BBC Three Counties Radio is the BBC's local radio station serving the counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Grove Park in Dunstable.

According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 120,000 listeners and a 3.7% share as of June 2023.

History

BBC Radio Bedfordshire (1985–1993)

The station launched as "Radio Bedfordshire" on 24 June 1985, serving the whole of Bedfordshire plus (despite the name) North Buckinghamshire and the northern parts of Hertfordshire. Therefore, as well as Bedford, Luton, Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Knebworth, Berkhamsted, Tring, Harpenden, Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage and Hitchin were served by the new station. In 1992, the station became known as "BBC Radio Bedfordshire with Herts and Bucks".

BBC Three Counties Radio (1993–present)
The station changed to its present name on 5 April 1993. The new name was intended to reflect the wider reach across the three counties and to give equal service to all. The editorial area was not, at that point, expanded but enhanced studio facilities and staff were devoted to Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

New transmitters at Epping Green and Bedmond extended the coverage area to Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and west Hertfordshire in late 2005.

BBC Three Counties Radio became available on DAB radio on 14 February 2013. In June 2015, the station moved from its Luton base to new studios in Dunstable.

Technical
BBC Three Counties Radio broadcasts on FM on these frequencies (transmitter location in brackets):
 90.4 FM (Epping Green, near Hertford)
 92.1 FM (Bedmond, near Hemel Hempstead)
 94.7 FM (Quainton Hill, near Aylesbury)
 95.5 FM (Sandy Heath)
 98.0 FM (High Wycombe)
 103.8 FM (Zouches Farm, near Luton)
 104.5 FM (Bow Brickhill, near Milton Keynes)

The station broadcasts on DAB digital radio on the Herts, Beds and Bucks digital radio multiplex, transmitted from Sandy Heath, Aylesbury, Epping Green, Hemel Hempstead, Chepping Wycombe, Letchworth, Zouches Farm and Bow Brickhill.

The station also broadcasts on Freeview TV channel 720 in the BBC East, BBC London and BBC South regions and streams online via BBC Sounds.

Programming
Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's Dunstable studios from 6 am to 10 pm on Sundays to Fridays and from 6 am to 1 am on Saturdays.

Off-peak programming originates from BBC Radio Suffolk, BBC Radio Norfolk and BBC Radio Northampton. The Saturday late show, broadcast across the eastern counties from 10 pm to 1 am, originates from Three Counties Radio and is presented by Justin Dealey.

During the station's downtime, overnight programming is simulcast from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

Presenters

Notable current presenters
Andy Collins (weekday breakfast)

Notable past presenters
Nana Akua
Tony Blackburn
Mo Dutta
Jon Gaunt
Simon Groom
Tony Hadley
Nick Lawrence (Former Breakfast Show presenter, ex-Chiltern FM)
Iain Lee (Former breakfast presenter)
John Radford
Stephen Rhodes (Former breakfast / consumer show presenter)
Dave Lee Travis (Former Sunday morning presenter)

References

External links
 
 Bow Brickhill transmitter
 Chepping Wycombe transmitter
 Epping Green transmitter
 Hemel Hempstead (Bedmond) transmitter
 High Wycombe transmitter
 Kempston transmitter
 Lewsey Farm transmitter
 Quainton Hill transmitter
 Sandy Heath transmitter
 Zouches Farm transmitter

Three Counties
Radio stations in Hertfordshire
Radio stations in Bedfordshire
Radio stations in Buckinghamshire
Luton
Hitchin
Flitwick
1985 establishments in England