BBC Radio Merseyside

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC Radio Merseyside


city = Liverpool
area = Merseyside and northern Cheshire
branding =
slogan =
airdate = 22 November 1967
frequency = 95.8 MHz, 1458 kHz, DAB
share = 16.4%
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = Local news, sport, talk and music
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner = BBC Local Radio,
BBC North West
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radiomerseyside BBC Radio Merseyside]

BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967.

Technical

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts from its studios in Hanover St, Liverpool on 95.8 MHz ( [http://www.conceptnews.org/allerton.html Allerton Park] ) , 1485 kHz( [http://conceptnews.org/wallasey.html Wallasey] )and DAB.

The Allerton Park transmitter also transmits Radio City on 96.7 MHz. Both have the same coverage. DAB signals come from the EMAP Digital EMAP Liverpool 11B multiplex] from Billinge Hill (strongest signal, near Billinge between St Helens and Wigan), Hope Mountain (between Buckley and Wrexham) and St. John's Beacon (on top of Radio City's studios). EMAP owns Radio City. BBC DAB National comes from Moel-y-Parc (the main television transmitter for North Wales) in Flintshire, which also has Digital One, and the MXR North West 12C multiplex.

On 15th July 2006, BBC Radio Merseyside moved from its former home in "Paradise Street", Liverpool, to a new purpose-built studio building on the corner of "Hanover Street" and "College Lane" in Liverpool. This building has three ground-floor studios next to a public performance space. An open learning centre is on the first floor and the main office is on the second floor.

taff

The Managing Editor is Mick Ord. For ten months from July 2007 Ord stood down from his role for to coordinate the BBC's response to Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture, and Phil Roberts was Acting Editor, until he was appointed as Head of the BBC in the North East and Cumbria. The Assistant Editor is Jonathan Hallewell.

Presenters include Roger Philips, Tony Snell, Billy Butler, Claire Hamilton, Alan Jackson, Ray French, Andy Ball, Roger Lyon, Linda McDermott, Lucinda Moore, Sean Styles, Maureen Walsh, Dave Monks, Spencer Leigh and Wayne Clarke.

Station jingles, trailers and promos are voiced by former "North West Tonight" presenter John Mundy.

Former presenters

*Paul Graham
*Monty Lister
*Norman Thomas
*Simon O'Brien
*Shelagh Fogarty
*Rob McCaffrey
*Ray Stubbs
*Eddie Hemmings
*Graham Beecroft
*Alan Parry
*Rob Palmer
*Kevin Keatings
*Gerry Harrison
*Jonathan Legard
*Stephen Parry
*Bob Azurdia

Programming

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts from 5am until 1am each weekday, 6am until 1am on Saturday and 6am until 2am on Sunday, though formerly it shared evening and late night programming with other BBC local radio stations in the North West and BBC Night Network. The first programme from the new studios was presented by Ian Kenyon.

Radio Five Live's overnight programme "Up All Night" is simulcast every night after closedown. At weekends, the early morning news programme "Morning Reports" is also simulcast.

Weekday line-up

*0500-0600 Steve Coleman
*0600-1000 "Tony Snell in the Morning"
*1000-1200 Sean Styles
*1200-1400 "Phillips Phone-in" with Roger Phillips
*1400-1700 Billy Butler
*1700-1900 "Drive" with Claire Hamilton
*1900-2100 "Merseyside Sport"
*2100-2200 Various programming - "Orient Express" (Monday), "Folkscene" (Tuesday/Thursday), "Phillips Xtra" (Wednesday), "Open House" (Friday)
*2200-0100 Linda McDermott
*0100-0500 "Up All Night"

Trivia and controversy

*In 2004, reporters Simon Moffatt and Simon Harris flew to South Africa and launched the "Books for Tembisa" campaign. Over 100,000 children's books were donated, enabling the station to build around 40 libraries in Tembisa schools.

*Simon O'Brien was a presenter of the breakfast show from September 2006 until 25th June 2007. He resigned after the accidental broadcast of a unedited interview in which he said, "fuck the government, fuck the planners". He now presents the Saturday Breakfast Show on new talk radio station City Talk 105.9 in Liverpool. "City Talk" later used the now infamous phrase that led to his resignation as part of their marketing for the station.

*For two days on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th September 2007, the BBC's regional news programme North West Tonight (and lunchtime bulletin North West Today) was broadcast live from Radio Merseyside's studios in Liverpool whilst a new set was installed in the regional news studio in Manchester. Gordon Burns presented the programme from the performance space at Radio Merseyside's "Hanover Street" base.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/local_radio/index.shtml BBC Radio Merseyside]
* [http://www.northwestradio.info/memories/radiomerseyside.htm North West Radio]
* [http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKLancs.htm History of local radio in Merseyside]
* [http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/txmaps/merseyside.html MDS975's Transmitter map.]
* [http://conceptnews.org/allerton.html Allerton transmitter 95.8 MHz]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hope-mountain.php Hope Mountain (Digital)]
* [http://conceptnews.org/wallasey.html Wallasey transmitter 1485 KHz Mediumwave]