UK

Barking Riverside’s Emerge East festival will see Capital XTRA Breakfast presenters Shayna Marie and Robert Bruce as headline guests.

Shayna Marie will close the event with a headline DJ set on the brand-new Barking Riverside Block Party stage, while her co-host Robert Bruce, who is from East London, will host the stage throughout the day.
Shayna Marie said: “I’m so excited to be the first headliner at Emerge East’s new Barking Riverside Block Party this year, and even more grateful to be joining my Capital XTRA co-host Robert on stage.
“Coming from West London, it’ll be amazing to feel the energy of this emerging, East London neighbourhood. Music is all about connection, and I can’t wait to share that feeling with the crowd.”
The free one-day festival takes place this Saturday, 6th September and combines live music with food, art, wellbeing and family activities. Each year it attracts thousands of visitors to celebrate creativity, community and nature in East London.
Sarah McCready, Director of Social Infrastructure at Barking Riverside Limited, said: “We’re pleased to announce the talented Shayna Marie and Robert Bruce as our headliners this year.
“It feels extra special to welcome Robert back to his East London roots, and to have Shayna bring her incredible festival experience to Barking Riverside.”

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Nation Radio Yorkshire and Hull Trains have partnered to celebrate Coldplay’s arrival in the city with the launch of the train operators new ‘Speed of Sound’ service.

The search for East Yorkshire’s biggest Coldplay fans was run on Alex Duffy’s Breakfast Show, where Sarah from Hull, who has seen the band three times, and Toni from Beverley, who missed out on tickets, were chosen.
Both winners officially launched the new ‘Speed of Sound’ train, which features a design inspired by the band. The event included a live performance from fifty singers of Hull’s All For One Choir, who performed some of Coldplay’s most popular songs to mark the occasion.
Alex Duffy said: “This is what I love about radio and why being local still has so much value. When the biggest band in the world turn up on your doorstep and the local train company want to team up to give a money-can’t-buy experience to two superfans I was super pleased we could help make it happen.”
Louise Mendham, Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, added: “When we heard the news that Coldplay had decided to perform in our city, we knew this was something really worth celebrating. I’d like to thank our Coldplay mega-fans Sarah and Toni for helping us launch our new ‘Speed of Sound’ service in style, along with Nation Radio and the All For One Choir.”

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Your Media Group has confirmed the appointment of two new directors as part of a management restructure.

Following the recent majority shareholding acquisition, Adam Daniel has been named Managing Director, with Ben Groom appointed as Content Director and James Landes as Commercial Director. Both Ben and James have also acquired shares in the business and will join the board of directors.
Ben has been with Your Harrogate for five years, managing digital content and social media, and played a central role in launching Your Ilkley and Your Skipton after their acquisition in 2023. Before joining the group, he worked at Stray FM and became Content Manager at Your Harrogate in 2020.
He said: “We have an amazing team at Your Media Group, both on and off air, and I’m honoured to take on this new role to help keep us moving forward.”
Adam Daniel added: “Ben has been on this journey from the very beginning, and this is truly well deserved. He has been instrumental in driving the growth of our audience, not only on-air but also online.”
James has worked at Your Harrogate for nearly four years as Sales Manager and previously held sales roles at Stray FM and Bauer Media.
He said: “It’s incredible to work with a fantastic team, brilliant presenters and amazing local businesses. It’s also a really exciting time for the business and I can’t wait to get cracking on this new chapter.”
Adam said James’ appointment as Commercial Director followed three record revenue months for the group, describing it as a timely move to help drive future growth.

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The Community Media Association is running three free online sessions in to help stations apply for this year’s Community Radio Fund.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has increased the fund to £900,000 for 2025-26, but there will only be one round of applications instead of the usual two. With demand expected to be high, the CMA says it is vital that applications are as strong as possible.
Each session will feature Mark Jones, Chair of the Community Radio Fund Panel, who will share advice on what applicants should consider.
CMA Treasurer Richard Hilton, a former panel member, will guide participants through the application process and highlight common pitfalls, including areas where supporting documentation is often incomplete. A recently successful station is also expected to join, offering practical tips from experience.
The sessions are open to all, not just CMA members, and will run on Saturday 13th September at 10am, Wednesday 17th September at 7pm, and Monday 22nd September at 7pm. Each will cover the same material, so attendees only need to join once.
The events are free to attend thanks to support from PPL, and registration is available through the CMA Eventbrite page.

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Classic FM will broadcast The Honours of Scotland Concert from Balmoral Castle this Friday, 5th September at 7pm.

The concert was recorded last week, and features works originally performed at the Honours of Scotland National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication in July 2023.
Presented by Alan Titchmarsh, the hour-long programme brings together musicians from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, of which The King is Patron, alongside leading Scottish performers.
The line-up includes mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, the Ayoub Sisters, accordionist Ryan Corbett, and fiddler Raemond Jappy, performing music inspired by Scotland’s landscapes, history, and poetry.
The concert opens with Hamish MacCunn’s By the Burnside and includes works by contemporary composers such as Jay Capperauld and Joanna Gill, as well as pieces rooted in folk traditions. It concludes with Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia and Paul Mealor’s The Call of Lochnagar, first heard during the 2023 Honours of Scotland Service.
Alan Titchmarsh said: “This concert is such a special evening, in one of Scotland’s most historic rooms, filled with music that speaks to the heart and soul of the nation.
“To hear such extraordinary talent gathered in Balmoral’s Ballroom in the Presence of The King and Queen was a privilege, and I’m delighted that Classic FM listeners across the UK will be able to share in it too.”

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Ofcom has opened applications for the Community Radio Fund 2025-26, which supports the sustainability of community radio stations across the UK.

The fund, managed by Ofcom and allocated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, totals £901,742 this year, made up of £900,000 in new funding and £1,742 in returned funds.
It is open to not-for-profit stations broadcasting on AM, FM, or under a Community Digital Sound Programme licence on a digital multiplex.
Unlike previous years, there will be one round of funding instead of two, following a significant increase in the amount available. Ofcom says this change will give applicants more time to prepare and help the process run more efficiently.
Community stations are encouraged to review the guidance notes before applying, which are available on Ofcom’s Community Radio Fund webpage.
Applications close at 5pm on 5th October, with the Community Radio Fund Panel expected to meet in early January 2026 to make decisions.
The scheme has been running since 2005 and continues to provide vital financial support for community stations, helping them to deliver local content and social benefits to the audiences they serve.

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