UK

Ann Marie Miller has retired from Central FM after a career in Scottish radio spanning nearly 24 years.

Ann Marie first joined the Stirling-based station in January 2002 and went on to serve as Station Manager, leading the team through some of its biggest achievements.
Central FM won the Radio Academy Nations and Regions Station of the Year four times under her direction, alongside national recognition for sales and creative campaigns.
Her work included overseeing the 2009 Winter Safe Driving Campaign, which later received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award. Even after stepping down in December 2010, her influence was felt when Central FM won the Sony UK Station of the Year the following year, based on her final year’s performance.
From 2011, Ann Marie worked as Regional Manager for Scotland at Bauer Radio’s Cash for Kids, helping fundraising efforts grow from £1 million to nearly £5 million annually. She returned to Central FM in 2018, helping re-establish the broadcaster as the leading commercial station in the Forth Valley.

Two other well-known voices are also leaving the station. Alan Edwards, who has been Head of Content and Breakfast Host since 2022, is moving on to become a full-time celebrant. Alan is credited with bringing creativity and energy to the station’s programming.
Daytime presenter Tony McQue, who first joined Central FM as a weekend host before taking over the daytime slot in 2018, is leaving to focus on his own business. His programme consistently attracted the highest audience numbers since the station launched in 1990.
The station has thanked Ann Marie, Alan and Tony for their contribution and wished them well for the future.

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BBC Asian Network’s flagship club night, Asian Network Certified, is heading back to Birmingham this year.

The event takes place at XOYO Birmingham on Saturday 15 November from 7pm to midnight, with headline sets from Birmingham’s own DJ and producer Dr Zeus.
The line-up will also feature AJD, Dipps Bhamrah, DJ Limelight, Junglebandi, Kizzi, Manara, MR.O and DJ Kades, Nav Mischief and Ramnik. The night will be hosted by Asian Network presenters Nikita Kanda and Haroon Rashid.
Dr Zeus said: “I’m gassed to be headlining Asian Network Certified in my hometown Birmingham, it’s going to be a massive night! I’m really looking forward to dropping all my bangers from way back when to now and bringing along some surprises on the night.”
Head of Asian Network, Ahmed Hussain, added: “Asian Network Certified has always been about celebrating British Asian identity, culture, and music – and I’m thrilled to bring that energy to Birmingham with another unforgettable event. This year feels especially significant as we settle back into Birmingham with the whole station now broadcasting from here.”
The show will bring a mix of British Asian sounds, UK Garage, Punjabi Hip-Hop, RnB and Bollywood beats. For those unable to attend in person, highlights will be broadcast on BBC Asian Network and BBC Sounds from 6pm on Friday 21 November.
Full details are on the BBC website.

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BBC 5 Live’s Matt Chorley has interviewed Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey while riding the zip line from Bournemouth Pier during his party’s conference in the town.
The conversation is being described as the first, and possibly only, interview to be conducted mid-air above the seafront.
It came as the party’s annual conference brought delegates from across the country to Bournemouth, with debates and speeches taking place at the Bournemouth International Centre.
Ed Davey was seen chatting while gliding along the line, and was asked what he thinks of Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer. His reply? “He’s having a tough time. He needs to help disabled people..”
It follows last year’s interview between the two which took place on a rollercoaster in Brighton.

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An interview about carnivorous plants took over the output of KISSTORY on Monday afternoon after a studio switching error.
The technical issue meant Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude was abruptly interrupted for around 10 minutes with off-air chat and a pre-recorded interview meant for another network.
It happened between 12.30pm and 1pm today, during Marvin Humes’s show, who continued oblivious to the incident afterwards.
Meanwhile, Ellie Prohan, who took over at 1pm, managed to reference the incident at around 1.30pm saying it was due to ‘transition issues’.
Bauer told RadioToday: “Due to a technical issue earlier today, instead of hearing Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude some KISSTORY listeners were treated to an unexpected horticultural chat about carnivorous plants.
“We’re very sorry and steps have been taken to make sure this doesn’t grow into anything else.”

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Community radio operator Churnet Sound has been found in breach of its licence conditions after Ofcom ruled the station failed to deliver key elements of its promised service.

The regulator investigated following a complaint about whether the station was meeting its Key Commitments.
These include focusing on social isolation and rural deprivation, involving local people in running the station, and ensuring accountability to its target community.
Between 19 and 25 May this year, Ofcom found Churnet Sound’s services in Stoke, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Congleton and Leek were broadcasting identical content and not sufficiently addressing its community focus. Although local news bulletins and a “Community Notice Board” were aired, Ofcom said there was limited presenter-led programming engaging directly with the issues of social isolation and rural deprivation.
The station also failed to demonstrate how volunteers could contribute to its management, or how it was accountable to its audience. Ofcom noted plans to create a new volunteer management committee but said no evidence was provided that mechanisms were currently in place.
In addition, Ofcom said Churnet Sound did not supply a programme schedule when requested and initially failed to provide 45 hours of required recordings. Although these were later submitted, the regulator found the delays and missing information meant the station had breached further licence conditions.
Churnet Sound told Ofcom it had faced disruption after alleged sabotage from a former volunteer and confirmed it was working to strengthen compliance, including new recording back-up systems and efforts to recruit more volunteers. It also indicated plans to surrender its licence for Leek and Congleton to focus on serving Stoke and Newcastle-under-Lyme, though no formal request has been received.
Ofcom concluded that the station was in breach of Licence Conditions 2(1), 2(3), 9(2)(b) and 10(1), and said it expected the operator to take immediate steps to rectify the issues.

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Bauer Media Audio UK has announced Rightmove as the first sponsor of Hits Radio’s Saturday morning show with Sam Thompson.

The three-month deal also covers Sam’s Sunday evening UK Chart Show, giving Rightmove a presence across both flagship weekend slots.
As part of the campaign, Hits Radio will run an on-air promotion through September, October and November offering listeners the chance to win cash towards home improvements. The activity is supported by a co-branded online page and short-form video content across Hits Radio’s social platforms.
Sam’s voice features in bespoke 30-second audio trails directing audiences to the creative page, while all campaign assets highlight that listeners can browse the UK’s largest selection of homes on Rightmove.
Simon Kilby, Managing Director of Bauer Advertising, said: “Sam’s gone from King of the Jungle to King of Weekend radio. He’s a Nation’s favourite and has a special bond with the Hits Radio listeners. The new partnership with Rightmove allows us to combine Sam’s personality with Rightmove’s innovative product – delivering impactful audio and original social content.”
Matt Bushby, Chief Marketing Officer at Rightmove, said: “Radio gives us a unique opportunity to reach people in a personal and trusted environment, while Sam’s brilliant energy will bring our brand to life in unexpected and entertaining ways.”
The sponsorship was arranged through WPP Media’s Wavemaker team. Katherine Erskine, Media Lead at Wavemaker, described the partnership as “a strategic move that showcases the continued power of audio in today’s media landscape.”

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