UK

Jaz Singh will host a new BBC Asian Network afternoon programme starting Monday 1 September.
The show will air Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 6pm and marks Jaz’s first full-time radio presenting role. He became known to audiences as a finalist on BBC TV’s The Traitors before covering various Asian Network shows and presenting Asian Network Motivation. He has also fronted a documentary on BBC Radio 4.
Jaz said: “As a finalist on BBC The Traitors to now hosting my own live radio show with BBC Asian Network, I’m beyond grateful to the people that are putting their trust and time into me because this is a dream.”
Also joining the line-up is Harleen Nottay, who will present The Everyday Hustle every Monday at 6am. Harleen, an award-winning presenter and reporter from Scotland, has worked on the BAFTA-winning Scam Interceptors, Channel 4’s The £12 Million Rental Scam: UNTOLD and BBC One’s Morning Live. Her new show will share tips and stories on business and entrepreneurship within British Asian communities.
Midlands duo Kades and Mr.O will take over the Friday night 9pm to midnight slot from DJ Limelight, who will continue to present the *New Music Show* every Wednesday at 8pm. Mr.O has over 15 years of DJ experience and has appeared on Asian Network since early this year, while Kades has built a large online following for her remixes and genre-blending edits.
DJ Limelight said: “I’ve enjoyed over 18 years of doing weekend evening radio here on BBC Asian Network and feel now is a good time for me to move on and pass the weekend baton onto the next DJ.”
Kades and Mr.O said: “We’re so excited to be joining the Asian Network family and can’t wait to bring our energy to Friday nights.”
Head of Asian Network Ahmed Hussain said the changes reflect the station’s commitment to celebrating British Asian voices and music culture, while bringing in talent from across the UK.
The schedule changes follow the station’s move to Birmingham in April this year as part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy.

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Ken Bruce has broadcast his show from the Edinburgh Fringe today and will do so again tomorrow.

His mid-morning Greatest Hits Radio show is live from Underbelly George Square featuring guests including comedians Alan Davies, Jason Byrne and EastEnders actress Michelle Collins.
He’ll also be chatting to Paul Merton and Suki Webster and stopping for PopMaster at 10.30am as usual.
Ken said: “Although my heart will forever belong to Glasgow, I’m always delighted for an excuse to pop back to my second favourite Scottish city -especially at such an exciting time.
“It truly feels as if Edinburgh is the place to be this weekend and I’m thrilled to be able to bring a little flavour of that to Greatest Hits Radio listeners.”
Rossie will also be broadcasting is Breakfast Show from the city next week, joined by Nina Conti and more Festival guests.

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Bronwen Lewis is taking over the weekday morning show on BBC Radio Wales this autumn following the departure of Wynne Evans.
The news was announced live on-air today during Behnaz Akhgar’s Afternoon Show, where Bronwen joined her in the Cardiff studio to share the update.
Bronwen, who currently presents a weekly Country Music show and Sunday mornings on the station, will become the new voice of mid-mornings from Central Square in Cardiff.
She told listeners: “All I want with this new show is for people to turn on the radio and go ‘That’s my mate Bron’. I love knowing the listeners like family and sharing in their life moments.”
The singer, musician and presenter from the Dulais Valley first found a national audience on The Voice in 2013 and has gone on to star in the film Pride, release her own album, and tour with Max Boyce. During lockdown, she performed more than 45 virtual gigs from her home and gained a large following for her Welsh-language pop covers online.
She said: “BBC Radio Wales has been part of my life for as long as I can remember… it’s honestly a dream come true.”
Bronwen’s mid-morning programme will be built around music, conversations with guests and what she calls “the usual serving of silliness”. She will continue to host her Wednesday night Country Music show.
Meanwhile, Robin Morgan is joining the weekend line-up with a new show airing Sundays from midday until 3pm. Already known to listeners as the host of *What Just Happened?*, Robin said: “It’s going to be three hours of fun and games, great music and big laughs.”
Radio Wales Editor Carolyn Hitt said Bronwen “embodies all that Radio Wales is about” and praised her ability to connect across generations. She added: “We’re also delighted to welcome Robin Morgan… as we embark on this exciting new chapter.”
Bronwen joined the station in 2023 and was named Best New Presenter at this year’s ARIAS.

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Heart Scotland is refreshing its Breakfast Show with a new trio of presenters from next Monday 11 August.
Des Clarke will be joined by Adele Cunningham and Grado to front Heart Scotland Breakfast with Des Clarke, Adele & Grado, airing live from 6:30am to 10:00am each weekday.
The show will broadcast from Global’s studios on West Regent Street in Glasgow.
Adele returns to Heart following previous stints with the brand and across Scottish radio, including Real Radio and Clyde 1. Grado, best known for his work in wrestling and comedy, will take on a full-time breakfast role for the first time.
Des has been presenting Heart Scotland Breakfast since last year and says the new team promises “fun on air” and “a lot of mischief in the studio”.
Adele said she was “delighted to be joining the madness”, while Grado added: “Get ready Scotland! We’re going to bring you the biggest and best tunes, celebrity interviews and laughs!”
Andy Everett, Managing Editor for Scotland & Wales at Global, said: “The three of them together are pure dynamite. Just what our listeners need to start the day right.”
The new show launches on Monday 11 August at 6:30am on Heart Scotland.

Des Clarke took over the Heart Scotland Breakfast Show in 2023, following a long broadcasting career including Capital Scotland and BBC Radio Scotland.
Adele Cunningham previously worked at Real Radio, Clyde 1, and Heart, and was part of the original launch team of Heart Scotland.
Grado is a Scottish professional wrestler, actor and radio host known for his appearances in BBC Scotland’s *Scot Squad* and *Two Doors Down*.
The show replaces the current Breakfast format with Des Clarke and pJennifer Reoch.

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BBC Local Radio is handing the airwaves to farmers across England this Thursday as part of a full-day farming special for BBC Farmwatch.

The initiative will run for 24 hours across all 39 BBC Local Radio stations, highlighting the people, stories and challenges behind British farming today.
From sunrise milking to late-night harvesting, the broadcasts will give listeners a first-hand account of life on the land, featuring stories from every corner of the country.
Special programming will be led by Harriet Cowan, known for her work on Clarkson’s Farm, and The Great British Bake Off’s Mike Wilkins. Together they’ll host a live show on each BBC Local Radio station, sharing updates and speaking with farmers working in fields, barns and dairies.
One of the highlights will be ‘Combine-Cam’ – a live video feed from a combine harvester allowing audiences to follow the harvest in real-time and interact with the farmers mid-field.
Features will include:
* Jo Lawrence in Herefordshire, who took over her family’s 200-acre farm aged just 17 and now manages more than 1,500 sheep and cattle.* A look into the impact of farm fires in the East and West Midlands.* A profile of a fifth-generation wool farmer in County Durham.* A 12-hour live outside broadcast from a Somerset farm that also makes gelato.
Chris Burns, Head of Local Audio Commissioning at the BBC, said: “Farming communities are the lifeblood of this country and we’re proud that BBC Local can once again bring their real stories to our audiences.”
Farmwatch will also extend to BBC Sounds, BBC News, and even make its way into The Archers on BBC Radio 4, where characters in Ambridge will be shown tuning into their local Farmwatch broadcast.
BBC Farmwatch starts Thursday 7 August on all BBC Local Radio stations and on BBC Sounds.

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When it comes to entertainment, we’re all faced with a myriad of choices, writes Michael Ireland, Radiocentre Director of External Affairs.
Every day we make countless conscious (and subconscious) decisions based on a huge array of factors and external influences. Yet there’s still something special about the unique connection a listener has with their favourite radio station. That live human connection and companionship is an enduring element that cannot be replicated by an algorithm.
While most listeners intuitively grasp the reasons why they tune in again and again, they aren’t necessarily aware of the significant public value that the commercial radio sector provides. In order to shine a light on this, Radiocentre’s new Commercial Radio: A Force for Good report highlights the number of ways commercial stations all over the country provide remarkable public value to audiences. 
One person who really does recognise the vital role played by commercial radio is Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport. As we launched our new report, she remarked that “stations have unique connections with their listeners, drive economic growth in our creative economy, and provide advertisers with trusted environments for their campaigns.” 
The Culture Secretary is absolutely right and underpinning these positive attributes is trust. When we asked them, almost two thirds of listeners told us they are concerned about the amount of misleading or false information presented as news on other channels, particularly social media. Radio stands out as the most trusted of all media channels, with 69% of our listeners trusting its news to be factual and true, compared to just 27% for social media. 
Crucially, at a time when news avoidance is on the rise, radio’s appeal as a news source has actually grown – 40% of respondents to our study reported relying more on radio for news and current affairs than they did in the past and it’s even more pronounced for younger (16-34 year olds) listeners.
Trust in radio isn’t just valued by listeners – it is also paramount for advertisers seeking brand safe environments for their campaigns. The fact that radio content is regulated to prevent harm and offence provides reassurance for advertisers, while Radiocentre’s dedicated clearance team also do their part by ensuring that scripts comply with the latest content rules and standards before ads go to air. 
Regular commercial radio listeners will also recognise the important ways throughout the year that stations support charity initiatives. Whether that’s donating valuable airtime to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) campaigns or raising money directly for good causes that support local communities, broadcasters help to raise millions of pounds every year.  
Alongside this positive charitable impact, the industry makes an important contribution to the wider economy, supporting over 12,000 jobs. Revenues also remain strong at £737m last year. This is all part of a great success story for our sector, yet challenges undoubtedly lie ahead – listening habits continue to evolve, discussions on BBC Charter review are set to begin later this year and new powers supporting the radio sector that stem from the Media Act have still yet to be implemented. 
Given this background it is especially important to provide policy makers with a reminder of the enduring public value role of commercial radio and audio. This evidence enables us to make an even more compelling case with both government and Ofcom to ensure that the operating framework remains relevant. This will help secure the future of commercial radio, allowing broadcasters to continue to deliver for audiences and remain a force for good across the UK. 

Download Commercial Radio: A Force for Good here. A summary version of the report is here.

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