BBC Radio Scotland explained

BBC Radio Scotland
City:Glasgow
Area:Scotland
Frequency:FM

92.5 - 94.7 MHz
AM: 810 kHz
DAB: 11B, 11C and 12D
Freeview: 711 (Scotland only)
Freesat: 712
Sky: 0116 (UK only)
Virgin Media: 930

Former Frequencies:585 MW
Rds:BBC Scot
Format:News, music, sport, talk
Language:English
Owner:BBC
Licensing Authority:Ofcom
Operator:BBC Scotland
Webcast:BBC Sounds

BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish national radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 November 1978.[1]

Radio Scotland is broadcast in English, whilst sister station Radio nan Gàidheal broadcasts in Scottish Gaelic.

According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 801,000 and has a listening share of 5.8% as of March 2024.[2]

History

See main article: BBC Home Service. The first BBC Radio Scotland broadcast was on 17 December 1973, a fortnight earlier than planned.[3]

BBC Radio Scotland was founded as a full-time radio network on 23 November 1978.[4] Previously it was possible only to opt out of BBC Radio 4, and the service was known as Radio 4 Scotland or, formally on air, as "BBC Scotland Radio 4". Although on some occasions Radio Scotland used to use BBC Radio 2 as a sustaining service at certain times, most notably during the Sport on 2 Saturday afternoon programme with a BBC Scotland opt-out on 202m known as "BBC Scotland Radio 2"; however, this has been discontinued since.[5] [6] [7] [8]

The establishment of a separate network was made possible when Radio 4 became a fully UK-wide network when it moved from medium wave to long wave and new VHF (FM) transmitters were brought into service, so that Radio 4 and Radio Scotland no longer had to share on FM. However, it was not until the early 1990s that Radio 4 was available on FM across all of Scotland; so for its first decade on air, the station only broadcast during the day so that Radio 4 could be heard on Radio Scotland's transmitters in the evening to compensate for poorer AM reception after dark.

Kirsty Wark launched her career on BBC Radio Scotland, first as a researcher and then as a producer.[9]

Programmes

Radio Scotland broadcasts a wide range of programming, including news, debate, music, drama, comedy and sports. It is broadcast from the BBC Scotland headquarters in the Pacific Quay in Glasgow. The station simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live during its overnight downtime.

Local opt-outs

BBC Radio Orkney and BBC Radio Shetland opt out of BBC Radio Scotland for 30 minutes each weekday to broadcast a local news programme and during the winter months this is supplemented for both areas by an additional hour-long programme. Local news and weather bulletins are also broadcast as opt-outs from news studios in Selkirk, Dumfries, Aberdeen and Inverness on weekdays.

Notable presenters

Past presenters

Heads of Radio, Scotland

The title "Head of Radio, Scotland" was applied to cover not only the Radio Scotland service but also BBC Scotland's radio productions for other networks.

Years served H.R.S.
1978 - 1979John Pickles
1980 - 1983Christopher Irwin
1983 - 1987Stan Taylor
1987 - 1992Neil Fraser
1992 - 1996James Boyle
1996 - 2000
2000 - 2005Maggie Cunningham
2005 - 2017Jeff Zycinski
2017 - presentGareth Hynes

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: McDowell, W.H. . The History of BBC Broadcasting in Scotland 1923-1983 . Edinburgh University Press . 1992 . 260 . 0-7486-0376-X.
  2. Web site: RAJAR . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240519060556/https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php . 2024-05-19 . rajar.co.uk.
  3. News: 18 December 1973 . Radio Scotland off their mark . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230816180926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jotAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4436%2C3370812 . 16 August 2023 . 22 July 2017 . The Herald . 5.
  4. News: Young . Andrew . 7 November 1978 . Star line-up as Radio Scotland goes pop . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231006175926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3gI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4430,1368831 . 2023-10-06 . 1 April 2016 . . Glasgow . 4.
  5. Web site: Search - BBC Programme Index . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240511175958/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=1500m+and+202m#top . 2024-05-11 . 2024-07-19 . genome.ch.bbc.co.uk.
  6. Web site: 202m in scotland - Search - Newspapers.com™ . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240510232233/https://www.newspapers.com/search/?date-end=1999&date-start=1967&keyword=+202m+in+scotland&region=gb-sct . 2024-05-10 . 2024-05-15 . Newspapers.com . en-US.
  7. Web site: October 2017 . Radio 4 doing opt outs for Scotland? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212051623/https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2245131/radio-4-doing-opt-outs-for-scotland . 2023-12-12 . Digital Spy.
  8. Web site: BBC Scotland Radio 2 . Scotland On-Air.
  9. Web site: Visual Arts Group. Ayrshirarts.com. 28 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025750/http://www.ayrshirearts.com/Spaces/Gallery/Companies/SW%20Galleries%20Association/Take%20Your%20Pick/Take%20Your%20Pick%20Exhibition.html. 4 March 2016. dead.
  10. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Mornings, With Kaye Adams. BBC.
  11. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Iain Anderson. BBC.
  12. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Get it On with Bryan Burnett. BBC.
  13. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Vic Galloway. BBC.
  14. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Mornings, with Connie McLaughlin. BBC.
  15. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Billy Sloan. BBC.
  16. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Ashley Storrie. BBC.
  17. Web site: BBC Radio Scotland - Grant Stott's Vinyl Collective. BBC.
  18. Web site: Top BBC Scotland presenter to step down from role to 'explore more of world'. 4 September 2023. The National.