BBC Radio Manchester

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC Radio Manchester


city = Manchester
area = Greater Manchester
branding =
slogan =
airdate = September 10, 1970
frequency = 95.1 MHz, 104.6 MHz
share = 3.9%
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 North West
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local_radio/ BBC Radio Manchester]

BBC Radio Manchester is a BBC Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Manchester and surrounding areas. It relaunched on 3 April 2006 after broadcasting for a while as BBC GMR. It originally launched on 10 September 1970 as the first local radio station in the city.

BBC Radio Manchester broadcasts 24 hours a day from Oxford Road via a transmitter at Holme Moss, with a small repeater at Saddleworth covering parts of East Manchester. It can also be heard on DAB radio and via internet streaming.

BBC GMR

Between 1988 and April 3, 2006, the station was named BBC GMR (and, for a brief period in 1997, "GMR Talk"). GMR were the initials of its name, BBC Greater Manchester Radio, which was done to represent the coverage within the 10 local authority areas that made up Greater Manchester after the abolition of the Greater Manchester County Council in 1986. During this time, programmes included a phone-in with Allan Beswick, late-night music and comedy show "Michelle Mullane around Midnight" and "GMR Brass", a brass band music programme. GMR was also part of the BBC Night Network.

Relaunch

Eighteen years after dropping the name of the city, the station reverted back to its original name, Radio Manchester.

The first voice on the relaunched station was that of the late Anthony Wilson and followed by long-time local personality and Radio Manchester breakfast presenter Terry Christian, the first song being "Manchester" by The Beautiful South.

Presenters

*Talat Farooq Awan ("Indus" on Sunday evenings)
*Stuart Barrett (Monday-Thursday overnights)
*Allan Beswick (lunchtime phone-in and Saturday breakfast)
*Andy Crane (Sunday lunchtimes)
*Jack Dearden ("Manchester Sports", "Rugby League Hour" on Thursday evenings)
*Natalie Eve ("Manchester Music" on Saturday nights)
*Richard Fair (overnights)
*Karen Gabay ("The People" on Saturday evenings)
*Emma Goswell (Friday/Saturday overnights)
*Chris Holliday (Friday/Saturday overnights)
*Trevor Hunt ("Rugby League Hour" on Thursday evenings)
*Michelle Hussey ("Manchester Music" on Saturday nights)
*Stuart Jones (Friday overnights)
*John McPherson ("Gospel Inspiration" on Sunday mornings)
*Eamonn O' Neal (weekday breakfast and Sunday mornings)
*Dianne Oxberry (weekday breakfast)
*Alanna Rice ("Manchester Reloaded" and Saturday/Sunday overnights)
*John Ryan (Saturday lunchtime, also stand-in)
*Steve Saul ("Manchester Now" on weekday evenings)
*Mike Shaft (Sunday breakfast)
*Heather Stott (weekday mid-mornings)
*John Thomson (Saturday morning/lunchtime)
*Sam Walker (late night, Sundays-Thursdays)
*Jimmy Wagg (Sunday mornings and "Manchester Sports")
*Becky Want (weekday afternoons and "Retail Therapy" on Saturday mornings)
*Dave Ward (stand-in)
*Matt White (late night and "Manchester Reloaded")

Station announcements, jingles, trailers and promos are voiced by Five announcer Trish Bertram (formerly of LWT) and actor Craig Kelly.

Former presenters

*Terry Christian
*Michelle Daniels
*Mark Edwardson
*Richard Fair
*Paul Graham (Stands in for absent presenters occationally)
*Michelle Mullane
*Gail Sullivan
*Anthony Wilson
*Phil Wood

Programming

Weekdays

*0600-0900 Eammon O' Neal & Dianne Oxberry
*0900-1200 Heather Stott
*1200-1400 Allan Beswick
*1400-1700 Becky Want
*1700-1800 "Manchester Now"
*1800-2200 "Manchester Reloaded"
*2200-0100 Sam Walker
*0100-0300 "Dreamtime"
*0300-0600 Richard Fair / Stuart Barrett

Monday variations

*1800-1900 "Manchester Reloaded"
*1900-2000 "Citizen Manchester": Jewish
*2000-2100 "Citizen Manchester": LGBT
*2100-2200 "Citizen Manchester": Irish

Thursday variations

*1800-1900 "Manchester Business"
*1900-2000 "Rugby League Hour" (during the rugby league season)
*2000-2200 "Manchester Reloaded"

Friday variations

*1700-1900 "Manchester Now"
*1900-2000 "Manchester Sports"
*0100-0300 "The Fondue" with Dave Goodman
*0300-0600 Stuart Jones

aturdays

*0600-0900 Beswick's Week
*0900-1100 "Becky Want's Retail Therapy"
*1100-1300 John Thomson
*1300-1800 "Manchester Sports"
*1800-2100 "The People"
*2100-0000 "Manchester Music"
*0000-0200 Chris Holliday and Emma Goswell
*0200-0600 Allana Rice

undays

*0600-0700 "Gospel Inspiration"
*0700-0900 Mike Shaft
*0900-1200 Eamonn O'Neal and Jimmy Wagg
*1200-1400 Andy Crane
*1400-1800 "Manchester Sports"
*1800-2000 "Chinatown"
*2000-2200 "Indus"
*2200-0100 Sam Walker
*0100-0300 "Dreamtime"
*0300-0600 Richard Fair / Stuart Barrett

N.B. Times may vary on Saturday afternoons and on weeknights for live football commentary.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local_radio BBC Radio Manchester official website]