Media UK

BBC Radio Manchester - news archive

This is an archive of news about BBC Radio Manchester. Some links may no longer work, due to the transient nature of the internet.

Thompson hosts NW radio night
From Radio Today. Posted April 14 2008, 12.37am
BBC Radio Manchester's latest signing John Thompson is hosting a radio academy social evening next week in Manchester, featuring a radio pub quiz with Simon Hirst. (more)

Thomson hosts NW radio night
From Radio Today. Posted April 14 2008, 12.37am
BBC Radio Manchester's latest signing John Thomson is introducing a radio academy social evening next week in Manchester, featuring a radio pub quiz with Simon Hirst. (more)

Fast Show star John Thomson gets BBC Radio show
From Media Guardian. Posted March 31 2008, 3.43pm
Former Cold Feet and Fast Show star John Thomson is to present a Saturday lunchtime show on BBC Radio Manchester. By John Plunkett (more)

Manchester gets Cold Feet
From Radio Today. Posted March 31 2008, 3.02pm
Actor and comedian John Thomson is to present his own show on BBC Radio Manchester. The change is one of several to the station's schedules, which also sees the departure of Terry Christian from weekdays after two years at the station. (more)

Cheeseman runs round Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted March 10 2008, 7.40pm
BBC Radio Manchester's Ian Cheesman is doing his own bit for Sport Relief by running a lap at each of Greater Manchester's four Premier League football clubs. (more)

No return for Phil Wood
From Radio Today. Posted February 12 2008, 9.24pm
BBC Radio Manchester presenter Phil Wood is leaving the corporation next month when his contract ends, RadioToday.co.uk can reveal. He will not return to air following his suspension in January after he was involved in an apparent hit and run accident. (more)

BBC Radio Manchester Presenter Suspended
From Merry Media. Posted February 1 2008, 9.28pm
BBC Radio Manchester presenter Phil Wood has been suspended after it was discovered that he was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The 57-year-old was driving through Stretford on 6 October when he hit a pedestrian. . (more)

BBC host Phil Wood suspended
From Radio Today. Posted February 1 2008, 7.45pm
BBC Radio Manchester's late night host Phil Wood has been suspended by the corporation after it emerged he was involved in an apparent hit and run accident. Phil is a long established presenter in the area having previously worked for Piccadilly Radio. (more)

Ofcom raps Galaxy for F-word rant
From Media Guardian. Posted December 17 2007, 1.17pm
Ofcom has censured a Manchester radio station after a DJ's four-letter rant was inadvertently broadcast on air. By John Plunkett (more)

BBC Locals hold their own
From Radio Today. Posted October 25 2007, 7.51pm
BBC local radio stations across the UK are mostly holding their audience. A few noticeable exceptions are BBC Radio Ulster losing two million hours and nine per cent weekly reach. BBC Radio Manchester lost almost a million hours and over half it's audience since this time last year. (more)

BBC Chairman visits station
From Radio Today. Posted September 19 2007, 8.08pm
BBC Chairman Sir Michael Lyons made an appearance on BBC Radio Manchester this morning answering a range of questions from breakfast show presenters Eamonn O'Neal and Dianne Oxberry, submitted by listeners to the station. (more)

New station for Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted September 3 2007, 12.37pm
A new radio station is set to launch in Manchester this month. In addition to new FM stations such as Rock Radio and Salford City Radio, a team of around 20 radio professionals are busy putting the final touches together for Manchester Radio Online, which launches this Sunday, 9th September. (more)

Gaydio helps BBC cover Pride
From Radio Today. Posted August 27 2007, 12.53pm
BBC Radio Manchester has joined forces with local RSL station Gaydio to offer extra coverage of Manchester Pride. On Saturday the BBC and Gaydio jointly produced live coverage of the parade through the city centre, with updates from Radio Manchester's Anthony Crank, Gaydio’s Brian Day and breakfast hosts Chris and Emma. (more)

Anthony H. Wilson dies
From Radio Today. Posted August 11 2007, 1.17am
Tony Wilson, better known as Anthony H. Wilson has died in hospital at the age of 57. Tony was most famous as a the owner of Manchester's Hacienda nightclub and co-founder of Factory Records. His media career spans from Granada Tonight to BBC Radio Manchester and Xfm. (more)

Changes at BBC Radio Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted May 16 2007, 10.17am
BBC Radio Manchester is having a schedule shuffle. After 12 months at breakfast, Terry Christian will be enjoying a lie in as he takes over drivetime, whilst Eamonn O'Neal and Dianne Oxberry will be setting their alarm clocks a few hours earlier from 4th June to host the breakfast show. (more)

DJ merry-go-round at Radio Manchester
From Media Guardian. Posted May 16 2007, 1.00am
12.45pm: Terry Christian has moved from the BBC Radio Manchester breakfast show in a reshuffle at the station. By John Plunkett. (more)

BBC sorry for Alan Ball joke
From Radio Today. Posted April 26 2007, 9.32am
Allan Beswick, lunchtime presenter at BBC Radio Manchester generated two listener complaints yesterday after his comments about the death of Alan Ball. "At least we know he's no good at putting out fires" was the comment, for which he apologised on-air last night during a special tribute programme. (more)

BBC Radio Manchester show for Stage critic
From The Stage. Posted April 16 2007, 1.00pm
(more)

Mr Manchester back on air
From Radio Today. Posted April 5 2007, 3.43pm
Anthony Wilson will be back on the radio this weekend - for the first time since revealing he was battling kidney cancer. His Talk of The Town show on BBC Radio Manchester's not been on air since the news was revealed in December. The former Factory Records boss will host the programme on Easter Saturday from his home in the city. (more)

BBC Radio Manchester Go Back in Time
From Merry Media. Posted March 14 2007, 10.55am
BBC Radio Manchester is travelling back in time to the Seventies in aid of Comic Relief.. (more)

Life on Radio Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted March 14 2007, 9.19am
BBC Radio Manchester is celebrating Comic Relief this Friday by travelling back in time to 1973. The event has been inspired by the Manchester-based BBC One drama Life on Mars, which will see the station reflect the culture of the early 70's playing hits such as Slade's Cum On Feel The Noize. (more)

DJ Tony Wilson has cancer
From Radio Today. Posted February 14 2007, 6.38pm
Xfm and BBC Radio Manchester presenter Anthony H Wilson has been diagnosed with kidney cancer. The legend behind the city's Hacienda club and bands like Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays has had his right kidney removed and is now starting chemotherapy. (more)

Tony Wilson has cancer
From Radio Today. Posted February 14 2007, 6.38pm
Xfm and BBC Radio Manchester presenter Anthony H Wilson has been diagnosed with kidney cancer. The legend behind the city's Hacienda club and bands like Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays has had his right kidney removed and is now starting chemotherapy. (more)

For one day only: BBC Radio Salford
From Media Network Weblog. Posted February 12 2007, 11.46am
Listeners got a surprise today when they woke up to hear that BBC Radio Salford has taken to the airwaves. But it’s for one day only as BBC Radio Manchester changes its name and broadcasts live from various locations around Salford.  The spotlight on Salford comes on the back of the increased focus on the city with [...] (more)

BBC launches Radio Salford
From Radio Today. Posted February 12 2007, 9.32am
For one day only, BBC Radio Manchester has re-branded to BBC Radio Salford. The station is running a series of special Outside Broadcasts from across the city of Salford today, four years ahead of the rest of the BBC coming to town. (more)

Gaydio teams up with BBC Local
From Radio Today. Posted November 23 2006, 2.01am
Manchester community radio station Gaydio is teaming up with BBC Radio Manchester for a special day of programming to support World AIDS Day on December 1st.Volunteers from Gaydio's first temporary RSL broadcast earlier this year will help provide live coverage of the city's Red & Wild festival. (more)

Manchester radio bids dominated by AOR
From Digital Spy. Posted October 6 2006, 11.55am
Ofcom releases details of stations applying for the commercial radio licence in Manchester. (more)

UTV opts out of contest for Manchester radio licence
From Brand Republic. Posted October 5 2006, 11.10am
LONDON - Emap, Chrysalis and Guardian Media Group will be among several bidders for the new Manchester commercial radio licence when Ofcom's deadline closes this afternoon, but UTV Radio has surprisingly pulled out. (more)

Top award for BBC Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted September 29 2006, 8.28am
BBC Radio Manchester beats off competition from Berkshire and London to win station of the year (more)

Chrysalis talks to Manchester
From Radio Today. Posted August 14 2006, 9.15pm
Chrysalis have launched a website dedicated to winning the battle for a new Manchester radio station. They are applying for the licence as GMBC - a spin off from London station LBC 97.3. Chrysalis propose a 24-hour talk station and on the website, gmbcradio.co.uk, it provides background on the proposal along with features on recent and future events in Manchester such as the Sky Festival and Manchester Pride. (more)

Chrysalis backs Manchester radio bid with online show
From Brand Republic. Posted August 14 2006, 11.08am
LONDON - Chrysalis has signalled its intent to win the upcoming contest for the new Manchester radio licence by previewing its talk radio bid with an online broadcast and sending LBC breakfast host Nick Ferrari up to the city. (more)

Terry Christian joins talkSPORT
From Radio Today. Posted August 7 2006, 12.45pm
BBC Radio Manchester breakfast presenter Terry Christian has joined talkSPORT to host weekend show ‘Final Whistle’ on Saturday afternoons alongside Newcastle legend Mickey Quinn from The new show starts on Saturday 19th August, ready for the new season. “I’m looking forward to hosting the country’s liveliest football phone in ever,” said Christian. “’Final Whistle’ on talkSPORT with myself and Quinny will be an antidote to a format that on other stations often sounds like a forum for the brain-dead. I’m sick of hearing people talking about football that never go to matches. (more)

RAJAR Quarter 2 2006 results
From Radio Today. Posted August 3 2006, 1.30am
Official UK radio industry listening figures are out today, with details of listening habits for almost every commercial and BBC radio station in the country. RAJAR Quarter 2 2006 will see eight new stations reporting for the first time, including U105 in Belfast and talk107 in Edinburgh. Most Emap local stations will have a revised TSA whilst stations which have changed their name will find out if it has any impact in audience numbers. In the last quarter, the Touch FM brand was born, and BBC GMR changed name back to BBC Radio Manchester. (more)

BBC Radio Manchester goes live
From Radio Today. Posted April 3 2006, 6.30am
BBC Radio Manchester is back. After 18 years as BBC GMR, the station changed back to its original name at 6am today complete with a new line-up and station jingle package. Terry Christian was the first presenter on the station welcoming Manchester to the new sound, and his new breakfast show. John Ryan is in charge of the new station and says: "We want to capture Manchester's unique tone of voice and report all of Manchester's communities - delivering BBC Local Radio values in a contemporary and engaging way for this amazing place." (more)

BBC Radio Manchester schedule
From Radio Today. Posted March 29 2006, 7.15am
Manchester's changing, and so is BBC GMR. As reported first by RadioToday.co.uk two weeks ago, BBC GMR will be changing their station name to BBC Radio Manchester. Along with the new name comes a new on-air schedule and station imaging package. BBC Radio Manchester will continue to broadcast on 95.1 FM which covers most of Greater Manchester, and 104.6 FM for Saddleworth and parts of North and East Manchester. (more)

BBC's local radio station in Manchester to revert to original name
From Media Network Weblog. Posted March 20 2006, 1.17pm
BBC GMR, the BBC local radio station serving Greater Manchester, has announced it will revert to its former title, BBC Radio Manchester, from Monday 3 April 2006. John Ryan, the station's Managing Editor, says: "BBC Radio Manchester went on air in 1970 and only became BBC GMR in 1988. Since then, 'Manchester' as a name has come to be synonymous with the whole city region and has largely usurped (more)

BBC revamps GMR as competition heats up with Xfm launch
From Brand Republic. Posted March 20 2006, 11.03am
LONDON - BBC GMR, the BBC local radio station serving Greater Manchester, is to re-adopt its former title, BBC Radio Manchester, as part of a relaunch of the station's services. (more)

BBC Radio Manchester is back
From Radio Today. Posted March 15 2006, 11.41pm
It's a case of going back to its roots as BBC GMR reverts back to the original name of BBC Radio Manchester from April 3rd. A new jingle package and a new breakfast show with Terry Christian are part of the new station sound, which will also start at 6am on the same date. The new Managing Editor John Ryan comments: "BBC Radio Manchester went on air in 1970 and only became BBC GMR in 1988. Since then, 'Manchester' as a name has come to represent the whole city region and has largely usurped the phrase 'Greater Manchester', which was never a term that people easily related to. (more)