Radio Borders

Infobox Radio Station
name = Radio Borders


city =
area = Scottish Borders and North Northumberland
branding =
slogan = More Of The Songs You Love
airdate = January 22 1990
frequency = 102.3 MHz, 103.4 MHz,
103.1 MHz, 96.8 MHz, [http://www.radioborders.com Online]
share = 32.6%
share as of = July 2008)
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = Contemporary
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner = Bauer Radio
website = [http://www.radioborders.com www.radioborders.com]

Radio Borders is a radio station broadcasting to the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland.

The station has one of the highest listening rates (linked to the population) amongst all UK local radio stations. In fact, RAJAR figures in July 2008 showed a 56% reach - the highest for any UK commercial station. Radio Borders regularly broadcast news, weather and traffic information. Its music format consists of classic hits and music from the '60s right through to today's music. It is part of the Big City Network.

Stuart McCulloch is the Managing Director and Keith Clarkson is the Programme Controller. Until August 2008, the station broadcast a simulcast of 1548 Forth 2 at 10pm from Sunday to Thursday, from 1am on Saturday mornings, and from midnight on Saturday evenings. However, from 15th September 2008, this has changed and the station now broadcasts evening and overnight programmes networked from Clyde 1 from their studios in Clydebank.

On January 22, 2008, the station celebrated its 18th birthday on air by playing retro jingles, and bringing back rested features such as the Teuchter Tune, the Name Game, and Beat the Beat, for one day only. The celebrations were kicked off at 6 am with "Wired for Sound" by Cliff Richard, which was the very first song to be played by Danny Gallagher on Radio Borders when it opened on January 22, 1990.

----

Popular time slots

Breakfast (Mon - Fri 6am - 10am)

Presented by Keith Clarkson it has travel updates, news every half hour and sport at 8,30am. Also, a competition called Cashphrase is played where listeners hear a celebrity soundbite and have to guess the word which has been bleeped out. The prize fund starts at £20 and rises by £10 for each day that it is not guessed correctly. The lines open at 7.45 each morning for 15 minutes, with the game played at 8.10. Since the line up change of Monday 15th September 2008 the show has also seen the return of Quiz of the Day.

Drivetime (Mon - Thu 3pm - 7pm, Fri 3pm - 6pm)

Drivetime is presented by Paul Brownlee and has travel, news and sport updates as well as great music to drive home with. Since the line-up change of Monday 15th September 2008 Drivetime has become the home of 'The Weekend Friend' feature. There are also new competitions called 'The Impossible Connection' and 'Start Me Up'.

The 18th Floor (Sat 9am - 12 noon)

Presented by Stuart McCulloch from the fictional '18th Floor' of Radio Borders studio complex, the show features the very popular 'Wedding Spot' where cards are read out for weddings taking place on that day. One bride is usually selected to join Stuart for a chat (the bride and groom winning a hotel stay as a prize for being featured on the show). The other features of the show include competitions with some 'interesting' prizes and music and chat unique to Stuart's style of presenting and personality.

Saturday Sports Live (Sat 2pm - 6pm)

Saturday Sports Live is on Saturdays between 2 - 6pm. It has had various presenters over the years, including Rod Webster, Peter Martin (now with Radio Clyde), Hugh Brown, David Forbes and Stuart McCafferty. Its current presenter is weekday breakfast show host, Keith Clarkson.

Managing Director and presenter Stuart McCulloch is the main commentator for Saturday Sports Live through the Scottish Premier rugby season. The programme features games involving Borders teams in Premiers 1, 2 and 3, with commentators at the top two or three games - usually home games, or border derbies. Commentators at other games have included former Gala RFC player Mark Moncreff, and resident stats man, Stuart McFarlane. Reporters also provide cover from away games and from matches involving Berwick Rangers. A comprehensive local and national results service is also provided.

Paul Brownlee's Floorfillers Dance Party (Sat 6pm - 10pm)

Presented by Paul Brownlee, Floorfillers Dance Party is essentially a four hour party on the radio. The show features the best in current pop and dance, mash ups, classic disco and party tunes. Designed to be the 'soundtrack to your Saturday night', the show still features elements of it's predecessors (Big Saturday and Floorfillers) but also brings in songs that would have once featured on 'Saturday Night Fever'

The Radio Borders Rock Show (now ended, was Sat 9pm - 12 midnight)

Presented by Richard Thorburn, the Radio Borders Rock Show began on 18th September 2004 and ended on 13th September 2008 after nearly four years on air.

The show was a mix of all time rock anthems and songs from modern day rock acts covering everything from radio rock & pop punk to hardcore & metal and everything in between. Show playlists can be found on www.myspace.com/rockshowrich.

There were occasional artist interviews and music from local rock bands as well as news on local and national gigs and tours. Richard was also involved in a local rock music night under the banner of "The Red Room" (also now defunct) in which local bands were promoted and put on with the best in new rock bands. Artists who've played at the Red Room include Beyond All Reason, Glamour Of The Kill, Serpico, I-Def-I, Anata, Immanis & Exit Ten. The show was used as a way to promote these gigs and to promote the bands who play at them too.

Golden Brown (Sun 10am - 1pm)

Golden Brown is one of the longest running shows on Radio Borders (first broadcast on 24th March 1991). Presented by Hugh Brown, it plays music from the 60s to the mid 90s. Features include 'Hit & Miss', two top 10 charts, Almost There (three number 2 hits) and a Telly Tune. One of the strengths of Golden Brown is that it plays oldies that would not usually be heard on other shows. When it started, the music was mainly from the 60s and 70s but as the years have passed that has gradually been extended and now runs through to the end of the 1990's. Interviews with famous names from the world of pop are also a regular feature and recent guests have included The Bachelors, Mike Batt, Colin Blunstone, Dennis Lecorriere, Sally Carr and Andy Fairweather-Low.

Current Presenters and Timeslots

Monday to Thursday

0600-1000 Keith Clarkson
1000-1400 Stuart McCulloch
1400-1500 Workplace Anthems
1500-1900 Paul Brownlee
1900-2200 In Demand with Romeo
2200-0100 Late Night Gina McKie
0100-0600 Nightshift

Friday

0600-1000 Keith Clarkson
1000-1400 Stuart McCulloch
1400-1500 Workplace Anthems
1500-1800 Paul Brownlee
1800-1900 *The Friday Sports Show
1900-2200 In Demand with Romeo
2200-0100 Friday Night Floorfillers with Krystle
0100-0600 Nightshift

Saturday

0600-0900 Bobby Taylor
0900-1200 Stuart McCulloch
1200-1400 The Saturday Jukebox (with Paul Richardson)
1400-1800 *Saturday Sports Live
1800-2200 Paul Brownlee's Floorfillers Dance Party
2200-0100 Krystle
0100-0600 Nightshift

Sunday

0600-1000 Stuart Cameron
1000-1300 Golden Brown with Hugh Brown
1300-1600 Vanessa Motion
1600-1900 Hit 40 UK
1900-2000 Wired (with Lynsey Paterson)
2000-2200 The Sunday Getherin' (with Karin Ingram)
2200-0100 Late Night Gina McKie
0100-0600 Nightshift

* The Friday Sports Show and Saturday Sports Live air during the rugby and football season; during the close season, Friday drivetime and the Saturday Jukebox are both on for an extra hour, with Saturday Sports Live becoming the Afternoon Show and airing between 1500-1800.

News

Comprehensive news bulletins are broadcast hourly throughout the day with additional local reports at 7.30am, 8.30am, 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

The news team consists of:

Mark Wilson
Paul Robertson
Max Steele
Ryan Gilbert
Clare Reilly
Richard Lumgair

External links

* [http://www.radioborders.com Official web site]