BBC Radio Manchester

BBC Radio Manchester

City of license	Manchester
Broadcast area	Greater Manchester and Warrington
Frequency	95.1 MHz, 104.6 MHz
First air date	10 September 1970
Format	Local news, talk and music
Language	English
Audience share	3.6% (March 2011, [1])
Owner	BBC Local Radio, BBC North West
Webcast	WMA
Website	www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local radio/

"BBC Manchester" redirects here. For the studios to which many BBC national TV and radio programmes relocated in 2011, see MediaCityUK. For the BBC English region based in Manchester, see BBC North West.

BBC Radio Manchester is a BBC Local Radio station broadcasting to Greater Manchester and north east Cheshire in North West England. It broadcasts 24 hours a day from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays via a transmitter at Holme Moss, with a small repeater at Saddleworth covering Tameside and Saddleworth. It can also be heard on DAB radio and via internet streaming.

History

BBC Radio Manchester (1970-1988)

BBC Radio Manchester originally launched on 10 September 1970 as the first local radio station in the city of Manchester. Initially broadcasting from small studios at Picadilly Gardens in Manchester City Centre, the station's long-standing home was New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road in the city.

Opt-out stations

In 1983 and 1984 BBC Radio Manchester ran a series of experimental community stations, each of which used the 1296kHz AM frequency in turn. The stations were BBC Radio Bury (late 1983/early 1984), BBC Radio Oldham, BBC Radio Rochdale (eight weeks from 14 May 1984), BBC Radio Trafford (which operated from a mobile studio in a school playground) and BBC Radio Wigan (summer 1984). The stations were part-time services which opted out from the main BBC Radio Manchester service.

BBC GMR (1988-2006)

From October 1988 until 3 April 2006, the station was named BBC GMR (and, for a brief period in 1997, GMR Talk). GMR were the initials of its name, BBC Greater Manchester Radio. Programmes included a phone-in with Allan Beswick (now the station's weekday breakfast presenter), late-night music and comedy show Michelle Mullane around Midnight and GMR Brass, a brass band music programme. GMR was also part of the BBC Night Network.

BBC Radio Manchester relaunch (2006-present)

Eighteen years after dropping the name of the city, the station reverted back to its original name, Radio Manchester. The first voice on the relaunched station was that of the late Tony Wilson and followed by long-time local personality and breakfast presenter Terry Christian, the first song being Manchester by The Beautiful South.

At 6am on Saturday 8 October 2011, the station ended transmission from its Oxford Road studios in Manchester and began broadcasting from MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. The final show from Oxford Road was presented by Darryl Morris and the first from the new studios by Andy Crane.

Programming

Weekdays

Time	Main presenter(s)/programme	Location
0100–0300	Dreamtime (automated)	Manchester
0300–0600	Darryl Morris
0600–0900	Allan Beswick
0900–1200	Heather Stott
1200–1400	Andy Crane
1400–1700	Becky Want
1700–1800	Manchester Now: Steve Saul
1800–2200	Various (see below)
2200–0100	John Barnes	Blackburn

Weekday variations

Day	Time	Main presenter/programme	Location
Monday	1800–1900	Manchester Business: Steve Saul	Manchester
	1900–2000	Citizen Manchester — Jewish
	2000–2100	Citizen Manchester — Irish
	2100–2200	Citizen Manchester — LGBT
Tuesday	1800–2200	Manchester Reloaded
Wednesday
Thursday	1800–1900	Manchester Sports - In The Spotlight: Ian Cheeseman
	1900–2100	Rugby League Extra: Jack Dearden & Trevor Hunt
	2100–2200	Gourmet Night: Matt White
Friday	0300–0600	Adam Brown
	1800–2200	Manchester Sports
	2200–0100	Matt White

Saturday

Time	Main presenter(s)/programme	Location
0100–0300	Adam Brown & Danielle Porter	Manchester
0300–0600	Darryl Morris
0600–0900	Andy Crane
0900–1100	Retail Therapy: Becky Want
1100–1300	Manhunt: Chris Holliday & Emma Goswell
1300–1800	"Manchester Sports"
1800–2100	The People: Karen Gabay & 'Mr V'
2100–0000	Manchester Music: Natalie-Eve Williams & Michelle Hussey

Sunday

Time	Main presenter(s)/programme	Location
0000–0200	Adam Brown & Danielle Porter	Manchester
0200–0600	Kriss Herbert
0600–0900	Mike Shaft
0900–1100	Gordon Burns
1100–1400	Eamonn O'Neal & Jimmy Wagg
1400–1800	Manchester Sports
1800–2000	Chinatown
2000–2200	Indus: Talat Farooq Awan
2200–0100	BBC Introducing: Michelle Hussey

Former presenters

• Terry Christian (Former weekday breakfast & drivetime presenter)
• Michelle Daniels (Former weekday drivetime presenter)
• Mark Edwardson (Former weekday breakfast presenter, currently a newsreader)
• Richard Fair (Former weekday afternoon presenter)
• Paul Graham (Former early breakfast presenter)
• Susie Mathis
• Caroline Woodruff (Sunday Spin)

• Michelle Mullane (Former weekday late presenter, now at Key 103)
• Gail Sullivan (Former weekday late presenter)
• Tony Wilson (Former Saturday lunchtime presenter)
• Phil Wood (Former weekday late presenter)
• Lee Stone (Now on BBC Radio Wiltshire)
• Nick Robins (Former weekday late presenter, now at BBC Radio Stoke)
• Jeff Cooper

See also

• Manchester Sports

External links

• BBC Radio Manchester official website