feltz to leave BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London}}</ref> |
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==Programming== |
==Programming== |
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Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's [[London]] studios. |
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{{unreferenced section|date=January 2022}} |
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BBC Radio London is the only [[BBC Local Radio]] station which airs its own local programming 24 hours a day. Consequently, unlike all other BBC local stations, BBC Radio London does not simulcast regional programmes from sister stations or [[BBC Radio 5 Live]] during overnight hours. |
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During the station's downtime, BBC Radio London simulcasts overnight programming from [[BBC Radio 5 Live]] and [[BBC Radio Manchester]]. |
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==Listening figures== |
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[[RAJAR]] data, the audience measurement system in the UK, showed that BBC London 94.9 [[Reach (advertising)|audience reach]] for the second quarter in 2014 was 572,000; which is its largest since the station rebranded as BBC London 94.9.<ref name=":0">[http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php "Quarterly Listening"], Rajar.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/rajar-q2-2014 "RAJAR Q2 2014: Radio 2 Breakfast Show reaches a new high"], BBC Media Centre, 31 July 2014.</ref> Its latest audience figures (Quarter 4 2019) show a weekly audience of 469,000.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The station's output is generally similar to that of other [[BBC local radio]] stations and targets a broad, mainstream audience. While previous incarnations of the station offered a more diverse range of programmes for London's various [[Ethnic group|ethnic]], religious, social and cultural communities, specialist programming now remains in a smaller form and is mostly broadcast at weekends. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
{{Reflist|30em}} |
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== |
==Further reading== |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040428043057/http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKLondon.htm Aircheck UK] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040428043057/http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKLondon.htm Aircheck UK] |
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* ''The Radio Companion'' by Paul Donovan ({{ISBN|0-586-09012-6}}) |
* ''The Radio Companion'' by Paul Donovan ({{ISBN|0-586-09012-6}}) |
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== |
==External links== |
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* {{Official website|https://www.bbc.co.uk/radiolondon}} |
* {{Official website|https://www.bbc.co.uk/radiolondon}} |
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* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/02/08/bbclondonradio_history_feature.shtml The History of BBC London] |
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/02/08/bbclondonradio_history_feature.shtml The History of BBC London] |
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{{Coord|51.5185|-0.1431|type:landmark_region:GB-WSM|display=title}} |
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{{London Radio}} |
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{{BBC Radio}} |
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{{BBC Local Radio}} |
{{BBC Local Radio}} |
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{{London Radio}} |
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{{Coord|51.5185|-0.1431|type:landmark_region:GB-WSM|display=title}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:BBC Radio London}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:BBC Radio London}} |
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[[Category:BBC Radio London |
[[Category:BBC Radio London]] |
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[[Category:1970 establishments in England]] |
[[Category:1970 establishments in England]] |
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[[Category:Radio stations established in 1970]] |
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1970]] |
Revision as of 15:53, 22 July 2024
![]() | This article possibly contains original research. (December 2023) |
![]() | |
Broadcast area | Greater London |
---|---|
Frequency | FM: 94.9 MHz DAB: 12A Freesat: 718 Freeview: 721 Sky: 0135 Virgin Media: 937 |
RDS | BBCLondn |
Programmierung | |
Language(s) | Englisch |
Format | Local news, talk and music |
Ownership | |
Owner | BBC Local Radio, BBC London |
History | |
First air date | 6 October 1970 |
Former names | BBC GLR (1988–2000) BBC London Live 94.9 (2000–2001) BBC London 94.9 (2001–2015) |
Former frequencies | 95.3 FM 1458 MW |
Technical information | |
Licensing authority | Ofcom |
Links | |
Website | bbc |
BBC Radio London is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater London.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Broadcasting House in Langham Place, London.
According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 548,000 listeners and a 0.9% share as of December 2023.[1]
History
1970–1988: Radio London
Local radio arrived in London as part of the second wave of BBC local stations, following a successful pilot project headed by Frank Gillard, who on visiting the United States, discovered local radio stations of varying formats and brought the concept to Britain.[2]
Test transmissions for the new local radio station were carried out from Wrotham, Kent, on 95.3 MHz in FM mono, relaying BBC Radio 1 (at the time broadcast only on medium wave), with several announcements informing listeners of the new service. On 6 October 1970, Radio London was launched, three years before commercial radio for Greater London in the guise of LBC. An additional medium wave frequency was allocated on 1457 kHz (206 metres) from Brookmans Park. 95.3 soon changed to 94.9.
BBC Radio London was the local station for the capital, although, in its early days, it relied heavily on news reports from other stations in the BBC network and often shared programming with BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. For several months after launch, the station was not able to play commercial records as no agreement had been reached over so-called needle time, which led to London listeners becoming acquainted with broadcast library music from outside the UK (including the Canadian Talent Library) and music from film soundtracks. A phone-in programme, Sounding Brass, was first presented by Owen Spencer-Thomas in 1977. Listeners were invited to choose a Christmas carol or hymn while a Salvation Army brass band stood by in the studio to play their request live. It later moved to BBC Radio 2 and was presented by Gloria Hunniford.[3]
As soon as Independent Local Radio stations LBC and Capital London went on air, public attention to Radio London declined.[citation needed]
Radio London started regular broadcasts from Harewood House, 13 Hanover Square, near Oxford Circus, later moving to 35 Marylebone High Street – the former Radio Times warehouse.
Tests for FM stereo began in 1981 with Music on the Move, a programme featuring non-stop music, before its full launch on 11th February. The FM transmitter was shortly moved to Crystal Palace. This coincided with the planned relaunch in 1981, which saw the station take on a style that was softer than BBC Radio 2 – a station predominantly playing "easy listening" music. The music ranged from softer contemporary pop, such as The Carpenters, to light classical music. The relaunch led to improved audience figures and a string of awards and accolades.[citation needed]
One of its programmes on the schedule was Black Londoners, devised by Ray Criushank, a community relations officer for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and presented by Alex Pascall.[4] The programme helped to develop on-air talent from London's Afro-Caribbean community, namely Juliet Alexander, Syd Burke and Mike Phillips and was the pioneering programme on television or radio to regularly speak to Black Londoners. The programme's title was changed to Black London shortly before Radio London closed. It was revived for a short time in 2003, with Pascall returning as a presenter. The forerunner to the BBC Asian Network was an Asian programme, London Sounds Eastern, presented by Vernon Corea who was appointed the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Adviser in the 1970s.[5]
A programming relaunch in 1984 saw Radio London adopt the tagline "The Heart and Soul of London", with more soul music being played during the day. Tony Blackburn from BBC Radio 1 moved up the schedule to host a morning show. Regular Soul Night Outs were held initially in Kilburn but later in other venues, such as Ilford. This was where Dave Pearce (who later went to BBC Radio 1) made his first regular appearances as a BBC DJ on a Monday night programme.[citation needed]
Radio London closed on 7 October 1988. The final programme, just before its 18th birthday, was presented by Mike Sparrow and Susie Barnes. Immediately after closedown at 7 pm, test transmissions began in preparation for the launch of its replacement, Greater London Radio (GLR).
1988–2000: Greater London Radio (GLR)
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
Test transmissions for the new Greater London Radio GLR began as soon as Radio London closed. Its pre-launch announcements stated in no uncertain terms that GLR was to be radically different in style. GLR was to be the first new radio station in London for 15 years.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/54/BBC_GLR_Logo.png/220px-BBC_GLR_Logo.png)
Heading the new station were Managing Editor Matthew Bannister and Programme Organiser Trevor Dann. Bannister came from Capital London, while Dann came from Radio 1, via BBC TV's Whistle Test, and developed an album-oriented music policy. GLR was aimed at people who hate pop but love music, hate prattle (excessive on-air talk) but want to know what's what where in the world. The station was aimed at 25 to 45-year-olds. Early promotions used the phrase "rock 'n' rolling news". Much of the daytime speech output covered London events and nightlife, with comedians and other artists being interviewed. The music mix was best described as Adult album alternative, though indie bands were also played.
Chris Evans took on a variety of roles on GLR, often presenting a weekend show, ending in 1993. Danny Baker presented Weekend Breakfast from 1989 to 1990 and then returned to present a Sunday morning show from 1996 to 1998. Janice Long presented the Breakfast show on the station from 1989 to 1991, and Kevin Greening started as a producer in 1989, before becoming a presenter of the Breakfast show with Jeremy Nicholas in 1991. Bob Harris also presented shows for the station from 1994 to 1998 after leaving BBC Radio 1. Early afternoon programming previewed London's entertainment scene, interviewing comedians and other performers. Richard Cook had a Saturday night jazz show.
Specialist speech programmes in the evening were aimed at London's communities: Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Jewish, Gay, and Irish. Black London was replaced with Margaret Jones (aka The Ranking Miss P). Later, a programme for the gay community, Lavender Lounge, was launched. It was presented by comedian Amy Lamé. Weekends featured extensive sports coverage, centring on football and London's numerous clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham, and West Ham United.
In 1989, GLR set up a youth-based radio training facility at Vauxhall College, SW8, which was followed by a second course based at White City, W12. This was allocated funds from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the British parliament.
GLR had the ability to directly access Scotland Yard's network of traffic cameras across London's busiest streets. This enabled its reporters, most commonly "Bob at the Yard", to give accurate traffic and travel news to its listeners. The reports were known as 20/20 Travel, named because its travel reports were read out every 20 minutes during peak times. No other radio station had this access for a while, even managing to outdo Capital Radio's traffic plane, known as the Flying Eye.
Criticism and closure
Three years into the new relaunch, the station was given an additional three years to prove itself to its audience by senior BBC management or close for good; this threat was also applied to its other metropolitan BBC local radio stations BBC WM in Birmingham and BBC GMR in Manchester. The threat was lifted after the BBC deemed it sufficiently patronised to remain on-air; however, criticism of the station grew from its Radio London days, causing David Mellor, then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to remark: "The BBC must think hard whether it is occupying radio frequencies without making much use of them." This claim was rejected by senior management.
In 1991, Matthew Bannister left to spearhead the BBC's charter-renewal strategy called Extending Choice. He was replaced as Managing Editor by Trevor Dann. Kate Marsh was appointed News Editor. In 1993, GLR was forced to relinquish its 1458 kHz medium wave frequency, for a new commercial radio station, which was eventually won by Sunrise Radio. Previously it had been simulcasting with 94.9 MHz FM, with a few programmes which occasionally opted from FM. In 1993, Nigel Chapman, Head of BBC South & East, drove through a policy of "speech shoulders", forcing GLR to drop its music / speech mix at breakfast and drive times. Dann resigned in protest and left the BBC.[6]
Steve Panton, formerly Managing Editor of BBC Radio Solent, took over at GLR in 1993.[7] One of its noted DJs on-air at the time was Gary Crowley,[8] who had a weekend show which regularly showcased new and unsigned bands. Kaleem Sheikh presented the A to Z of Indian Film and Classical music to a mainstream and specialist audience.
In 1999, following a consultation exercise on local broadcasting in the South East, the BBC decided to rebrand GLR and substantially change the programming. A campaign to "Save GLR" was organised and a petition was delivered to the BBC.[9] The argument became acrimonious. In particular, those opposed to the changes argued that the BBC never organised a public meeting in London as part of the consultation exercise and, when one was organised by supporters of the station, no one involved in the consultation exercise attended.[10] Although the campaign was unsuccessful in saving GLR and the rebranding went ahead the next year, it demonstrated the existence of a loyal audience for its format. GLR's music format and several of its presenters returned to the BBC with the launch of the national digital station BBC Radio 6 Music in 2002.[11]
2000–2001: BBC London Live 94.9
Facing even more public criticism over GLR's position in the London radio market and its very low listening reach, the station was relaunched on 27 March 2000[12] as BBC London Live 94.9.[13] Promising even more speech and less music, London Live — originally the title for GLR's lunch-time news show (presented by Charles Carroll, now on BBC Radio 4) — was launched with new on-air personalities and new shows, including a speech-heavy breakfast show and a mid-morning phone-in and debate. Only Drivetime and the specialist shows would remain, albeit refreshed. The re-launch at the time was promoted by huge billboards and television spots on BBC Newsroom South East depicting London's famous landmarks as radio paraphernalia (a woman seen raising Big Ben as a radio aerial, for example). It cost the BBC in excess of £20 million, an amount seen by critics[who?] as an "obscene amount of money" and added to calls for the licence fee to be scrapped.[citation needed]
Leading the relaunch was Station Director David Robey, who hired such personalities as Lisa I'Anson, Vanessa Feltz, Tom Watt, and various black presenters including Eddie Nestor and Dotun Adebayo.
2001–2015: BBC London 94.9
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/eb/BBC_London_94.9_Logo.png/220px-BBC_London_94.9_Logo.png)
In October 2001, the name was changed to BBC London 94.9. Newly updated jingles were added with its new slogan "On TV, On Radio, Online", voiced by BBC London News host Emily Maitlis. The overall branding for this was BBC LDN.
New recruits to BBC London 94.9 included Jon Gaunt from BBC Three Counties Radio, former GLR presenter Danny Baker, and Sean Rowley (hosting the Guilty Pleasures show). Danny Baker hosted a breakfast show, which was co-hosted with American comedian Amy Lamé. Jon Gaunt then hosted the mid-morning phone-in show. Robert Elms was kept at lunchtime. Vanessa Feltz took over Lisa I'Anson's afternoon slot with a phone-in. Then there was Drivetime with Eddie Nestor and Kath Melandri, with news updates, sport, travel and debates with the public. Specialist programmes for the Black community emerged at the weekends along with sports coverage and alternative music shows in the evening. BBC London also saw the return of Tony Blackburn on Saturdays, more than 20 years since he first appeared on the station. His show was as before, playing classic soul music and chat.
Although having joined at the end of the station's time as GLR, Norman Jay's Giant 45 show attracted a large and loyal following until Jay's eventual departure in February 2008 having been moved to a "digital only slot".[14] This was by no means the first change to specialist music programming by Robey to have attracted a negative reaction. In 2003, a campaign called Londumb Live was briefly launched as a response to the axing of a number of specialist shows including Coldcut and Ross Allen.[15][16] Another presenter, Henry Bonsu, was controversially sacked for reportedly being "too intellectual".[17]
BBC London 94.9 was the first BBC local radio station to air a 24-hour live-stream online, which coincided with the 2001 re-launch. It also aired on DAB Digital Radio (from July 2000) and on Sky channel 0152 (from 2005) in the London area, but it can be accessed within the UK and Ireland by manual tuning.
Additional coverage for football was made possible through a combination of its DAB platform, on Sky channel 0152, and via a BBC Essex transmitter on 765 kHz medium wave (for West Ham commentaries).
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/BBC_Radio_London_logo_2020.svg/220px-BBC_Radio_London_logo_2020.svg.png)
2015–present: BBC Radio London
On 6 October 2015, BBC London 94.9 was re-branded as BBC Radio London.[18]
On 23 March 2020, to prioritise resources during the Coronavirus pandemic, BBC Radio 5 Live suspended overnight programmes between 01:00 and 05:00 and carried the output of BBC Radio London.[19] This continued until early July, when 5 Live resumed its overnight programming.[20] In 2022, presenter Salma El-Wardany took over the Breakfast Show,[21] after Vanessa Feltz left the station after almost twenty years.[22]
Programmierung
Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's London studios.
During the station's downtime, BBC Radio London simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Manchester.
The station's output is generally similar to that of other BBC local radio stations and targets a broad, mainstream audience. While previous incarnations of the station offered a more diverse range of programmes for London's various ethnic, religious, social and cultural communities, specialist programming now remains in a smaller form and is mostly broadcast at weekends.
References
- ^ "RAJAR". RAJAR. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "The origins of BBC Local Radio". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "The History of BBC London 94.9". bbc.co.uk. BBC - London. 13 November 2014.
- ^ "Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture (Encyclopedias of Contemporary Culture)". silo.pub. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Ethnic Minorities Advisor to the BBC". Vernon Corea 1927-2002. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "The radio presenters' nursery". The Independent. 18 October 1998. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "Steve Panton, Consultant, Panton Enterprises" (PDF).
- ^ Page·Features·, Andy (2 February 2022). "IN CONVERSATION: Gary Crowley - God Is In The TV". Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "Save GLR Page (or not!)". 29 December 1999. Archived from the original on 16 December 2001. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Save Greater London Radio (GLR)!". connectotel.com.
- ^ John Plunkett (24 October 2008). "It was 20 years ago today - happy birthday GLR". The Guardian.
- ^ "BBC Radio Announces Rebranding Of Its GLR Service". The Media Leader. 25 February 2000.
- ^ "GLR becomes London Live in BBC rebrand". Broadcast. 17 December 1999.
- ^ John Plunkett (18 February 2008). "DJ Norman Jay leaves BBC London". The Guardian.
- ^ Jessica Hodgson (21 January 2003). "DJs slam 'dumb' BBC radio". Evening Standard.
- ^ Julia Day (20 January 2003). "Stars campaign against 'dumb' LDN". The Guardian.
- ^ Claire Cozens (9 March 2009). "Axed DJ accuses BBC of failing black community". The Guardian.
- ^ John Plunkett (28 September 2015). "BBC Radio London name to return after 27 years of rebrands". The Guardian.
- ^ Martin, Roy (20 March 2020). "BBC Radio 5 Live to take Radio London overnight shows". Radio Today. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ Clarkson, Stuart (1 July 2020). "BBC Radio 5 Live takes overnights back from Local Radio". Radio Today. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Salma El-Wardany".
- ^ "Vanessa Feltz to leave BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London". BBC. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
Further reading
- Aircheck UK
- The Radio Companion by Paul Donovan (ISBN 0-586-09012-6)