BBC Night Network
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| BBC Night Network | |
| Broadcast area | Northern England |
|---|---|
| First air date | May 1989 |
| Format | Contemporary and various specialist music programming |
| Owner | BBC Local Radio |
The BBC Night Network (sometimes referred to on-air as BBC North FM and originally Radio North East) was a radio network which linked up the North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and North West England regions of BBC Local Radio. Each station would share the same programming from 7:00 p.m. until closedown at 1:00 a.m.
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[edit] Pre-history
From August 1986 to the launch of the Night Network, the four Yorkshire stations (Leeds, York, Sheffield and Humberside) had been simulcasting specialist music programmes on weeknights between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm, later extending to six days a week (Wednesday to Monday) between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm – Tuesday night was reserved for local sports coverage.
[edit] History
The BBC Night Network was launched in May 1989 in the then BBC North and BBC North East regions – broadcast on Radio Newcastle, Radio Cleveland, Radio York, Radio Leeds, Radio Sheffield and Radio Humberside between 6:00 pm and 12:00 am every night. Any local programming broadcast after 6 pm, including weeknight sport and ethnic minority output, was broadcast only on medium-wave frequencies with Night Network output broadcasting on FM.
The network was expanded in 1991 to include the four BBC North West stations – BBC GMR (now Radio Manchester), Radio Merseyside, Radio Lancashire and Radio Cumbria. The stations had previously run their own Network North West simulcast service. The Night Network now broadcast from 7:00 pm until midnight with specialist music programmes on-air between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm (the exception being made for midweek sports coverage) and a late show from Lancaster, presented by Bob Roberts. The late show was extended to 12:30 a.m. a year later and eventually to 1:00 a.m, followed by Five Live.
[edit] News
Each region opted-out for the news; there would be three bulletins broadcast lasting exactly five minutes long, one for Yorkshire and Humberside, one for the North East and one for the North West.
- Charles Lees read the news in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for BBC Radios Humberside, York, Sheffield and Leeds.
- Sharon Barbour read the news in the North East area for BBC Radios Newcastle, Cumbria and Cleveland.
[edit] Jingles
BBC Night Network's jingles were produced by TM Century, now TM Studios. The original package was just for the Yorkshire and the North-East while a second package was produced for the rest of the network.
[edit] Current simulcast arrangements
Since the Night Network arrangement was abandoned, the stations involved have taken steps to produce more locally produced programming and in some cases, extend broadcasting hours.
- BBC Yorkshire: Radio Leeds, Radio York and Radio Sheffield simulcast late-night shows from Sunday to Friday nights. Radio York also carries some programming from the BBC North East and Cumbria region.
- BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: Radio Humberside shares the late show from Radio Leeds, prior to cost cutting the late show was live and locally produced in Kingston upon Hull.
- BBC North East and Cumbria: John Caine's Rock Show is simulcast across the region with Radio Cumbria and BBC Tees also simulcasting Braithwaite's Country on Sunday evenings. Radio Newcastle broadcasts 24 hours a day throughout the week and BBC Tees broadcasts 24 hours a day on weekdays.
- BBC North West: Indus is broadcast on Radio Manchester and Radio Lancashire on Sunday evenings. Radio Manchester broadcasts 24 hours a day throughout the week.
[edit] Presenters
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[edit] External links
- transdiffusion.org – Details of Newcastle studios.
- northeastradio.co.uk – Details of Nicky Brown's involvement.
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