Month: July 2025

Five new areas have been granted a small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex licence today in Ofcom’s round seven.
The areas are The Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland, Bridgewater in Somerset, Exmouth & Dawlish in Devon, Loughborough & Coalville in Leicestershire, and Ringwood, Verwood and Fordingbridge in east Dorset.
Ards DAB Ltd plans to launch services covering Newtownards, Bangor, and parts of Belfast. Ofcom noted those involved in the applicant had extensive experience of the radio sector in Northern Ireland and had successfully established the Belfast & Lisburn small-scale multiplex.
Sedgemoor FM CIC said they expect good coverage of key areas.
ExmouthDAB Ltd, which includes local group DevonAir Radio, will cover an area of around 60,000 adults.
Maxxwave Limited has been awarded the small-scale DAB radio licence for Loughborough and Coalville. One transmission site near Copt Oak will be used.
And the Ringwood, Verwood and Fordingbridge licence went to Forest DAB Ltd, who will operate the service using a transmitter based in Verwood to reach around 47% of the advertised area.
18 more licence awards are still to come from round seven.

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Scottish actor Stephen Purdon is joining The Go Radio Breakfast Show from Monday, 28th July.

Stephen, who is best known for his  role as Bob O’Hara in BBC soap River City, will be joined by co-host Zoe Kelly on the show.
“I’m buzzing to be joining the Go Radio family,” said Purdon. “I’ve been a Go Radio listener since the station launched and getting the chance to wake up Glasgow and the West with lots of laughs and chat is a dream come true.”
James Maguire, Programme Controller at Go Radio, said: “From his role in River City to his annual Pavilion Theatre panto performances, Stephen is a natural entertainer with a genuine love for Glasgow and its people.
“We’re delighted to welcome him to the Go Radio Breakfast Show – it’s going to bring a new dynamic to the show’s existing winning formula of great chat, music, news and competitions.”

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Greg James is the winner of Radio 1’s Giant Face Off after raising the final flag in Newcastle this morning.

The challenge, which started at Silverstone Circuit on Tuesday, covered nineteen regions across the UK before finishing on Gateshead Bridge.
Greg slipped out of the BBC Newcastle studio early to cross the finish line, leaving Jamie Laing unable to catch up despite sprinting towards the River Tyne.
Jamie’s forfeit is to make Greg the godfather of his unborn baby. He said: “I’m fuming. I’d just like to say sorry to Sophie here, because she’s blocked me everywhere else.”
Greg claimed his victory by saying, “Really looking forward to the Christening and to be a big part of this child’s life.”
The final clue was revealed by musicians playing in the orchestra with JADE at the BBC Proms at The Glasshouse in Gateshead, as they performed a rendition of Fog on the Tyne live on air.
On Radio 1 this morning, Jamie said: “I am so upset. I let the team down. I let the Laing Gang down. Matt Edmondson, I am putting this on you, buddy. It was the ruler that lost it. I have actually never been this disappointed. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Greg, you are now my unborn child’s Godfather.”

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Volunteer broadcaster Keith Lea will celebrate 60 years with York Hospital Radio this Saturday, 26 July.

Keith, who is from York, joined what was then called the Ebor Tape Recording Club on 28 July 1965, aged just 16, and discovered he had joined a hospital radio station based in a disused pathology lab at the former Fulford Military Hospital.
To mark his 60 years of service, Keith will present a live six-hour show from 10am on Saturday. It will feature music from each of his 60 years on air, and he will be joined by family, friends, fellow presenters, and Clare Grainger, deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.
Keith continued to present request shows and record interviews during the 1960s, including the first live shows in 1968. By the 1970s, he was involved in outside broadcasts and today heads up the OB team.
Over the years, Keith has helped raise funds for the station, including £63,000 towards a purpose-built studio complex that opened in 1983. He has served as Chairman, run the fundraising mobile disco, and supported many community events.
Reflecting on his 60 years, Keith said: “Hospital Radio was a treasure trove of opportunities and life experiences, which I embraced as a ‘Jack of All Trades’ and master of only a few.
“It’s been a personal journey of challenges, triumphs, teamwork, technology, friendships and fun!  York Hospital Radio has endured and evolved and I’m proud to be part of its journey.”
Ian Clennan, chair of York Hospital Radio, added: “Huge congratulations to Keith on his amazing 60 years with us!
“I am immensely grateful to Keith for his unique contribution to hospital radio in the city for six decades and hope he will continue as an active member with us for many years to come.”

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Nominees for the British Podcast Awards 2025 have been announced, and BBC Radio 4’s Today host Emma Barnett has been named as Chair of Judges this year.

Speaking about her new role, Emma said: “I’m delighted to champion this brilliant, bold medium as Chair of Judges for the British Podcast Awards 2025, and to celebrate the voices shaping the Great British Podcasting scene.”
Over 200 nominees have been shortlisted across 26 categories, with David Tennant is recognised for Best Host(s), while Louis Theroux earns nods for both Best Host(s) and Interview for The Louis Theroux Podcast.
Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson’s Staying Relevant is nominated for Video Innovation, as is Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s Miss Me?. Angela Hartnett and Nick Grimshaw also land a Best Host(s) nomination.
Jordan North and William Hanson’s Help I Sexted My Boss picks up Comedy, Entertainment, and Video Innovation nominations, while Ed Gamble’s The Traitors: Uncloaked earns the BBC an Entertainment nod.
Vogue Williams and Amber Wilson’s Vogue & Amber competes in Entertainment and Paula Radcliffe’s Marathon Run Club is recognised in Sport.
Voting is now open for the Listeners’ Choice category, the only British Podcast Award decided by the public.
You can cast your vote at britishpodcastawards.com/voting until 29th August.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony hosted by comedian Maisie Adam on Thursday 2nd October at Indigo at The O2, London.
Tickets for the awards ceremony are on sale now.
British Podcast Awards 2025 – Full Shortlist 
Arts & Culture
Facing the Music – Overcoat Media for BBC Radio 3
Folk on Foot – Potholder Productions Ltd
Intersections: Los Angeles – Rethink Audio Ltd
Sonic Fields – Freelance Sam Tyler
Soul Music – BBC Audio Bristol for BBC Radio 4
The Lost Archives of James Baldwin – Sea Salt and Mango
Best Host(s)
Angela Hartnett and Nick Grimshaw – Cold Glass Productions
Dan Snow – History Hit
David Tennant – Sony Music Entertainment & No Mystery
Femi Oke – Audible
Helen Pidd – The Guardian
Louis Theroux – Mindhouse Productions in collaboration with Spotify
Luke Jones – Audio Always
Zak and Jules – Prison Radio Association
Business
Grounded: A Climate Startup Journey – Restord
Money Talks – The Economist
The Daybreak Europe Podcast – Bloomberg
The Factory Next Door – The Factory Next Door
The Third Angle – 18Sixty Ltd
The Times Tech Podcast – The Times
Wedding Pros Who are Ready to Grow – BeccaPountney.com
Comedy
Elis James and John Robins – Audio Always for BBC Radio 5 Live
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake – Sony Music Entertainment
Sound Heap – Lead Mojo
The Skewer – An Unusual production for BBC Radio 4
This Paranormal Life – R&K Media
Help I Sexted My Boss – Audio Always
Daily
Newscast – BBC News
The Daybreak Europe Podcast – Bloomberg
The Intelligence/The Weekend Intelligence – The Economist
The News Agents – Global
The Story – The Times and The Sunday Times
Today in Focus – The Guardian
Yoto Daily – Yoto
Documentary
Cursed – Audible
Dead Man Running -A BBC Scotland production for BBC Sounds
Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion –  BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring – The Citizens
Stalked – BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live
The Trapped – ITN
Education
Fun Kids Science Weekly – Fun Kids
Hold Or Fold – Prison Radio Association
LSE iQ – London School of Economics and Political Science
What’s Your Map? with Jerry Brotton – Whistledown Productions
Entertainment
Elis James and John Robins – Audio Always for BBC Radio 5 Live
Help I Sexted My Boss – Audio Always
Inbetween Man – Improvise Event Limited
The Guilty Feminist – The Spontaneity Shop Enterprises
The Traitors: Uncloaked – Platform Media/Listen for BBC Sounds
This Paranormal Life – R&K Media
Vogue & Amber – Global
Factual
Babbage – The Economist
Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma – Change Grow Live (ReNew)
Beyond Five Senses – Kinda Studios
In Dark Corners series 2 – BBC Audio Scotland for Radio 4
Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring – The Citizens
The Coming Storm (series 2) – BBC Long Form Audio production for BBC Radio 4.
Waterlands – 18Sixty
Fiction
Broken Veil – Cheese & Pickle Productions
COLD TAPES – Free Turn & Wondery
Limelight: Discretion – Hat Trick Productions for BBC Radio 4
Last Dance – Blackabbey Productions
Limelight: Money Gone – Naked Productions for BBC Radio 4
The Mysterious Affair at Styles – A Poirot Mystery’ – Audible
Limelight: The Skies Are Watching – Goldhawk Productions for BBC Radio 4
This Paranormal Life – R&K Media
Health & Wellbeing
Echoes of Harm – WeissComm Partners
Hack your Body, Heal your Mind – Audible
Inbetween Man – Improvise Event
Jon Holmes Says The C Word –  An unusual production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
My life with dementia – Dementia UK
Why Mums Don’t Jump – Helen Ledwick
History
Assume Nothing: Killer Dust – BBC NI for BBC Radio 4
Sing it Pink – Aunt Nell
The Guernsey Deportees – OG Podcasts
The History Podcast – The Brighton Bomb – Walk on Air Films for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
The Spy Who – Wondery
Titanic: Ship of Dreams – Noiser
Weird in the Wade – Weird in the Wade
Impact
A Slice of Bread and Butter – The Bread and Butter Thing
Movers & Shakers: a podcast about life with Parkinson’s – RCJ Media
Oceans: Life Under Water – Crowd Network
On the Side of Humanity – Amnesty International
QueerAF – QueerAF CIC
The Culture Colonel – BFBS
Shadow World: The Willpower Detectives – BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
Interview
Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma – Change Grow Live (ReNew)
Everything I Know About Me – DMG Podcasts
OUTCAST WORLD – 7th Planet Media Services
The Hidden 20% – The Hidden 20%
The Louis Theroux Podcast – Mindhouse Productions in collaboration with Spotify
The News Agents – Special episode: Inside the murky world of Facebook – Global
Widowed AF – WIDOWED AF
Kids
Checkpoint Kids Bedtime Stories – Magdoos Media
Evie Asks… How Are You? – Audio Always
The Conversation’s Curious Kids – The Conversation UK
The Hey Duggee Pupcast – Chalk and Blade for Cbeebies and BBC Sounds
The Reading Cafe – The Reading Cafe
Yoto Daily – Yoto
Lifestyle
Beyond Five Senses – Kinda Studios
Brown Girls Do It Too: Big Boy Energy – A BBC Radio 5 Live commission for BBC Sounds
DNA Trail: The Promise – BBC Local Audio for BBC Sounds
Life After Prison – Prison Radio Association
Melting Pot – BBC Audio North for BBC Sounds Audio Lab
Not Even Water – BBC Asian Network
This Is Powerful – Sound & Bones
Network or Publisher
BBC World Service
Fun Kids
Global
History Hit
Prison Radio Association
Sony Music Entertainment
Wondery
New Podcast
Because the Boss Belongs to Us – Molten Heart
Hold Or Fold – Prison Radio Association
Inbetween Man – Improvise Event
Journeys with Grace – Journeys with Grace
RadioTherapy – RadioTherapy
Strangers on a Bench – The Pleasant Trees
Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris – RobWords
News & Current Affairs
Business Daily – BBC News
Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion –  BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
Newscast – BBC News
Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring – The Citizens
The BelTel – Mediahuis UK
The Coming Storm (series 2) – BBC Long Form Audio production for BBC Radio 4.
Who Killed Emma? – BBC Scotland for BBC Sounds
Parenting
Dear Daughter – BBC World Service
Happy Mum Happy Baby – Pixiu Productions
How To Feed with Charlotte Stirling-Reed – Pod60
Momfessions – Mind Mommy Coaching
Secret Mum Club with Sophiena – Audio Always
Still Parents Podcast – Lily Mae Foundation
The Apple & The Tree – DMG Podcasts
Two New Mums – Venny
Rising Star (sponsored by Secret Media Network)
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty – BBC News and BBC Sounds
Clodagh Stenson – BBC Local for BBC Sounds
Marnie Duke – Transmission Roundhouse
Mia Thornton – BBC Audio Labs
Toni Tone – Audio Always
Sex & Relationships
A Gay And A Nongay – A Gay And A Nongay
All Out with Jon Dean – GIMME VIDEO
Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7 – A Reduced Listening production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab
Sex in Space – String Theory
The Affair… with Anna Williamson – Curve Mesia
The Divorce Podcast – E-Negotiation
Sport
F1 Explains – Formula 1
For The Love Of Rugby – Crowd Network
How To Be Superhuman – Podcast Discovery
Paula’s Marathon Run Club – Viral Tribe Entertainment
The Game – The Times and Sunday Times
The Sports Agents – Global
The Upshot – Footwork Media
True Crime
Beyond Suspision – Audible
Cocaine Inc. – The Times and The Sunday Times
Dead Man Running – A BBC Scotland production for BBC Sounds
Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpion –  BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
Kill List – Wondery
Assume Nothing: Murder at the Stables – BBC NI
Shadow World: Thief at the British Museum –  – BBC News Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4
Stalked – BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds and 5 Live
Video Innovation – sponsored by Canon
Access All: Disability News and Mental Health – BBC
Help I Sexted My Boss – Audio Always
Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley – StoryHunter for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
Miss Me? – A Persephonica production for BBC Sounds
Radio Atlas – Radio Atlas
Staying Relevant – Staying Relevant Productions
Welsh Language
Lleisiau Cymru: 1 Mewn 2 – BBC Radio Cymru
Sgwrsio – Sgwrsio
Siarad Siop efo Mari a Meilir – Meilir Rhys Williams
Yr Hen Iaith – Podlediad Yr Hen Iaith

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Aberdeen’s Original 106 was live from the city’s harbour last weekend to cover The Tall Ships Races where 400,000 people were expected to visit.

Broadcasting from land, sea, and helicopter, the station covered the moment the first vessels arrived on Friday, and there were outside broadcasts live from the quayside on Saturday and again on Tuesday.
The coverage ended on Tuesday morning with Claire & Pete’s breakfast show live from the docks, as the ships prepared to depart for the next leg of the race to Norway.
Craig Lumsden, Programme Controller at Original 106, who coordinated and produced the live coverage, said: “This was a huge technical undertaking — covering an event of this scale across multiple platforms and locations with relatively limited resources.
“But the team rose to the challenge and pulled it off seamlessly. I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved.”

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