UK

Mishal Husain is departing the BBC in the new year to become Editor-at-Large on Bloomberg Weekend Edition.
She has been a presenter on the Today programme for the last eleven years and hosts The Today Debate, as well as the recent BBC UK general election debates.
In her new job, Mishal will host a brand new flagship multi-platform global interview series, to be launched with audio, video and in digital, as a central feature of Bloomberg’s recently launched weekend offering.
Mishal will also work on other editorial projects for the global news brand.
Before joining Today in 2013, Mishal was an anchor on BBC World News and has also been a familiar face to UK audiences on the main national news programmes.
She was previously based in Washington and Singapore as an anchor for the BBC.
Mishal joins Bloomberg in early 2025 and will be working exclusively for the news brand, based in Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London and reporting into Katherine Bell, Executive Editor of Bloomberg Weekend Edition.
Quotes
Mishal Husain says: “My time at the BBC has involved many memorable moments, going to places I would never otherwise have seen, witnessing history and being part of live, national conversation on Radio 4.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunities the BBC gave me, and wish the organisation and everyone who is part of it the very best.”
Editor of Today, Owenna Griffiths, says: “Mishal is not only a formidable journalist and first-rate presenter, she is an extremely generous and thoughtful colleague. It has been my great privilege to work alongside her and, along with the Today team, I’ll miss her enormously but wish her all the very best in her new venture.”
CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness says: “Mishal leaves the BBC with an incredible journalistic legacy. After more than a decade on the Today programme she is going with our gratitude and affection and we wish her the best of luck in her new chapter. I very much hope the BBC and Mishal will get the chance to work together again one day.”
Director of Speech and Controller of BBC Radio 4 Mohit Bakaya says: “Mishal’s calm, yet forensic, interviewing style has been one of the standout features of her time on the Today programme. She is a brilliant journalist with a broad intellectual hinterland. Radio 4 listeners have been waking up to her warm and trusted voice for more than a decade and we respect her decision to set the alarm clock to a different hour. She’ll be greatly missed, but we wish her all the best with what comes next.”
David Merritt, Head of Media Editorial, Bloomberg said: ‘Mishal is one of the UK’s preeminent news broadcasters and journalists and she is recognised globally for her incisive but fair interview style. Mishal started her career in television at Bloomberg, and we are delighted to welcome her back for an exciting new global chapter’.

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York Hospital Radio can now be heard on DAB across the York area.
It’s the first time since the station launched in 1964 that it will be heard outside of the hospital enviroment.
Chair of York Hospital Radio, Ian Clennan, explained: “In our 60th anniversary year, it is very exciting that we can now be heard across the city on DAB.
“This of course means that more people than ever can now hear our shows, and we can offer much better coverage for our listeners. We are now available on most car radios, for example, and of course on DAB at home, or in care facilities across York.
“We work hard to provide a service for hospitals, and to aid health and wellbeing, and being on DAB is a big step forward.”
Dave Parker, Operations Director with YO1 Radio, who are majority owners of the transmission network, said: “We are delighted to welcome York Hospital Radio to our York Digital Radio Multiplex.
“They provide a fantastic, dedicated service to patients at our local hospital, and it seems very appropriate in their 60th year to be able to enhance their service and provide patients with an additional way of listening. We wish them all the best and look forward to continuing to support York Hospital Radio going forward.”

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BBC Radio 2 has lined up Mariah Carey to host a special radio show on Christmas Day.

The singer makes her radio presenting debut, hosting an hour-long festive show to mark the 30th anniversary of the most-streamed Christmas song of all-time, Mariah’s All I Want For Christmas Is You.
The programme will air from 7pm till 8pm and features Mariah’s personally curated playlist and includes Christmas classics old and new from the artists who have inspired her, including Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole, Whitney Houston, The Jackson Five and Destiny’s Child.
The station says: “This is an hour of the most soulful festive music, perfect for getting you into the spirit of the season and brought to you by the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey.”
Mariah also takes the opportunity to thank her fans for continuing to make new memories to her Christmas smash-hit.
She tells listeners: “I can’t wait to spend Christmas with you on BBC Radio 2.
“I hope you are feeling warm and cosy and having your own Holly Jolly Christmas. I would like to thank all of my fans in the UK and around the world for continuing to make special memories with All I Want For Christmas Is You, it really means the world to me.”

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The National Union of Journalists has reiterated its concern over the BBC’s proposals to launch two new digital radio stations including an extension to BBC Radio 2.

In July, the union welcomed Ofcom’s delay of the spin-off station, recognising it could have an adverse impact on competition.
However, revised plans have been referred again to Ofcom, following approval by the broadcaster’s board. The BBC states it has redeveloped plans considering consultation responses but alarmingly, denies cuts to local services have taken place.
The NUJ strongly refutes this claim, noting a third of the BBC’s uniquely local output has been curtailed.
The NUJ’s ‘Keep BBC Local Radio Local’ campaign attracted cross-parliamentary support and wide-ranging audiences stressed the importance of relevant and accessible news and entertainment through local radio.
The union believes funding by licence-fee payers should be focused on producing creative, unique content that cannot be easily replicated by commercial outlets. New music based services proposed follow a decimation of BBC local radio stations, resulting in job losses and limited resources for remaining journalists.
The union is therefore unclear how the BBC will implement plans to work in partnership with local radio stations when teams have been so heavily reduced in brutal cuts.
The BBC aims to attract an older audience in the radio station spin-off, with a commitment to playing a range of music from the 50s to 70s, but the union believes the target audience can be found among listeners of local radio, where attention must be redirected.
Laura Davison, NUJ National Organiser, said: “Journalists are still feeling the effects of drastic cuts to local radio made by the BBC, and the pursuit of new stations despite concerns raised on their value for money will come as a surprise to our members. In its revised plans the BBC says the changes to its English Local Radio services were not cuts but a rebalancing of resource from radio to online. Digital content cannot replicate the unique relationship radio has with local audiences and we urge a reversal of proposals and an end to obfuscation about the clear cuts to local radio that have taken place.
“We have not been engaged in consultation on the creation of any jobs under these new proposals and have unanswered questions about why the BBC is seeking to pursue this plan in the face of opposition. The company should instead focus its attention on investment in local radio stations valued by communities.”

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has backed Mission Christmas saying that families and children will have a ‘better Christmas because of it.’

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio reporter Olivia Davies on a recent visit to North Wales, the Labour leader when asked about Mission Christmas said: ‘Campaigns such as Mission Christmas are so important – and I’d like to thank everyone involved in it not just this year but every year.
“There will be lots of families and children in particular who will have a better Christmas, a brilliant Christmas, because of it.’
Mission Christmas is supported by Bauer radio stations including Hits Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Magic Radio and Absolute Radio.
In 2023 Mission Christmas collected over £17.4 million (£17,414,065) in gifts and cash donations, which were used to make sure that 290,604 children and young people had presents to open on Christmas Day.
Cash for Kids works with thousands of grass-root organisations across the UK who support disadvantaged children. Throughout the Mission Christmas campaign, these organisations along with social workers, head teachers and the emergency services nominate families in crisis to be supported by the appeal, highlighting their age, gender and any special needs.
See more at cashforkids.org.uk.

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Radio News Hub has hired Ricky Durkin as Head of Content and Dave McMullan as News Editor.
Former Programme Director at Real Radio Yorkshire and Heart Yorkshire Ricky Durkin will join the team in January from BFBS Radio.
Dave McMullan will join in November as News Editor. He has most recently been running the newsroom at BBC Asian Sounds, and prior to that produced the Radio 4 Today Programme as well as roles at Sky News and GMG.
Ricky Durkin said: “I’ve followed Radio News Hub since the very beginning, and it’s grown into an exciting, dynamic company. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in; being part of the team and helping it to grow even more!”
Dave McMullan said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Radio News Hub at such an exciting time in its growth. With its new state of the art premises in Leeds, it’s got an ambitious team of journalists eager to tell stories and explain a complicated world to a diverse group of stations worldwide.
“It couldn’t be a better time to return to my first love, commercial radio.”
RNH Directors Stephanie Otty and Jamie Fletcher said: “Ricky and Dave bring a wealth of experience to the team and their appointment is reflective of our growth ambitions. We cannot wait to have them both on board.”
The timing of the new appointments follows the opening of the new Sassy+ studio space in the centre of Leeds.
On June 1st this year, Sassy Create, RNH and Through the I came together to form Sassy+. With offices in London, Elstree and Leeds, the company employs more than 80 members of staff.
Sassy+’s partnership portfolio includes Audible, LinkedIn, ABB, Aston Martin, JLR, Disney, Universal, Paramount Pictures, TikTok, Boots and more.

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