BBC Radio Manchester

BBC Radio Manchester is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater Manchester.

It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays.

According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 190,000 listeners and a 3.0% share as of June 2023.

History

BBC Radio Manchester (1970–1988)

BBC Radio Manchester launched at 6 am on 10 September 1970 as the first local radio station in the city of Manchester. Initially broadcasting from studios at 33 Piccadilly overlooking Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre, the station's long-standing home was New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road. Radio Manchester originally broadcast only on 95.1 VHF (FM); the frequency of 206 metres (1457 kHz), on the AM medium wave band was added approximately 2 years after the station first went on air. The first voice on air was Alan Sykes. Other presenters included Roy Cross, Sandra Chalmers, Mike Riddoch and Alex Greenhalgh.

In the mid 1970s, Radio Manchester was notable for the "Midway through the Day" programme which introduced strip programming and ran from lunchtime until 7 pm. Presenters changed throughout the day, and it was the precursor of the now common chat and music format. At the same time Radio Manchester began an evening programme from 10 pm to midnight which often repeated interviews from "Midway through the Day". By the 1980s, the late evening programming had ended, apart from on Sundays when local programming continued to be broadcast until midnight.

Opt-out stations
In 1983 and 1984, Radio Manchester ran a series of experimental community stations jointly funded by the BBC and the Greater Manchester County Council, each of which used the 1296 kHz AM frequency in turn. The stations were BBC Radio Bury (late 1983 / early 1984), BBC Radio Oldham, BBC Radio Rochdale (eight weeks from 14 May 1984), BBC Radio Trafford (which operated from a mobile studio in a school playground) and BBC Radio Wigan  (summer 1984). The stations were part-time services which opted out from the main BBC Radio Manchester service. The experiments were never repeated.

BBC GMR (1988–2006)
Between 30 October 1988 until 3 April 2006, the station was named BBC GMR (Greater Manchester Radio) and, for a brief period in 1997, GMR Talk. Programmes included a phone-in with Allan Beswick (who remains at the station and has presented a variety of shows at differing times, currently presenting a late night talk show which is now only broadcast at weekends and simulcast with BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Merseyside), late-night music and comedy show Michelle Mullane around Midnight and GMR Brass, a brass band music programme. From 1991, GMR was part of the BBC Night Network.

In 1996, BBC GMR began broadcasting from a second transmitter from Saddleworth on 104.6 FM, (which had and continues to serve as a transmitter for Key 103 for over 20 years). This meant areas of the Upper Tame Valley including Saddleworth and Tameside, down to Hyde saw improved coverage, which was poor at times from Holme Moss, especially indoors.

BBC Radio Manchester relaunch (2006–present)
After 18 years the station reverted to its original name, Radio Manchester along with a new jingle package composed by IQ Beats. The first voice on the relaunched station was that of Tony Wilson followed by long-time local personality and breakfast presenter Terry Christian, the first song was Manchester by the Beautiful South.

At 6 am on Saturday 8 October 2011, the station ended its transmissions from its Oxford Road studios and began broadcasting from MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. The final show from Oxford Road was presented by Darryl Morris and the first from the new studios by Andy Crane.

Programming
Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's MediaCityUK studios in Salford. The Allan Beswick phone-in, airing on Saturday and Sunday nights, is simulcast with BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Merseyside. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Manchester simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

In October 2023, Manchester became the host station for the new BBC local radio late show, broadcast across all stations on the network, from Sunday to Thursday, being presented by Becky Want. Friday and Saturday evenings are broadcast from London.

Presenters

Notable current presenters

Allan Beswick (Saturday and Sunday nights)
Stacey Copeland (Wednesday to Friday late-nights and Sunday afternoons, cover)
Mark Crossley (Breakfast sport)
Natalie Pike (Talking Balls)
Mike Sweeney (Monday to Thursday daytime)
Phil Trow (Monday and Tuesday late-nights)
Becky Want (Monday to Thursday Drivetime)

Notable former presenters

Gordon Burns
Sandra Chalmers
Terry Christian
Andy Crane (now at Greatest Hits Radio)
Victoria Derbyshire
Stephanie Hirst (now at Hits Radio)
Susie Mathis
Darryl Morris (now at Times Radio)
Dianne Oxberry
Mike Shaft
Petroc Trelawny
Tony Wilson

See also
Manchester Sports
Eastern Horizon
Timeline of radio in Manchester

References

External links
 
 BBC Radio Manchester marks 40 years on the air

Radio stations established in 1970
Manchester
Radio stations in Manchester
1970 establishments in England
BBC Radio Manchester