BBC Radio Orkney

BBC Radio Orkney
Kirkwall;
Broadcast area	Orkney
Frequency	FM: 93.7 MHz
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	News, music, sport, talk
Network	BBC Radio Scotland
Ownership
Owner	BBC
Operator	BBC Scotland
Sister stations	BBC Radio Shetland,; BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
History
First air date	9 May 1977; 47 years ago
Technical information
Licensing authority	Ofcom
Transmitter coordinates	58°58′31″N 3°05′03″W / 58.9753°N 3.0842°W
Links
Webcast	BBC Sounds
Website	BBC Radio Orkney listings

BBC Radio Orkney is a community radio station and local opt-out service of BBC Radio Scotland, covering the Orkney Islands. The station is based in Castle Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, in Scotland.

Depending on the time of year, there are either two or three broadcasts per day on weekdays on the BBC Radio Scotland frequency: the flagship breakfast programme Around Orkney, a short lunchtime news at 12:54 pm featuring local news and weather for Orkney and Shetland, and Radio Orkney's Evening Programme.

From January – March, an evening schedule with weekday programmes air from 6 pm to 7 pm.

The station can be heard on 93.7 FM, online via their website, BBC Sounds and via smart speakers.

Programming

Around Orkney

Around Orkney is a news programme broadcast weekday mornings from 7:30 am to 8:00 am (opting out from BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland), featuring local news, weather, travel, sport, daily diary, job opportunities and mart reports. Every Wednesday there is a "Postbag" section featuring letters sent in by listeners. Radio Orkney produced their first-ever outside broadcasts in summer 2007, from the County Show and the Parish Cup Final.^[2]

Radio Orkney's Evening Programme

Radio Orkney's Evening Programme (often referred to as just the evening programme) is a programme broadcast from 6:10 pm to 7:00 pm from Monday–Thursday between the months of October and May. There are various programmes on the evening schedule, including the regular Monday night Bruck programme (swaps and appeals),^[3] a folk music programme (Tuesday Folk)^[4]), a country music programme (On The Border^[5]), Whassigo (described as "an Orcadian Call My Bluff"),^[6] Classic Concert (archive local recordings) and the annual Ba Quiz.

Friday Requests

Friday Requests is broadcast on Friday evenings throughout the year. The programme is identical in structure to the Radio Orkney programme except that it plays music which residents of Orkney have requested through the week via phoning a request line, usually dedicated their requests.^[7]

History

Celtic rock band Wolfstone wrote a signature tune for BBC Radio Orkney. However, it was ultimately unused and appeared on their second album The Chase (1992) as its first track, "Tinnie Run".^[8]

Former Radio Orkney presenter and editor Dave Gray (broadcaster) died suddenly on 21 February 2024 following a short illness. He was 63. Tributes were shared across social media from family, friends, colleagues and listeners. BBC Scotland News managing editor, Peter MacRae, said "The Orkney audience took Dave to their hearts because he was the same person on air as off. He was passionate about Orkney and local journalism and a strong advocate for maintaining the BBC's commitment to Scotland's rural communities."^[9]

References

^ McDowell, W.H. (1992). The History of BBC Broadcasting in Scotland 1923-1983. Edinburgh University Press. p. 257. ISBN 0-7486-0376-X.
^ "Radio Orkney break new ground with live County Show and Parish Cup broadcasts" Archived 28 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The Orcadian. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
^ BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Bruck", retrieved 31 March 2010
^ BBC Radio Scotland - Tuesday Folk, retrieved 24 July 2012
^ BBC Radio Scotland - On The Border, retrieved 24 July 2012
^ BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Whassigo", retrieved 31 March 2010
^ BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Friday Requests", retrieved 31 March 2010
^ "The Chase - Wolfstone | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
^ Tributes to BBC Radio Orkney's Dave Gray after his death at 63 - 22 February 2024 - BBC News

External links

BBC Radio Orkney on BBC Sounds at BBC Online
BBC Radio Orkney on Instagram
BBC Radio Orkney on Facebook
BBC Radio Orkney on Twitter

[1] McDowell, W.H. (1992). The History of BBC Broadcasting in Scotland 1923-1983. Edinburgh University Press. p. 257. ISBN 0-7486-0376-X.

[2] "Radio Orkney break new ground with live County Show and Parish Cup broadcasts" Archived 28 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The Orcadian. Retrieved 31 March 2010.

[3] BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Bruck", retrieved 31 March 2010

[4] BBC Radio Scotland - Tuesday Folk, retrieved 24 July 2012

[5] BBC Radio Scotland - On The Border, retrieved 24 July 2012

[6] BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Whassigo", retrieved 31 March 2010

[7] BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - "Friday Requests", retrieved 31 March 2010

[8] "The Chase - Wolfstone | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.

[9] Tributes to BBC Radio Orkney's Dave Gray after his death at 63 - 22 February 2024 - BBC News

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v t e BBC Scotland
Television	BBC One Scotland BBC Scotland BBC Alba
Radio	BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio nan Gàidheal BBC Radio Orkney BBC Radio Shetland
BBC Gàidhlig BBC Scotland television programmes BBC Pacific Quay Television in Scotland BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The Comedy Unit

v t e Radio in Scotland
BBC regional/local stations	BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio nan Gàidheal BBC Radio Shetland BBC Radio Orkney
Regional commercial stations	Capital Scotland Heart Scotland Smooth Scotland Nation Radio Scotland GO Radio (Glasgow)
Local commercial stations	Central 103.1 FM Clyde 1 (Glasgow - Ayrshire) Forth 1 GHR Ayrshire GHR Dumfries & Galloway GHR Edinburgh, Lothians & Fife GHR Glasgow & The West GHR North East Scotland GHR Scottish Borders and North Northumberland GHR Tayside & Fife Isles FM Kingdom FM MFR Northsound 1 Original 106 Pure Radio Scotland Radio Skye Radio Wester Ross SIBC Smooth Scotland Tay FM
Community, charity & non-profit stations	Bridge FM Bute FM Celtic Music Radio Heartland FM RNIB Connect Radio Isles FM Mearns FM Nevis Radio
Student stations	Air3 Fresh Air Subcity Radio
Defunct stations	2BD Eklipse Sports Radio L107 NECR Peninsula FM Q96 Real Radio Revival FM River FM 96.3 Rock Radio Scot FM The Superstation Talk 107 XFM Scotland Waves Radio Your Radio
Scottish DAB multiplexes	Central Scotland (regional) Aberdeen Ayr Dundee Edinburgh Glasgow Inverness Glasgow small-scale DAB trial
UK national BBC services	BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 5 Live
UK national commercial services	Absolute Radio Classic FM Talksport
UK national DAB multiplexes	BBC National DAB Digital One Sound Digital
See also List of radio stations in the United Kingdom