BBC Radio Nottingham

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC Radio Nottingham


city = Nottingham
area = Nottinghamshire
branding =
slogan =
airdate = 31 January 1968
frequency = 95.1 MHz, 95.5 MHz, 103.8 MHz, 1584 kHz, DAB (NOW Nottingham)
share = 11.0%
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 East Midlands
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/local_radio/index.shtml BBC Radio Nottingham]

BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.

In the June 2006 release of the RAJAR radio listening figures, BBC Radio Nottingham recorded 168,000 listeners in a Total Survey Area of 737,000 adults, giving it an audience reach of 23%. It has a market share of 11.9%.

Transmission frequences

Radio Nottingham is broadcast on three FM frequencies:

* 103.8 to Nottingham and south Nottinghamshire, from Mapperley Ridge in north Nottingham.
* 95.5 to Mansfield from Fishponds Hill
* 95.1 to Newark from Beacon Hill (since January 2004).

The Mansfield signal is strong enough to be heard as far north as Scunthorpe, far outside Nottinghamshire. Almost as powerful, the Nottingham signal may be heard as far south as Leicester.

The station broadcasts AM signals on 1584 kHz Medium Wave, from Clipstone, near Mansfield.

Since 30 April 2004, the station has been available on DAB from the NDEM (NOW Digital East Midlands) Nottingham 12C multiplex from Waltham (main signal and in Leicestershire), Mapperley Ridge and Fishponds Hill (since July 2006).

In addition, the station is transmitted via its website, using Real Player.

Daily Schedule

* Breakfast Show with Andy Whittaker
* Morning Show with Frances Finn
* Lunchtime Show with Pete Wardman
* Afternoon Show with John Holmes
* Drivetime Show with Alan Clifford

Local Football

During the football season, BBC Radio Nottingham broadcasts commentary on the matches of Nottingham Forest and Notts County. Colin Fray and Nottingham Forest's European Cup winning captain John McGovern commentate on Forest, and Colin Slater, a Radio Nottingham veteran, commentates on the Magpies. Forest commentary is broadcast on 103.8 and 95.1 FM as well as 1584 AM, and County commentary is broadcast on 95.5 FM and DAB Digital Radio. Radio Nottingham's David Jackson commentates on Mansfield Town's away matches online, at bbc.co.uk/nottingham.

Former Presenters

* Perhaps the station's most famous presenter is broadcasting legend Dennis McCarthy MBE, who continued broadcasting on the station—despite falling ill—right up until the afternoon he died.
* Simon Mayo began his radio career here where he worked for four years in the 1980s, moving to Radio 1 in March 1986.
* Matthew Bannister, former late night host on BBC Radio Five Live, worked as a reporter in 1978.
* Mansfield's Richard Bacon had his first taste of broadcasting on "The Beat".
* Comedian Boothby Graffoe had a weekly show in the late 1980s for a short time, before it was taken off because of its graphic and saucy humour.
* John Simons worked on the station in the late 1980s. He is now the award-winning Group Programme Director for GMG Radio.

urrounding areas

The nearest BBC TV news is East Midlands Today, who share the studios on "London Road" (A60) in Nottingham with the BBC Radio Nottingham team. The studio used to be in a building near the Victoria Centre on "Mansfield Road" before 1998. That building is now used by Nottingham Trent University as the Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism.

BBC Radio Nottingham faces local competition from the regional commercial stations Heart 106 and Smooth Radio, which are broadcast from Nottingham based studios to the wider East Midlands. Trent FM is Nottingham's heritage commercial radio station, broadcasting from Mapperley Ridge on 96.2FM and Fishponds Hill on 96.5FM.

Listeners in Nottinghamshire north of Worksop, are catered for by Radio Sheffield broadcasting on 104.1FM from the Holme Moss transmitter and in the Mansfield area commercial station Mansfield 103.2 exists, also transmitted from Fishponds Hill.

Trivia

The station is credited for the first phone-in on 4 February 1968, in a programme called "What Are They Up To Now?"

The text number for competitions is 07786 201038. The RDS signal for the 103.8FM signal is BBC Nottm, for the other FM signals is BBC Notts.

Not to be confused with University Radio Nottingham.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/local_radio BBC Radio Nottingham]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/default.stm Local news]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/beat The Beat programme on BBC Radio Nottingham]
* [http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKNotts.htm History of local radio in Nottinghamshire.]
*
* [http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/txmaps/nottingham.html Reception map]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/d.allen43/main_pages/bbc_nottingham_studios.htm David's Transmitter World]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/webcams/index.shtml Studio webcam]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/d.allen43/Trans_sub_pages/clipstone.htm Clipstone transmitter.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mansfield.php Mansfield (Fishponds Hill) transmitter.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mapperley-ridge.php Mapperley Ridge transmitter.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/newark.php Newark transmitter.]
* [http://www.ciao.co.uk/Radio_Nottingham_The_Beat__51692 Ciao - The Beat]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/local_radio/click_of_the_day_feature.shtml Click of the Day - Listen to the Best Bits!]

Audio clips

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/realmedia/radionottingham/opening.ram First words of Radio Nottingham in January 1968]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/2004/08/fire_eating_vicar.ram Fire eating vicar]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlC2YSmiB_g New Broxtowe BNP councillor interviewed]
* [http://www.intervalsignals.net/files/ukg-bbc_radio_nottingham_131101.m3u 2001 News jingle]

Video clips

* [http://www.s2blue.com/whats_video_nottingham.cfm Recording the jingles at S2 Blue in Leek]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j92O5UpLOV4 John Holmes walks around Selston]