BBC Radio Wales

Infobox Radio Station
name = BBC Radio Wales


city = Cardiff
area = flagicon|Wales Wales
branding =
slogan =
airdate = 1978
frequency = FM: various
MW: 657 and 882 kHz
DAB
Freeview: 719 (Wales only)
Freesat: 714
Sky: 0117
Virgin Media: 931
Online: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playlive/bbc_radio_wales]
share = 9.6%
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = News, Music, Sport
power =
erp =
class =
callsign_meaning =
owner = BBC,
BBC Wales
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/radiowales/ BBC Radio Wales]

BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" (previously the Welsh Home Service) when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave.

History

BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales were created as distinct stations on the old Radio Four Scottish and Radio Four Welsh medium wave opt-out frequencies of 810 and 882 kHz. They would be part time initially, broadcasting for only 20 hours per week, still relaying Radio Four at other times, however the groundwork had been laid for the stations to become important, respected full-time services.

BBC Radio Wales was preceded in the autumn of 1978 by a number of local 1 week experimental radio stations that included BBC Radio Wrexham and Radio Rhondda. The first editor of BBC Radio Wales was Teleri Bevan, a former BBC Radio 4 Wales producer.Anita Morgan presented a breakfast show, AM, but this soon gave way to a more modern show for the period presented by Chris Stuart. The main daily presenters for the first decade were Chris Stuart, Mike Flynn, Vincent Kane, Noreen Bray and Alun Williams. By the mid 80's Roy Noble was also a regular daily voice. Old Radio 4 type continuity studios were modified to become 'self operated' by the early 1980s. Outside broadcasts from different towns in Wales were also introduced with Mike Flynn and Alun Williams hosting a weekly 3 hour Friday morning live programme. BBC Radio Wales also started to embrace publicity similar to that used by UK commercial radio. Part of this included sponsorship of a light aircraft (G-ARRP) flown by Mike Flynn. Other early presenters included Wyn Calvin, Maureen Staffer, Sylvia Horn, GV Wynne Jones (Geevers), Claire Vincent, Piet Brinton, Jackie Emlyn and HRH Princess Anne's biographer Brian Hoey.

Transmission

For many years Radio Wales was broadcast only on medium wave using a 750,000 watt transmitter broadcasting on 882 kHz from Washford in Somerset; as the BBC considered that because the Welsh language network BBC Radio Cymru was the only network using that language, it merited a higher quality of transmission. However since 1999 Radio Wales has been acquiring its own FM network, starting in areas like Newport and Wrexham where the Welsh language has the fewest speakers. Because of the power of the medium wave transmitter, BBC Radio Wales can also be heard outside the intended transmission area and is audible across Somerset and the Bristol area, most parts of Devon and northern Cornwall, as well as in areas of south-western Ireland.

BBC Radio Wales is also broadcast on DAB Digital Radio and Freeview across Wales, as well as across the UK and Europe on satellite.

Programmes

Current programmes include "Good Morning Wales", "Jamie and Louise" with Jamie Owen and Louise Elliot, "Richard Evans Phone-in", Roy Noble's afternoon show, "Good Evening Wales", "The Evening Show" (a show covering current rock/pop music and entertainment), Adam Walton's new music show (covering new Welsh music on Sunday nights), 'Celtic Heartbeat', presented by Frank Hennessy, and "Chris Needs' Friendly Garden" which goes out every weeknight evening from 10pm.

ports coverage

Radio Wales's sports output includes "Sportstime", presented by Steve James and broadcast on Saturdays between 14.03 and 18.30. The programme is also transmitted every Tuesday night from 19.03 to 21.00 and is again hosted by Steve James, who took over the presenting role from Rob Phillips in early 2007. Both programmes feature local FM commentary of Cardiff City in the south-east of Wales, Swansea City in the south west and Wrexham in the north of Wales with the presenters going through a running commentary on everything that is happening in the day's play on MW. The station's commentators are Ian Gwyn Hughes (also BBC Wales Football Editor), John Hardy, Rob Phillips and Simon Davies. The summarisers are former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe, former Wales and Norwich striker Iwan Roberts, ex Wales and Crystal Palace striker Ian Walsh, Malcolm Allen, the ex Wales and Newcastle centre forward, former Atletico Madrid manager Colin Addison and Jason Perry, a former Cardiff City defender. "Sportstime" is also aired on other days if there is other sport happening throughout the week, usually on MW only.

Presenters

*Derek Brockway ("Radio Wales Weather", "Weatherman Walking")
*Jason Camilleri ("Mixing It")
*Shân Cothi (Sunday evenings)
*Sarah Dickins ("Good Morning Wales")
*Melanie Doel ("Country Focus")
*Louise Elliott (Weekday mid-mornings)
*Charlotte Evans ("Look Up Your Genes", Roy Noble show producer)
*Felicity Evans ("Good Evening Wales")
*Richard Evans ("Radio Wales Phone-in")
*Steffan Garrero ("Radio Wales Sport", "The Back Page")
*Rhod Gilbert (Saturday mornings)
*Dewi Griffiths ("A String of Pearls")
*Patrick Hannan ("Called to Order", "Something Else")
*Frank Hennessy ("Celtic Heartbeat", "I'll Show You Mine")
*Oliver Hides ("Good Evening Wales")
*Beverley Humphreys ("Showtime")
*Rhun ap Iorwerth ("Good Morning Wales")
*Roy Jenkins ("All Things Considered")
*Peter Johnson ("Good Morning Wales")
*Aled Jones (Sunday lunchtimes)
*Ruth Jones ("Ruth Jones's Sunday Brunch")
*Gareth Lewis ("Scrum V Radio")
*Owen Money ("Money for Nothing")
*Chris Needs (Weekday late nights)
*Roy Noble (Weekday afternoons)
*Jamie Owen (Weekday mid-mornings)
*Mal Pope ("The Evening Show", weekend early mornings)
*Bethan Rhys Roberts ("Good Morning Wales")
*Nick Servini ("Wales@Work")
*Nicola Heywood Thomas ("Radio Wales Arts Show")
*Alan Thompson ("The Evening Show")
*Adam Walton ("Mousemat", "The Science Cafe" and Sunday nights)
*Cat Whiteaway ("Look Up Your Genes")
*Huw Williams ("Platform Shoes")

Newsreaders/continuity announcers

*Mari Griffith
*Kim Marks
*Geraint Wyn Pickard
*David Woodward

Radio Gwent and Radio Clwyd opt-outs

After a number of experiments with temporary special-event stations in various parts of Wales prior to the launch in November 1978, two long-standing opt-out stations were established: Radio Gwent, based in Cwmbran, on the air between April 1983 and March 1991, and Mold-based Radio Clwyd which was broadcast between October 1981 and October 1993. Both of these stations operated at peak times only, and carried Radio Wales at other times. But the growth of commercial local radio dedicated to a local audience meant these stations found it hard to compete. Radio Clwyd offered just a few hours a day against its competitor Marcher Sound which was broadcasting 24 hours a day with local accents. Following the closure of Radio Clwyd, local bulletins for north-east Wales continued until 2002, staff having moved from Mold to Wrexham in the summer of 1998.

A tribute site is now online with a new edition (2006) of the magazine programme "Roundabout", looking back at the history of Radio Clwyd. [http://www.657khz.co.uk]

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=wales/radiowales/|title=BBC Radio Wales