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List of BBC radio stations facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This is a list of national, regional and local radio stations owned by the BBC in the United Kingdom.

List of national radio stations

Logo Name Launch date Format Reception Former frequencies
BBC Radio 1 2021.svg BBC Radio 1 1 August 1967 Contemporary hit radio
  • FM: 97.1-99.7 MHz
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 700
  • Sky channel 0101
  • Virgin Media channel 901
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
  • MW:
    • 1214 kHz (1967-1978)
    • 1053 kHz/1089 kHz (1978-1994)
BBC Radio 1 Dance 2022.svg BBC Radio 1 Dance 16 August 2002 Electronic dance music
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms

future:

  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
BBC Radio 1 Relax 2022.svg BBC Radio 1 Relax 9 October 2020 Relaxing and meditaing music
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Radio 1Xtra 2021.svg BBC Radio 1Xtra 22 April 2021 Black contemporary music
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 701
  • Sky channel 0127
  • Virgin Media channel 907
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Radio 2 2022.svg BBC Radio 2 1 August 1967 Adult contemporary music
  • FM: 88.1-90.2 MHz
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 702
  • Sky channel 0102
  • Virgin Media channel 902
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
  • LW: 200 kHz (1967-1978)
  • MW:
    • 693 kHz/909 kHz (1978-1990)
    • 990 kHz (1983-1990) (Wales only)
BBC Radio 3 2022.svg BBC Radio 3 1 August 1967 Classical, jazz and world music, culture and drama
  • FM: 90.2 - 92.6 MHz
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 703
  • Sky channel 0103
  • Virgin Media channel 903
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
  • MW:
    • 647 kHz (1967-1978)
    • 1215 kHz (1978-1992)
BBC Radio 4 2022.svg BBC Radio 4 1 August 1967 Spoken-word programming
  • FM: 88.1-90.2 MHz
  • LW: 198 kHz
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 704
  • Sky channel 0104
  • Virgin Media channel 904
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
 not all frequencies shown
  • MW:
    • until 15 April 2024:
      • 603 kHz
      • 720 kHz
      • 756 kHz
      • 774 kHz
      • 1449 kHz
      • 1485 kHz
    • other:
      • 882 kHz
  • LW: 200 kHz (until 1988), then changed to 198 kHz
BBC Radio 4 Extra logo 2022.svg BBC Radio 4 Extra 2 April 2011 Archive programming
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 708
  • Sky channel 0126
  • Virgin Media channel 910
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Radio 5 Live 2022.svg BBC Radio 5 Live 28 March 1994 News, current affairs, discussion and sport, replacing BBC Local Radio stations overnight.
  • MW:
    • 693 kHz/909 kHz
    • 990 kHz (Wales only)
    • BBC Local Radio frequencies overnight
  • FM: BBC Local Radio frequencies overnight
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 705
  • Sky channel 0105
  • Virgin Media channel 905
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2022.svg BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 February 2002 Additional sports coverage
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 706
  • Sky channel 0131
  • Virgin Media channel 908
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Radio 6 Music 2022.svg BBC Radio 6 Music 11 March 2002 Multi-formatted music station that plays lesser-known genres with a dose of archived and live concerts
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 707
  • Sky channel 0120
  • Virgin Media channel 909
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC Asian Network 2022.svg BBC Asian Network 4 November 1996 Station for the British Asian community
  • MW:
    • 828 kHz
    • 837 kHz
    • 1449 kHz
    • 1458 kHz
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview/Freesat channel 709
  • Sky channel 0109
  • Virgin Media channel 912
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
BBC World Service 2022 (Boxed).svg BBC World Service 19 December 1932 International radio station for news and current affairs, replacing BBC Radio 4 and welsh-language BBC Radio Cymru during the night, available in various ways around the world.
  • DAB channel 12B (BBC National DAB)
  • Freeview channel 710 and 704 (overnight only)
  • Freesat channel 711 and 704 (overnight only)
  • Sky channel 0115 and 0104 (overnight only)
  • Virgin Media channel 906 and 904 (overnight only)
  • BBC Sounds and online platforms
  • LW/FM: BBC Radio 4 and welsh-language BBC Radio Cymru frequencies (overnight only)
  • MW:
    • 648 kHz
    • BBC Radio 4 frequencies (overnight only) (until 15 April 2024)

List of regional radio stations

Scotland

Radio Description
BBC Radio Scotland 2022.svg BBC Radio Scotland
A radio station for all things Scotland.
Sister station
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal 2022.svg BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
A Scottish Gaelic language radio station.
BBC Radio Orkney.png BBC Radio Orkney
A part-time radio station for Orkney which opts out of Radio Scotland.
BBC Radio Shetland.png BBC Radio Shetland
A part-time radio station for Shetland which opts out of Radio Scotland.

Wales

Radio Description
BBC Radio Wales 2022.svg BBC Radio Wales
A radio station for all things Wales.
Sister station
BBC Radio Cymru 2022.svg BBC Radio Cymru
A Welsh language radio station.
BBC Radio Cymru 2 2022.svg BBC Radio Cymru 2
A part-time Welsh language radio station which opts out at breakfast time from Radio Cymru.

Northern Ireland

Radio Description
BBC Radio Ulster 2022.svg BBC Radio Ulster
A radio station for all things Northern Ireland.
Sister station
BBC Radio Foyle 2022.svg BBC Radio Foyle
A part-time station covering Derry which opts out of Radio Ulster.

List of BBC Local Radio stations in England

BBC Local Radio 2021
BBC Local Radio logo

BBC East

Radio Description
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire 2022.svg BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
1 May 1982
BBC Essex 2022.svg BBC Essex
5 November 1986
BBC Radio Norfolk 2022.svg BBC Radio Norfolk
11 September 1980
BBC Radio Northampton 2022.svg BBC Radio Northampton
16 June 1982
BBC Radio Suffolk 2022.svg BBC Radio Suffolk
12 April 1990
BBC Three Counties Radio 2022.svg BBC Three Counties Radio
24 June 1985 (as BBC Radio Bedfordshire)

BBC East Midlands

Radio Description
BBC Radio Derby 2022.svg BBC Radio Derby
29 April 1971
BBC Radio Leicester 2022.svg BBC Radio Leicester
8 November 1967
BBC Radio Nottingham 2022.svg BBC Radio Nottingham
31 January 1968

BBC London

Radio Description
BBC Radio London (2022).svg BBC Radio London
6 October 1970

BBC North East and Cumbria

Radio Description
BBC Radio Cumbria 2022.svg BBC Radio Cumbria
24 November 1973 (as BBC Radio Carlisle)
BBC Radio Newcastle 2022.svg BBC Radio Newcastle
2 January 1971
BBC Radio Tees 2022.svg BBC Radio Tees
31 December 1970 (as BBC Radio Teesside)

BBC North West

Radio Description
BBC Radio Lancashire 2022.svg BBC Radio Lancashire
26 January 1971 (as BBC Radio Blackburn)
BBC Radio Manchester 2022.svg BBC Radio Manchester
10 September 1970
BBC Radio Merseyside 2022.svg BBC Radio Merseyside
22 November 1967

BBC South

Radio Description
BBC Radio Berkshire 2022.svg BBC Radio Berkshire
21 January 1992
BBC Radio Oxford 2022.svg BBC Radio Oxford
29 October 1970
BBC Radio Solent 2022.svg BBC Radio Solent
31 December 1970

BBC South East

Radio Description
BBC Radio Kent 2022.svg BBC Radio Kent
18 December 1970 (as BBC Radio Medway)
BBC Radio Surrey 2022.svg BBC Radio Surrey
14 November 1991
BBC Radio Sussex 2022.svg BBC Radio Sussex
14 February 1968 (as BBC Radio Brighton)

BBC South West

Radio Description
BBC Radio Cornwall 2022.svg BBC Radio Cornwall
17 January 1983
BBC Radio Devon 2022.svg BBC Radio Devon
17 January 1983
BBC Radio Guernsey 2022.svg BBC Radio Guernsey
16 March 1982
BBC Radio Jersey 2022.svg BBC Radio Jersey
15 March 1982
BBC Radio Somerset 2022.svg BBC Radio Somerset
11 April 1988 (as BBC Somerset Sound)

BBC West

Radio Description
BBC Radio Bristol 2022.svg BBC Radio Bristol
4 September 1970
BBC Radio Gloucestershire 2022.svg BBC Radio Gloucestershire
3 October 1988
BBC Radio Wiltshire 2022.svg BBC Radio Wiltshire
4 April 1989 (as BBC Wiltshire Sound)

BBC West Midlands

Radio Description
BBC CWR 2022.svg BBC CWR
17 January 1990, 3 September 2005 (Original), (Relaunch)
BBC Hereford & Worcester 2022.svg BBC Hereford & Worcester
14 February 1989
BBC Radio Shropshire 2022.svg BBC Radio Shropshire
23 April 1985
BBC Radio Stoke 2022.svg BBC Radio Stoke
14 March 1968 (as BBC Radio Stoke-on-Trent)
BBC Radio WM logo 2022.svg BBC Radio WM
9 November 1970 (as BBC Radio Birmingham)

BBC Yorkshire

Radio Description
BBC Radio Leeds 2022.svg BBC Radio Leeds
24 June 1968
BBC Radio Sheffield 2022.svg BBC Radio Sheffield
15 November 1967
BBC Radio York 2022.svg BBC Radio York
4 July 1983

BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Radio Description
BBC Radio Humberside 2022.svg BBC Radio Humberside
25 February 1971
BBC Radio Lincolnshire 2022.svg BBC Radio Lincolnshire
11 November 1980

See also

  • BBC Local Radio
  • List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
  • List of Internet radio stations
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