Media UK

BBC Three Counties Radio

Introduction

BBC Three Counties Radio is one of the youngest in the BBC’s portfolio of local radio stations, broadcasting from Luton to Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire ("Beds, Herts and Bucks"). The station first went on-air in June 1985 as 'BBC Radio Bedfordshire'. The first voice which listeners heard was that of Mike Gibbons, the station manager. David Robey then read the news, followed by Gareth O'Callaghan, the original breakfast presenter.

History

By 1993, Radio Bedfordshire was no more. To reflect the extended coverage of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, as well as the Bedfordshire heartland, the station re-launched as 'BBC Radio Bedfordshire with Herts and Bucks' and then, soon after, 'BBC Three Counties Radio'.

Two years later, in 1995, the station swapped its traditional music/speech format for the all-speech, phone-in, presenter-led approach which it still boasts today. 3CR is one of the only BBC local radio stations to have a no-music policy between 4:30am and 7pm on weekdays, when the station switches to specialist shows on its AM frequencies and to the East network station on FM.

Transmitters

• 90.4FM - Hertford (for East Hertfordshire)
• 92.1FM - Hemel Hempstead (for West Hertfordshire)
• 94.7FM - Aylesbury (for Mid Buckinghamshire)
• 95.5FM - Bedford (for North Bedfordshire)
• 98.0FM - High Wycombe (for South Buckinghamshire)
• 103.8FM - Luton (for South Bedfordshire)
• 104.5FM - Milton Keynes (for North Buckinghamshire)
• 630MW - Lewsey Farm, Luton (for Hertfordshire and South Buckinghamshire)
• 1161MW - Bedford (for Bedfordshire and North Buckinghamshire)

3CR for Buckinghamshire

In October 2001, Three Counties Radio launched a separate Breakfast show for Europe's fastest-growing city, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. Following the success of the Breakfast show, a separate Drivetime show for Buckinghamshire launched in September 2004. These shows came from the small 3CR studios in Milton Keynes.

By October 2005, the Bucks Drivetime show had been scrapped and the 'At One' show, all about the history, people and places of the patch, had been re-launched with separate shows for Beds and Herts, and Bucks. These two shows both come from the Luton studios, although the Bucks Breakfast show comes from Milton Keynes.

3CR for the World

Three Counties Radio was one the first three BBC local radio stations to be streamed live on the Internet in August 2004. The live stream on the Internet is direct from the Buckinghamshire transmitters, so Internet listeners are unable to hear the Beds/Herts Breakfast and At One programmes, or the specialist shows that broadcast on MW only.

There are plans to offer a variety of online listening options, including a dedicated Beds+Herts stream and 'Listen Again' features.

3CR for the communities

Each week on Three Counties, more than 25 hours of specialist programming are produced, catering for the large Asian, Afro-Carribean, Irish and Italian communities across Beds, Herts and Bucks.

Sport also plays a vital role throughout the patch, and Three Counties Radio cover every Watford, Luton Town, MK Dons and High Wycombe football match, and Bedford and Saracens rugby games.

3CR Awards

Three Counties Radio won a host of awards in 2005. The Beds and Herts Breakfast Show with Roberto Perrone won the Frank Gillard award for Best Interactive show.

Three Counties also won a host of awards at the Sony Radio Awards 2005:

• Station Of The Year 2005 (Gold) (Audience 300,000-1,000,000)
• Interactive Radio award (Gold) - Roberto Perrone (Three Counties Breakfast)
• Speech Broadcaster of the Year (Bronze) - Stephen Rhodes (Consumer Programme)

Current Presenters

Current Presenters include:

• Justin Dealey - Early Riser
• Roberto Perrone and Big George - Three Counties Breakfast (split show)
• Stephen Rhodes - Consumer Programme
• Katherine Boyle and Martin Coote - At One (split show)
• John Pilgrim - In The Afternoon
• Ronnie Barbour - Drivetime
• Ernie Almond and Jonathon Vernon Smith - The "Ern and Vern" Show
• Colin Berry - The Club
• Ian Pearce - Melting Pot / Three Counties Sport
• Dave Lee Travis - Sunday Breakfast

Famous Alumni

Over the years a host of much-loved voices have come and gone.

Former Blue Peter presenter Simon Groom was with the station for several years as both mid-morning and mid-afternoon presenter. The Man Ezeke went on to become the first black presenter to front BBC Radio 1’s weekly chart show broadcast on a Sunday.

A host of others, such as Jon Gaunt, Pam Spriggs, Chris Whitehead, Susie Barnes, Jamie Crick, John Radford and Hannah Wooding, have all made their mark with listeners around Beds, Herts and Bucks.