Year: 2024

Sports news bulletins on GBNews Radio are now being powered by AI and voiced by a clone of a newsreader.

The 30-second updates are broadcast at 30 minutes past the hour on the radio between 6.30am to 11.30pm each day following the main news summary, with the content delivered using the virtual voice of news presenter Tatiana Sanchez.
The bulletins are created using AI summaries from the latest sports stories on the channel’s website.
GB News’ Chief Digital Officer Geoff Marsh said: “We’re already using AI across our editorial operation to enhance everything we do and provide a better experience for our millions of loyal viewers, listeners and digital users.
Have a listen: […]

A Hits Radio East Yorkshire listener has been given the chance to be an onboard announcer for the day with Hull Trains.

Sharon Blagdon was crowned the best voice in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire by listeners to the station.
As part of her prize, Sharon also won a pair of First Class tickets for a return journey to London and the chance to use the Hull-based operator’s train simulator which is based in the city. The equipment was recently launched at Hull Trains’ Learning and Development Academy in the K2 building.
Sharon, who was tasked with reading a variety of onboard announcements on her return journey to Selby, was accompanied by breakfast show presenters Alex and Nicola.
Lou Mendham, Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, said: “We were thrilled to take part in this exciting competition with Hits Radio. Our customers and on-board team were particularly impressed with Sharon’s announcing skills, she was a natural!
“We’re proud to be part of the local communities we serve and providing opportunities like this one really showcases that. If seeing Sharon have a go at announcing has inspired you, then we’re always on the lookout for talented people to join us. We have a great team at Hull Trains who all deliver a wide range of services across a variety of roles.”

Winner Sharon loved the experience. She said: “It was amazing to be part of the day with Hull Trains and I was made to feel so welcome by all the team.
“I’ll admit that I was a little nervous, but Alex and Nicola put me at ease for the big announcements on board. Thanks to everyone for such a great experience. I can’t wait to book my First Class tickets to London now… I’ll leave the announcements on that journey to the professionals though!”
Presenters Alex and Nicola, who are heard across the region, said: “Thanks to Hull Trains for an amazing day. The whole on-board team were fantastic and they went above and beyond to keep us comfy… we even got to sample their delicious new First Class menu and some treats from the trolly.
“It wasn’t quite the ‘normal’ Hull Trains experience… We had a go at serving some drinks and our trolley service left a lot to be desired! However, we think our winner Sharon smashed it with the train announcements. Thankfully, normal service has now resumed.” […]

Two more bidders have announced their intensions to bid for the upcoming small-scale DAB multiplex for Bournemouth.
Locally-based Bournemouth Digital Radio is backed by radio professionals with decades of experience, who have already been successful in other areas of the UK.
BDR’s Chief Executive, James Ross says: “Having been brought up in Bournemouth, it has always been my ambition to see more local radio choices here, and to bring additional radio services to the area, and I hope that this will be our chance. We are putting together a very strong application so we can offer the best possible service to listeners in Bournemouth”.
Chairman of Hospital Radio Bedside, Gary Plummer who is a director of BDR says “Hospital Radio Bedside will be excited to join with Bournemouth Digital Radio, should they be successful in the bid, as HRB evolves into becoming a health and wellbeing radio station. This new DAB radio venture will allow HRB to broadcast to the wider community of Bournemouth & Boscombe”.
Additionally, Bournemouth-based broadcaster Tim Butcher is a director of BDR. Tim hosted the 2CRFM Breakfast Show for many years and later presented for Original 106 and BBC Radio Solent. He is now a broadcast consultant, advising radio stations on expanding operations and launching new ventures.
Tim is an advocate of more radio choice and says: “Bournemouth has sadly seen a reduction in local stations over recent years. Bournemouth Digital Radio offers the opportunity for more local and community stations to launch and to reflect life in this amazing area of the South, that we call home.”
Bournemouth Digital Radio is also receiving support from other radio stations who will bring a range of diverse services to the Multiplex including Forest FM, Radio Wimborne, Gaydio, London Music Radio, and many more.
The company says any existing Ofcom-licenced community FM radio stations will be entitled to free carriage on BDR’s multiplex, in return for their support for the application. Email james@bournemouthdigital.radio for more details.
In addition, BH Community DAB is also applying for the Bournemouth licence, made up of Hospital Radio Bedside and Hope FM in Bournemouth, along with Hot Radio and broadcast engineering company Wide FM in Poole.
Kevin Scott, CEO of the Hot Radio Family, and Director of BH Community DAB says: “I believe it is imperative that this new community asset stays in the hands of the community, enabling us to offer an accessible and affordable DAB platform for community radio stations, as well as current radio broadcast providers from all sectors.”
Operations Manager at Hope FM, and fellow BH Community DAB Director, Dan Withey says: “It’s exciting that community interest radio stations throughout BCP and Dorset will finally get an affordable route into local DAB broadcasting – this has simply not been an option for many of us until now.”
Hospital Radio Bedside Chairman, Gary Plummer commented: “HRB is excited to be part of this new venture. Part of our strategy is to develop ourselves as a community-based health and wellbeing-based radio station, and offers HRB an amazing opportunity for us to connect with our wider community.”
More details via info@bhcommunitydab.co.uk. […]

The Scala Radio brand will be no more later this year as Bauer makes plans to change the station name to Magic Classical.

At the same time, Magic Chilled will also change its name to Hits Radio Chilled, playing laid back hits and throwbacks.
Programming and presenters will stay the same on both stations, which broadcast across the UK on SDL.
Scala Radio launched in 2019 and peaked at 400,000 listeners in 2021, before dropping to its currently weekly reach under 200,000.
Gary Stein, Director of Audio said: “As Magic Classical, Scala Radio will continue to bring its loyal listeners a playlist of familiar masters alongside contemporary classical music, whilst introducing the fantastic talent on the station to a whole new family of listeners.”
There will be no team changes and current Scala Radio Content Director Nick Pitts will become Content Director for Magic Classical alongside his same role at Jazz FM. […]