BBC Radio Solent

BBC Radio Solent

File:BBC Radio Solent.png
Southampton (with smaller offices in Bournemouth, Dorchester, Newport, Poole and Portsmouth)
Broadcast area	Hampshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight
Frequency	96.1 FM, 999 MW, 1359 MW DAB (NOW South Hampshire) Freeview: 722 Dorset version: 103.8 FM, Dorset DAB, Freeview: 734
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	Local news, talk and music
Ownership
Owner	BBC Local Radio, BBC South
History
First air date	31 December 1970
Links
Website	BBC Radio Solent

BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth, Newport, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester. It was based until 1991 in South Western House, the former railway hotel at the old Southampton Terminus station.

The station, which began broadcasting on 31 December 1970, is named after the Solent, the area of sea between Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. In 1996 Radio Solent expanded its coverage into West Dorset by taking over neighbouring BBC Dorset FM, which was formerly an opt-out of BBC Radio Devon. In 2013 a new programme targeted specifically for Dorset listeners on 103.8FM was launched under the name Breakfast in Dorset, after campaigns for a more locally focused service. The programme comes from a studio complex based in Dorchester and the programme is also broadcast county wide on DAB.

Transmitters

Nick Girdler in the BBC Radio Solent studio in Southampton.

The service is broadcast on 96.1 FM and 999 AM for Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and eastern Dorset; and on 103.8 FM and 1359 AM for western Dorset; on DAB (NOW South Hampshire and NOW Bournemouth); and via its website using Flash and Windows Media streaming formats.

North and north-east Hampshire

The signal for Hampshire on 96.1 FM from Rowridge on the Isle of Wight is less clearly audible north of Winchester than the transmissions from other BBC Local Radio stations, so that the north Hampshire town of Basingstoke is officially looked after by BBC Radio Berkshire (on 104.1 FM from Hannington), while towns such as Aldershot, Farnborough and Fleet in the north-east of the county are served by BBC Surrey via their Guildford transmitter on 104.6 FM. BBC Surrey's slogan into the news is: "The radio station for Surrey & North-East Hampshire".

Programming

The majority of the station's programming is produced and broadcast from Southampton. During off-peak hours, BBC Radio Solent also produces some regional programming for the South and South East regions. As with all BBC Local Radio stations, it also airs the networked weekday evening shows, originating from BBC Radio Leeds and produced independently by Wire Free Productions. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Solent simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live overnight.

The station's local presenters include Julian Clegg, Alex Dyke and Paul Miller.

Notable past presenters

• Kenny Everett (presenter, 1972)
• John Piper - (Broadcaster) (Presenter of Piper's Tune throughout the 1970s, left to launch 2CR in Bournemouth)
• Richard Skinner (broadcaster) (newsreader, left to join BBC Radio 1 in 1973. Now presents for Xfm London)
• Peter White (broadcaster)(the BBC's Disability Affairs Correspondent, worked for Radio Solent from 1967-2006)
• Seán Street (broadcaster, poet, writer, and Britain's first Professor of Radio)
• Carolyn Quinn (now a BBC Radio 4 presenter)
• Lee McKenzie (male sports broadcaster) (music and sport presenter, later BBC Radio horse racing commentator)
• Sally Taylor (broadcaster, presenter of BBC One South's South Today. Worked for BBC Radio Solent 2006-2011)

External links

• BBC Radio Solent Official Site.
• Media UK - BBC Radio Solent