BBC WM

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC WM


city = Birmingham
area = West Midlands and the Black Country
branding =
slogan =
airdate = November 7, 1970
frequency = 95.6 MHz, DAB
share = 5.6%
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 Midlands
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/local_radio/ BBC WM]

BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands and South Staffordshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on November 7, 1970 as "BBC Radio Birmingham", it currently broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet.

The main presenters are Ed Doolan, Les Ross, Tony Butler. Radio 2 regulars Andrew Peach and Janice Long present weekend shows.

In the 1990s, as a BBC economy measure, the station took over BBC CWR (broadcasting to Coventry and Warwickshire). More recently, separate news bulletins for the Coventry and Warwickshire area, as well as a separate breakfast and afternoon programmes, returned to the CWR frequencies, and on 3 September 2005 CWR (reverting to its original title of BBC Coventry & Warwickshire) resumed the production and transmission of continuous local programming between 5.00 and 22.00 each weekday (6.00 - 18.00 at weekends).

Until 2004, BBC WM broadcast from the Pebble Mill studios, also situated in Birmingham.

On 4 July, 2004, the station moved to the new the offices of BBC Birmingham, located in The Mailbox. Over the second half of 2004, all the departments based at Pebble Mill moved to the Mailbox. BBC WM was one of the first to move, with local television news and BBC Radio 4 drama "The Archers" among the last. The first presenter to officially broadcast from the new studios was BBC WM stalwart Ed Doolan.

The new local radio facilities include two broadcast studios; a talk studio; an operations and production area; and a studio shared with the BBC Asian Network.

Programming

aturdays

*0500-0600 Radio 5 Live: "Morning Reports"
*0600-0900 Daz Hale
*0900-1200 Janice Long
*1200-1400 Jimmy Franks
*1400-1800 "The Match"
*1800-2000 "Network Gold" with John Platt
*2000-2200 Joe Aldred
*2200-2300 Loyd Williams
*2300-0100 Ben Turner
*0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: "Up All Night"

undays

*0500-0600 Radio 5 Live: "Morning Reports"
*0600-0900 Sior Coleman
*0700-0900 Andrew Peach
*0900-1200 Danny Kelly
*1200-1400 Carl Chinn
*1400-1800 "The Match"
*1800-1900 "The Other Side Of..." with Ed Doolan
*1900-2000 "Wolverhampton Community Radio"
*2000-2200 "The Gospel Show" with Nikki Tapper
*2200-0000 "The Soul Show" with Jenny Wilkes
*0000-0100 "Your Space"
*0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: "Up All Night"

Weeekdays

*0500-0630 Mollie Green
*0630-1000 "Phil Upton at Breakfast"
*1000-1300 Ed Doolan
*1300-1600 Les Ross
*1600-1900 Paul Franks
*1900-2000 "Football Phone-In" with Tony Butler
*2000-2200 Daz Hale (Mondays - Wednesdays)
*2200-0100 Danny Kelly
*0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: "Up All Night"

Thursday variations

*2000-2200 "BBC WM Introducing"

Friday variations

*1600-1800 Paul Franks
*1800-2000 "Football Phone-In" with Paul Franks
*2000-2100 "The Other Side of..." with Ed Doolan
*2100-0000 "Midlands Masala" with Satnam Rana
*0000-0200 "Tracey's Jail Mail" with Tracey Ward
*0200-0500 Radio 5 Live: "Up All Night"

Malcolm Boyden made a brief return to the station in the summer of 2006 and has since covered for various holidaying presenters for the station.

A small amount of programming, including "Network Gold" on Saturday evenings, is networked on counterpart BBC local radio stations in the BBC Midlands region. During the station's downtime, BBC WM simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live's "Up All Night" every night and "Morning Reports" on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Since 22 October 2004, the station has been streamed live online at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/localradio.shtml?wm/ BBC WM's official website] .

Past Presenters

*Gordon Astley (now at BBC Southern Counties Radio)
*Pat de Whalley (now a spiritual counsellor and author)
*Coral Chapman
*Samantha Meah
*Steve Willis (now freelance broadcaster & property landlord)
*John Taynton (now runs "P.R. Dogs", a P.R. company in Devon)
*Paul Brighton (now a Professor of Media at Wolverhampton University)
*Tony Inchley
*Shane O'Connor (now at BBC Radio Derby)
*Tony Wadsworth (now at BBC Radio Leicester)
*Julie Mayer (now at BBC Radio Leicester)
*Andy Whittaker (now at BBC Radio Nottingham)
*Nicky Steele
*Pogus Caesar
*Simon Lederman (now at BBC London 94.9)
*Windrush E. Smith
*Frank Stewart
*Bob Ramdhanie
*Tony T
*Tubby Stan
*Saroya Patrick
*Chris Ashley
*Judy Simpson
*Malcolm Boyden (now at BBC Hereford & Worcester & BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, also stand-in for BBC WM)
*Herdle White
*Viv Ellis (now a television producer)
*Alan Dedicoat (now a leading voice-over artist, also newsreader and Head of Presentation for BBC Radio 2)
*Stuart Roper
*Marverine Cole (now a reporter for "BBC Midlands Today")
*Mike Rimmer

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radiowm/ BBC WM] for Birmingham and the Black Country
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/coventrywarwickshire/ BBC WM] for Coventry and Warwickshire
* [http://www.mediauk.com/radio/279 Media UK - BBC WM]