BBC Radio Bristol

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC Radio Bristol


city = Bristol
area = Bristol and the surrounding former Avon area
branding =
slogan =
airdate = September 1970
frequency = 94.9 MHz (Dundry), 103.6 MHz (Hutton), 104.6 MHz (Bath), 1548 kHz (Mangotsfield) AM, DAB
share = 8.6%
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = Local news, talk and music
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner = BBC Local Radio,
BBC West
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/local_radio/ BBC Radio Bristol]

BBC Radio Bristol is the BBC Local Radio service for the English city of Bristol and the surrounding former Avon area. Launched in September 1970, it broadcasts from its studios in Bristol on FM frequencies 94.9 MHz (Dundry), 104.6 MHz (Bath), 103.6 MHz (Weston-super-Mare), on 1548 kHz (Mangotsfield) AM and on DAB.

The Mendip transmitter, near Wells, used to broadcast BBC Radio Bristol on 95.5 MHz over a very large area, but from December 3, 2007 this was transferred to the new BBC Somerset service. BBC Somerset and BBC Radio Bristol share many programmes, mainly during off-peak hours.

Since the BBC relaunched BBC Somerset on FM, BBC Radio Bristol has been left free to concentrate editorially on Bristol, Bath and the rest of the former Avon area.

In September, 2006, Radio Bristol re-launched its weekday schedule. Long-serving presenter, John Turner, moved to Breakfast, Dave Barrett returned to the station to take over mid-morning and Richard Lewis moved to afternoons. Another veteran, Keith Warmington, now presents the regional late night show between 10 and 1 which concentrates on arts and entertainment across the BBC West region. To accommodate Keith's new programme, Trevor Fry moved earlier in the evening between 7pm and 10pm. Since the reshuffle, John Turner has retired and former ITV West presenter Richard Wyatt has taken over the breakfast programme. Evening output from Radio Bristol is shared with BBC local radio stations in the BBC West region.

Radio Bristol's main competitors in the Bristol area are GWR Bristol on 96.3 MHz, Original 106.5 and Star Radio (Bristol). In Bath, Radio Bristol faces competition from GWR Bath on 103 MHz and Bath FM on 107.9 MHz. In Weston-super-Mare (which is editorially covered by both Radio Bristol and BBC Somerset), competition comes from Star Radio (Weston).

Kate Adie produced and presented programmes for BBC Radio Bristol in the 1970s alongside Michael Buerk. Theirs were the first two voices to be heard on the station. Chris Morris was also part of the team. Other past presenters include the late Roger Bennett who presented the Breakfast Show, Morning West for 30 years and Susan Osman who co-hosted Points West for 14 years. Current editor, Tim Pemberton took over from Jenny Lacey in spring 2006.

Programmes

Weekday schedule

*0500-0700 "Good Morning" with Lou Taylor
*0600-0900 "Breakfast" with Richard Wyatt
*0900-1200 Dave Barrett
*1200-1400 "Steve Yabsley on the Loose"
*1400-1700 "The Richard Lewis Show"
*1700-1900 "Drivetime" with Ben Prater
*1900-2200 Trevor Fry (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon and Radio Wiltshire)
*2200-0100 "Access All Areas" with Keith Warmington (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon and Radio Wiltshire)
*0100-0500 Radio Five Live: "Up All Night"

Friday variations

*0100-0300 "Bristol Introducing"
*0300-0500 "BCFM"

aturday schedule

*0500-0600 "Morning Glory" with Andy Howard
*0600-0900 "Weekend West" with Ali Vowles
*0900-1200 "Saturday Surgery"
*1200-1400 Tim McSweeney
*1400-1805 "Saturday Sport"
*1805-2000 "Geoff Barker's Rock and Roll Party" (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Cornwall, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*2000-2200 "As Time Goes By" with David Lowe (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Cornwall, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*2200-0100 Kirstin Neilson-Hunter (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*0100-0300 "Bristol Introducing"
*0300-0500 "BCFM"

unday schedule

*0500-0600 "The Alarm Call" with Nancy Jackson
*0600-1000 "Sunday Starts" with Trevor Fry
*1000-1300 "Sam Mason on Sunday"
*1300-1400 "Pick of the Week"
*1400-1700 "The Request Show" with John Ford
*1700-1800 "Black Echo" with Kizzy Morrell
*1800-1900 "Sangam"
*1900-2000 "Sounds of Brass" with Phillip Hunt (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Cornwall, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*2000-2200 "Swingers and Singers" (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Cornwall, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*2205-0100 "The Sunday Late Show" with Douglas Mounce (simulcast with Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Somerset, Radio Swindon, Radio Wiltshire, Radio Devon, Radio Cornwall, Radio Jersey and Radio Guernsey)
*0100-0200 "The Sound Hour" with Digby
*0200-0300 "Teen Talk" with Junior Saunders
*0300-0400 "The Girls' Night In" with Kelly Windsor Burgin
*0400-0500 "The Sophie Oliver Show"

Radio Bristol broadcasts 24 hours a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. From Mondays to Thursday, the station simulcasts Radio 5 Live's "Up All Night" after closedown.

Frequency Change

On Monday 12 November 2007 BBC Radio Bristol's primary frequency changed to 94.9 MHz from the Dundry transmitter. The former 95.5 MHz frequency from Mendip was reduced in power to the north, and commenced broadcasting BBC Somerset programmes from 3 December 2007.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/ BBC Radio Bristol]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2007/10/19/radiobristol_949_feature.shtml Frequency Change in 2007]
* [http://www.mediauk.com/radio/305 Media UK - BBC Radio Bristol]
* [http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/txmaps/avon.html MDS975's Transmitter Map.]
* [http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKAvonSomerset.htm History of local radio in Avon and Somerset.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/bath.php Bath mast (also digital)]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/dundry-east.php Dundry East (digital)]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/east-dundry-lane.php East Dundry Lane mast]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hutton.php Hutton mast (also digital)]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/bristol/ic/index.php Ilchester Crescent, Bedminster mast.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mangotsfield.php Mangotsfield mast.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/milbury-heath.php Milbury Heath (digital)]
* [http://www.4barsrest.com/general/radio_sob.asp Philip Hunt's Sounds of Brass.]