BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent is the BBC's local radio station serving Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road in Southampton. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 205,000 listeners and a 5.4% share as of March 2020. Overview. The station, which began broadcasting on 31 December 1970, is named after the Solent, the area of sea between Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. In 1996, Radio Solent expanded its coverage into West Dorset and South Dorset by  taking over neighbouring BBC Dorset FM, which was formerly an opt-out of BBC Radio Devon. In 2013, a new programme targeted specifically for Dorset listeners on 103.8FM was launched under the name "Breakfast in Dorset", after campaigns for a more locally focused service. The programme comes from a studio complex based in Dorchester and also broadcasts county-wide on DAB. Transmitters. The service is broadcast on 96.1 FM for Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and eastern Dorset; and on 103.8 FM for western Dorset; on DAB (NOW South Hampshire and NOW Bournemouth). In addition, BBC Radio Solent also broadcasts  on Freeview TV channels 722 (Hampshire / Isle of Wight) and 726 (Dorset) in the BBC South region and streams online via BBC Sounds. North and north-east Hampshire. The signal for Hampshire on 96.1 FM from Rowridge on the Isle of Wight is weaker audible north of Winchester than the transmissions from other BBC Local Radio stations, so that the north Hampshire town of Basingstoke is officially served by BBC Radio Berkshire, while towns such as Aldershot, Farnborough and Fleet in the north-east of the county are served by BBC Radio Surrey. Programming. Local programming is produced and broadcast  from the BBC's Southampton studios from 6am - 1am on Mondays - Saturdays and from 6am - 6pm and 10pm - 1am on Sundays. Some of the station's evening output is also simulcast with sister stations in the BBC South and BBC South East regions. The Sunday evening show with Tony Blackburn (6-10pm) originates from BBC Radio Berkshire in Reading. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Solent simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London. Presenters. Notable current presenters include: