Wikipedia

Radio in the United Kingdom

For the wider media in the United Kingdom, seeMedia of the United Kingdom.

Radio enjoys a huge following in theUnited Kingdom.There are around 600 licensedradiostations in the country. For a more comprehensive list seeList of radio stations in the United Kingdom.

BBC Radio

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Main article:BBC Radio

The most prominent stations are the national networks operated by theBBC.Five of them are available on analogue radio (FMandAM) whilst the rest are available onDAB,along with the other five (at 12B, theBBC National multiplex).

  • BBC Radio 1broadcasts contemporary pop and rock music output, including live sessions, for a youth audience, with specialist genres and programmes in the evening (FM 97.1 - 99.8 MHz)
  • BBC Radio 1Xtrabroadcastship hop,R&Banddrum and bass,featuring simulcasts on Radio 1 weeknights and Saturday nights.
  • BBC Radio 2is the UK's most listened-to radio station, playing classic and contemporary music for an older audience, as well as specialist music programmes in the evening (FM 88.1 - 90.2 MHz)
  • BBC Radio 3is a classical music station, broadcasting concerts and operas. At night, it transmits a wide range ofjazz,world musicand radio dramas (FM 90.2 - 92.6 MHz)
  • BBC Radio 4is a current affairs and speech station, with news, debate, documentaries, comedy shows and radio dramas. It broadcasts the daily radio soapThe Archers,as well as flagship news programmesTodayandThe World at One(FM 92.5 - 94.6 MHz, FM 103.6 – 104.9 MHz and AM 198 kHz)
  • BBC Radio 4 Extrabroadcasts archive comedy, archive drama, archive discussion programmes, archive documentaries and programmes which extend or complement programmes on its sister station. For example, it was the first place where episodes ofThe Archersspin offAmbridge Extrawere broadcast.
  • BBC Radio 5 Livebroadcasts live news and sports commentary with phone-in debates and studio guests (AM 693 kHz, 909 kHz, and 990 kHz)
  • BBC Radio 5 Sports Extrais a companion to 5 Live for additional sports events coverage.
  • BBC Radio 6 Musictransmits predominantly alternative music, with many live sessions.
  • BBC Asian Networkis aimed at the largeBritish Asiancommunity, playing music whilst also broadcasting news and current affairs (AM 828 kHz,
  • BBC World Servicebroadcasts international news and current affairs.

The BBC also provides 40local radioservices for England and the Channel Islands, as well as stations fromScotland,WalesandNorthern Ireland.All are available on FM and DAB and some are also available on AM.

Commercial radio

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Also available nationally onanalogueradio aretwo national commercial channels,namelyClassic FM(FM99.9 MHz—101.9 MHz); andtalkSPORT(AM 1053 kHz or 1089 kHz in most areas). These stations are also available at 11D or 12A onDAB(on theDigital Onemultiplex). As with the BBC, digital radio has brought about many changes, including the roll-out of local stations such asRadio X,KissandKerrang Radioto other areas of the United Kingdom.

Commercial radiolicences are awarded byOfcom,a government body which advertises a licence for an area and holds a so-calledbeauty contestto determine which station will be granted permission to broadcast in that area. Stations submit detailed application documents containing their proposed format and the outcome of research to determine the demand for their particular style of broadcast.Original 106 (Scotland)was the last radio station to be granted a licence byOfcom.

Most local commercial stations in the United Kingdom broadcast to a city or group of towns within a radius of 20–50 miles, with a second tier ofregionalstations covering larger areas such asNorth West England.The predominant format ispop music,but many other tastes are also catered for, particularly in London and the larger cities, and on digital radio.

Rather than operating as independent entities, many local radio stations are owned by large radio groups which generally broadcast the same station on frequencies which used to carry local individual stations with their own station name. They broadcast as a single network with local inserts for news, weather, travel and commercials. The largest operator of radio isGlobal Radiowhich bought the former media group,GCap Media.It ownsClassic FMand theCapital radio network.Other owners areBauer RadioandWireless Group,which mainly own stations that broadcast in highly populated city areas.

Many of these stations, including all the BBC stations, are also available viadigital televisionservices.

Community radio

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Community radiostations broadcast to a small area, normally within a 3-mile (5 km) radius, and are required by the Act to benot-for-profitorganisations, owned by local people, on which the broadcasters are mostly volunteers. They are recognised under theCommunications Act 2003as a distinct third tier of radio in the United Kingdom. The community radio movement in the United Kingdom was founded in the mid-1970s, broadcasting throughRestricted Service Licences,theinternetandcable television.

An Access Radio pilot scheme, launched in 2002, gave fifteen stations, includingResonance FMandALL FM,trial licences, and this has blossomed into a lively sector, overseen unofficially by theCommunity Media Association.[1]

The broadcasters predominantly serve an easily defined racial community such asAsian Star Radioin Slough, or a geographically defined community such asCoast FM,Speysound Radio& The Bay Radio.[citation needed]They can also serve religious groups, such as Christian radio stationBranch FMin Yorkshire. As well as this, they can also be linked with universities and student unions who run the stations under a community licence, for exampleSmoke RadioinLondon,Demon FMinLeicester,andSpark FMinSunderland

Hospital radio

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Student radio

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Radio publications

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Statistics

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According toRAJARfigures, the top ten stations or networks by listeners nationwide are:[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"A comparison of new British community radio stations with established Australian community radio stations".Community Broadcasting Association of Australia.1 August 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2020.Retrieved26 July2020.
  2. ^"Practical Wireless".Warners Group Publications Plc.5 February 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2022.Retrieved5 March2022.
  3. ^"RAJAR".rajar.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-10-25.Retrieved2022-07-06.
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