Articles by radionewsfeeds

The Commercial Radio News Awards 2026 in association with IRN and Sky News are now welcoming submissions from newsrooms across the UK.

The awards celebrate journalism, production and presentation at a time when millions continue to rely on commercial radio for trusted news and sport.
This year introduces two new entry opportunities. Teams operating within a wider news hub but serving stations with a combined TSA below 1.5 million can now enter the smaller team category. Students not enrolled on a BJTC course are also eligible to enter the student category for the first time.
Entries are open at irnawards.co.uk, where full details and criteria for all thirteen categories are available. Categories include News Team of the Year for hubs or stations above and below 1.5 million TSA, Best News Story or Coverage, Best News Special, three Reporter of the Year awards, two Newsreader of the Year awards, Best Interview, Best Sports Coverage, Newcomer of the Year and Student Journalist of the Year.
The deadline for entries is Thursday 15 January 2026 at 5pm. The ceremony will take place on Thursday 26 March 2026 at Sky.
As in previous years, the IRN Gold Award will also be presented to recognise an individual’s outstanding contribution to news or sport in UK commercial radio. This category is not open for entry, but suggestions can be emailed to irnawards@me.com.
IRN Editor and Chair of Judges Dave Terris said the awards highlight the standard of reporting heard throughout the sector and encouraged journalists to review their best work from the past year.

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Four decades after first sharing a studio, the original “Wotnotters” from Essex Radio’s Saturday Wotnot programme have reunited for the first time since 1985.
The Saturday morning children’s show, presented by Tim Lloyd – known on air as Timbo – and his presenter wife Lindsey King, ran in the early 1980s and featured four young co-hosts keen to break into broadcasting: Pete Sipple, Shelley Coleman, Chris Farrell and Mike Toolan.
The group became a familiar part of the station’s output during a period when Essex Radio held a significant presence in the county.
Timbo’s profile at the time extended well beyond the studio. His roadshows regularly drew large crowds, his late-night programme enjoyed strong youth listenership, and a Chinese restaurant named after him continues to operate today. The Wotnotters were also widely recognised, appearing at local events including talent competitions and community fetes.
For Chris Farrell and Pete Sipple, the experience proved career-shaping and led both into long-term broadcasting roles.
The four had not been together since leaving the show in 1985, but that changed yesterday when they met for a reunion organised largely by Chris. The group gathered for an extended lunch in Covent Garden, spending much of the afternoon recalling early studio equipment, station libraries and the production methods of the era, including tape, carts and the high cost of jingle packages in the 1980s.
The reunion marked a milestone for a team whose first steps in radio created lasting careers and strong memories of a notable period in Essex broadcasting history.

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Listeners to Global’s latest purchase, Riviera Radio, are being invited to Turn Up The Feel Good as it gets a new brand identity similar to Heart.

The station, which serves the international English-speaking community on the French Riviera, has introduced a new logo, website and mobile app, alongside changes to its music output, jingles/imaging and presenter line-up.
The relaunch follows Riviera Radio’s move into the Global family.
Despite the updates to its sound and presentation, the station says its core focus remains unchanged, continuing to deliver local news in English and provide a connection point for residents and visitors across the Côte d’Azur.
The new website and app offer an expanded range of content including podcasts and on-demand features, while the refreshed schedule brings additional voices to the on-air team.
Presenters include Global hosts Ant Payne, Pandora, Matt Wilkinson, James Bassam and Tom Watts, along with established presenter Sarah Lycett on Breakfast.

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STV Radio’s new breakfast show has secured its inaugural sponsor ahead of the station’s launch early this year.

CR Smith will support Ewen and Cat at Breakfast, hosted by Ewen Cameron and Cat Harvey, with new on-air creative due to be unveiled in the coming months.
The partnership extends a commercial relationship spanning more than four decades, with the home improvement company becoming the exclusive sponsor of the programme. The breakfast show will offer a mix of chat, music, competitions and guest interviews, alongside regular listener involvement. Activity linked to the deal will run across STV Radio, STV and the broadcaster’s social media platforms, with production handled by STV Creative.
CR Smith also sponsors The STV Radio Football Show, a weekly podcast fronted by Ewen and STV sports journalist Ronnie Charters, released every Monday on STV Player, YouTube and major podcast platforms.
Gareth McCluskey, Sales and Marketing Director at CR Smith, said the company is pleased to support the new breakfast programme, adding that its team across Scotland will be tuning in each morning. Danielle Kelly, Commercial Director at STV, described CR Smith as a valued partner and said Ewen and Cat are looking forward to launching the show.
STV Radio will target listeners aged over thirty five and will be available on DAB digital radio, online, smart speaker and STV Player when it goes live early this year. Updates on the launch and programming schedule will be shared through the station’s social channels.
Picture caption: CR Smith’s Sales and Marketing Director Gareth McCluskey met Ewen Cameron and Cat Harvey at STV’s Glasgow headquarters ahead of the launch of the new breakfast show.

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