BBC Radio Cumbria

Infobox Radio station
name = BBC Radio Cumbria


city = Carlisle
area = Cumbria
branding =
slogan =
airdate = 24 November 1973
frequency = 95.6, 96.1, 104.1 MHz, 837 KHz & DAB Digital Radio
share = 13.5%
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = Mainly local news and talk
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = BBC Local Radio,
BBC North East and Cumbria
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/local_radio bbc.co.uk/cumbria]
affiliations =

BBC Radio Cumbria is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Cumbria and broadcasts from studios in Carlisle.

History

Radio Cumbria began service on 24 November 1973 as BBC Radio Carlisle and adopted its current name shortly before its tenth anniversary in May 1982. The county of Cumbria was not created until 1974.

Between 25 May 1982 and 1991, an opt-out service, BBC Radio Furness operated in the south of the county at peak times (breakfast), covering the Furness area which encompasses the Lake District and what is now the south coast of Cumbria. Its programmes were produced in Barrow-in-Furness and used 96.1 MHz and 837 kHz. Radio Furness closed as a result of budgetary constraints, after which the whole county again received a single programme.

Background

Radio Cumbria claims to be listened to by one third of the county's population. To address the challenge of a county which is sparsely populated and predominantly rural, it regularly makes outside broadcasts from a bus to maintain contact with its audience. Most programming has a similar format to that of other BBC local radio stations, although one unique feature is the "Lamb Bank" - a short daily programme which carries announcements from farmers wishing to exchange livestock.

Radio Cumbria is unusual among BBC local radio stations in that its area does not correspond exactly with a BBC television region" Due mainly to terrain, northern parts of Cumbria receive BBC television from Caldbeck, which broadcasts regional news from studios in Newcastle upon Tyne, directed at the "North East and Cumbria" region (although the transmitter broadcasts ITV signals from Border Television in Carlisle). Southern Cumbria receives regional news (both BBC and ITV) from Manchester via the Winter Hill transmitting station. Earlier attempts by the BBC to transmit Manchester-produced bulletins to northern Cumbria proved unpopular because viewers objected to coverage of Derbyshire and Cheshire at the expense of their own locality. For these reasons, Radio Cumbria fulfils an important role in providing a unified news service to the whole county.

Technical

On FM, Radio Cumbria broadcasts to northern Cumbria on 95.6 MHz (Sandale) - suitable for drivers on the M6 north of Penrith - and to the south of the county on 96.1 MHz (Morecambe Bay), with lower-powered relays on 95.2 MHz (Kendal), 104.1 MHz (Whitehaven) and 104.2 MHz (Windermere). It also broadcasts on medium wave: 756 kHz (Brisco - Carlisle), 837 kHz (Barrow-in-Furness) and 1458 kHz (Whitehaven). Radio Cumbria and Radio York are the only BBC local radio stations in northern England not to be carried on DAB. Radio Cumbria will not be on DAB until at least 2009. The Kendal, Morecambe Bay and Sandale transmitters have BBC DAB National, as well as a transmitter at Penrith Beacon. Digital One comes from Morecambe Bay and Penrith. MXR North West comes from Morecambe Bay.

Programming

Until late 2005, evening programmes had been shared with Radio Newcastle and Radio Cleveland and prior to that with the BBC Night Network, a group of BBC local radio stations in the North of England.

Radio 5 Live's "Up All Night" is simulcast on Radio Cumbria after closedown every night. "Morning Reports" and the third hour of The Stephen Nolan Show are simulcast at weekends.

Former presenters

*Richard Hammond
*Adrian Allen
*Jonathan Parr (former sports presenter)
*Alistair Anderson
*David Nove
*Liz Barnes
*Frank Wappat (now on BBC Radio Newcastle)
*Steve Urquhart

See also

* The Bay - independent local radio station covering north Lancashire and southern Cumbria
* CFM (Carlisle), CFM (West Cumbria)

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/local_radio BBC Radio Cumbria]
* [http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKCumbria.htm History of local radio in Cumbria]
* [http://www.jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/bbc_radio_cumbria.mp3 Jingles]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/barrow.php Barrow transmitter]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/carlisle.php Carlisle (Brisco) transmitter]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/kendal.php Kendal transmitter.]
* [http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/masts/morecambebay.html Morecambe Bay transmitter.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/sandale.php Sandale transmitter (including coverage map).]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/whitehaven.php Whitehaven transmitter.]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/windermere.php Windermere transmitter.]