UK

Six radio stations across the UK have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024.
It’s the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and equivalent to an MBE for an organisation.
The stations are Zetland FM, Surrey Hills Community Radio, Somer Valley FM and Switch Radio in England, along with CareSound Radio and Hospital Radio Perth in Scotland.
At Zetland FM in Redcar and Cleveland, station founder, chairman and presenter Jeremy Gartland told RadioToday the award “an incredible honour” and “a tribute to everyone who has been involved with the station since launching in 2015.”
Jeremy said: “For more than nine years, Zetland FM has existed because of the dedication of our amazing team and the loyalty of our listeners, which I always find extremely humbling.
“A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes to provide a radio station which, we hope, local people feel is always there for them.
“To receive The King’s Award For Voluntary Service is an extremely proud moment for all of us at Zetland FM.”

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Radio Maria England has appointed its second president in five years.
Inti Paolucci replaces Charles Wilson who has been at the helm since Radio Maria’s founding in 2019.
Inti’s appointment comes as the station celebrates five years of broadcasting. A Mass of Thanksgiving was held at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich on 23rd October.
The celebration officiated by Bishop Peter Collins was attended by listeners and volunteers from the Norfolk and Suffolks areas. The Lord Mayor of Norwich, Vivien Thomas, joined the attendees at a reception afterwards.
In a message of gratitude to the former president, Inti Paolucci said, “I am deeply thankful for his leadership, vision, and dedication, which have been crucial in establishing Radio Maria England as a beacon of faith and service.”
The new president has been a trustee of Radio Maria since the beginning of the year and is local to the radio station’s studios in north London.
Outgoing president, Charles Wilson, said, “Radio Maria is a powerful tool for evangelisation and a true community effort. It has been entrusted to us so that the Good News may reach all, whether it be via DAB+ radio, our mobile phones, the internet, or a smart speaker.”

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Myles Smith has been announced as the winner of the ‘BBC Introducing Artist of the Year’ Award for 2024.
The award is presented to an artist who has, with the support of BBC Introducing, made a significant impact that year and is on the path to stardom.
Previous winners include Olivia Dean, Arlo Parks, Tom Grennan, Jack Garratt, Nia Archives, Declan McKenna, Celeste and Self Esteem.
At just 26 years old, Luton-born artist Myles Smith is fast becoming one of the most exciting voices in contemporary music and is best known for his song Stargazing.
He said: “That’s made my entire year, that’s incredible. I literally cannot believe I’m BBC Introducing Artist of the Year. It means so much to me to be awarded this award.
Myles was presented with the BBC Introducing Artist of the Year Award by Dean Jackson from BBC Introducing in East Midlands and Kerrie Cosh from BBC Introducing Three Counties & Northants—stations that have been pivotal in Myles’ career, with Dean giving Myles his first-ever radio play, marking the beginning of his relationship with BBC Introducing.

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Tributes are being paid to long-serving radio engineer Bruce Davidson who has died at the age of 60.
Bruce has spent the last ten years working at Bauer Media as Broadcast and Technology Director looking after all the national and radio stations and their broadcast technology teams.
He most recently oversaw the move from Golden Square to The Lantern and was relocating.
Before that, he worked for Global and Chrysalis for 15 years as Group Technical Director then Technology Director leading a team of 80 technology professionals covering the areas of Broadcast Technology, IT & Infrastructure and Business Systems.
He started his radio career in 1987 at Metro Radio Group as Chief Engineer and went on to run SunCity for just over a year.
Bruce recently left Bauer and was taking on consultancy/project work, moving back to his native north east.
A Bauer Media spokesperson told RadioToday: “All at Bauer Media Audio UK are saddened to hear of the passing of Bruce Davidson, a much loved colleague, who led our technology team through a period of growth, consolidation and of course Covid.
“Although retired recently from Bauer, we remember him with fondness and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.”
Giles Squire, who worked with Bruce at Metro, wrote: “I am shocked and saddened by the news that Bruce Davidson died this afternoon. I wrote to Bruce in June of this year telling him all about our party to celebrate Metro Radio almost making it to 50 years. He wrote straight back with these words “It will be great to meet up with old friends. I turned 60 in January and going to move back to the north east. Been a hard slog moving Bauer in London, but now done.”
“It was the last message I received and he wasn’t able to attend our event in September. Andrew Hughes let me know last month that he was in hospital and not at all well. Bruce was an extremely talented engineer who was also great fun and very popular wherever he worked. I send my condolences to family and friends. (In this photo he is in the middle and to the right).
Phil Riley wrote: So saddened to hear that dear Bruce Davidson has died today. I’d known Bruce for over 25 years and was Head of Engineering at Chrysalis Radio when I joined in 1997. He built a studio for my job and it was one of the best and we hit it off immediately. We also went to Philly together in 2005 and worked on Live 8 broadcasts from there with some hilarious stories to tell.
“Since 2018, we worked together at Bauer where we oversaw the transfer of the facility to One Golden Sqaure and recently he led the build of the new state of the art facility in Euston. He ‘retired’ only a few months ago which makes this all the sadder.
“He was one of the good guys, and the technology people who worked under him over the years are all streets ahead of those who didn’t, all leaders in their field today having benefitted from his wisdom and human approach to engineering.
“He was one of those technology bods who was always approachable, would love a challenge and always think of the creative solution for the ears of the listener, and not just the easy answer.
“Bruce – King Of The Wires – RIP you good, good human being.”
Brian Lister posted on RadioToday North East: “Anyone involved in the history of local radio in the North East will be shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Bruce Davidson this week after a short illness.
“I first came across Bruce as a talented young engineer at Metro Radio, then with Minster – where he very rapidly and rightly moved into station management with Sun FM. Always friendly and smiling he was one of those too rare engineers who also understood people.
“Since leaving the region he had worked for all the major commercial radio companies masterminding many high-profile radio station builds, special projects and OBs. At Bauer he oversaw the transfer of their national stations to One Golden Square and recently he led the build of their new state of the art facility in Euston.
“A few years ago he gave me a tour of his Bauer operation and I noticed that everyone we passed in a corridor had cheery word or smile for him. Bruce retired from Bauer in July and was preparing to move back here to the north-east.”
“We’ve lost one of the industry greats.”

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Former CFM presenter Bekah Fowler is to host breakfast on Carlisle’s community radio station CRFM.
She will replace Pete Moss who is leaving to open a new bar in the city.
Programme Director Darrell Thomas told RadioToday: “We are delighted to welcome Bekah as hostess of our breakfast show.
“Bekah will be fantastic on the breakfast show as she is an early bird herself and will brighten up your day Monday to Friday on CRFM.
“I look forward to listening to the new features and competitions she will bring to entertain the listeners throughout the Carlisle area.”
Bekah adds: “I’m so honoured to have been offered the breakfast show at CRFM. I’ve known Pete for about 20 years, and he is a hard act to follow – he’s such a professional.
“The radio station is undoubtedly my ‘Happy Place’, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Pete will be continuing to present his local artists and bands show ‘Cumbriana’ on a Tuesday evening plus co-hosting the CRFM Top 40 Chart on a Saturday with Chloe Quinn and Sunday evenings 7-10pm.

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Forth’s Boogie in the Morning is expanding to more areas of Scotland replacing the breakfast shows on MFR, Northsound 1 and Tay FM.
The breakfast show, hosted by Boogie, Arlene and Marty, will be heard in Tayside, Perthshire and the North and North East of Scotland from January.
It will mean all four stations will broadcast the same programmes 24/7, following the new Media Bill becoming law.
MFR’s Jodie, and Northsound 1’s Jeff and Lauren will be leaving after their final shows at the end of December.
Current Tay FM breakfast duo Gregor & Lynsey will host a new networked weekday breakfast show. The programme will air every weekday from 4am to 6am across all Hits Radio Network stations in Scotland which also includes Clyde 1 Glasgow and the West and Clyde 1 Ayrshire.
Greigsy’s 10am till 1pm weekday show will also end this year, but he will continue to host on weekends.
As a result, Grant Thomson, Garry Spence and Callum Gallacher are all getting an extra hour on air as they extend their shows to 10am-2pm, 2pm-6pm and 6pm-10pm respectively.
George Bowie continues to host Breakfast in Glasgow and the West on Clyde 1 and in the recently expanded area of Ayrshire. Superscoreboard also remains on air 6pm-8pm on both Clyde 1 stations.
Victoria Easton-Riley, Content Director for Hits Radio Portfolio in Scotland said, “Audiences across Scotland love Boogie and Arlene. Their Saturday show is hugely popular and is Scotland’s most listened to weekend radio show.
“Also, their Forth 1 Breakfast show Boogie in the Morning is welcoming its biggest number of listeners for seven years, as well as bagging national awards, so I’m delighted that we’re able to bring it to more of our listeners across the country each weekday morning.
“I’m equally excited for our brand-new Scotland-wide early Breakfast show from Gregor and Lynsey, who currently host Tay FM breakfast and a national weekend show across our stations. Bringing overnighters and early risers the biggest hits and the biggest throwbacks, it’ll be the much-needed injection of energy for the start of the day.”
Victoria added, “We share our huge thanks with Jodie, Jeff and Lauren for all they’ve contributed. Each brilliant broadcasters, we wish them all the very best on their last few weeks with us and for everything in the future.”
Here’s how the new schedules will look..
Forth 1, MFR, Tay FM schedule from January 2025
Monday – Thursday4am-6am – Gregor & Lynsey6am-10am – Boogie in the Morning10am – 2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – Garry Spence6pm – 10pm – Callum Gallacher10pm – 1am – Amber
Friday4am-6am – Gregor & Lynsey6am-10am – Boogie in the Morning10am – 2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – Garry Spence6pm – 10pm – The GBXperience10pm – 1am – Callum Gallacher – Hits Party
Saturday6am-9am – Amber9am – 12pm – Boogie and Arlene12-2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – The Big Saturday Football Show6pm – 10pm – Greigsy’s Saturday Night Anthems10pm – 1am – Callum Gallacher – Hits Party
Sunday6am-9am – Gavin Pearson9am – 12pm – Greigsy12-4pm – Gregor & Lynsey4-7pm – The Hits UK Chart7pm – 10pm – Garry Spence’s Sunday Night Anthems10pm – 1am – Amber
Clyde 1 Glasgow and the West and Clyde 1 Ayrshire schedule from 6th January 2025
Monday- Thursday4am-6am – Gregor & Lynsey6am-10am – Bowie at Breakfast10am – 2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – Garry Spence6pm – 8pm – Clyde 1 Superscoreboard8pm – 10pm – Callum Gallacher10pm – 1am – Amber
Friday4am-6am – Gregor & Lynsey6am-10am – Bowie at Breakfast10am – 2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – Garry Spence6pm – 8pm – Clyde 1 Superscoreboard8pm – 10pm – The GBXperience10pm – 1am – Callum Gallacher – Hits Party
Saturday6am-9am – Amber9am – 12pm – Boogie and Arlene12-2pm – Grant Thomson2pm – 6pm – Clyde 1 Superscoreboard6pm – 10pm – The GBXperience10pm – 1am – Callum Gallacher – Hits Party
Sunday6am-9am – Gavin Pearson9am – 12pm – Greigsy12-4pm – Gregor & Lynsey4-7pm – The Hits UK Chart7pm – 10pm – Garry Spence’s Sunday Night Anthems10pm – 1am – Amber

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