BBC Radio Merseyside

BBC Radio Merseyside

City of license	Liverpool
Broadcast area	Merseyside, northern Cheshire (available in North East Wales
First air date	22 November 1967
Frequency	95.8 MHz 1458 kHz DAB
Format	Talk / News
Owner	BBC
Website	Radio Merseyside

BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967.

Technical

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts from its studios in Hanover St, Liverpool on 95.8 MHz (Allerton Park) , 1485 KHz(Wallasey)and DAB.

The Allerton Park transmitter also transmits Radio City on 96.7 MHz. Both have the same coverage. DAB signals come from the EMAP Digital Liverpool 11B multiplex from Billinge Hill (strongest signal, near Billinge between St Helens and Wigan), Hope Mountain (between Buckley and Wrexham) and St. John's Beacon (on top of Radio City's studios). EMAP owns Radio City. BBC DAB National comes from Moel-y-Parc (the main television transmitter for North Wales) in Flintshire, which also has Digital One, and the North West MXR 12C multiplex.

On 15th July 2006 BBC Radio Merseyside moved from its former home in Paradise Street, Liverpool, to a new purpose-built studio building on the corner of Hanover Street and College Lane in Liverpool. This building has three ground-floor studios next to a public performance space. An open learning centre is on the first floor and the main office is on the second floor.

Staff

The Managing Editor, Mick Ord has stood down from his role for nine months (July 2007 to February 2008) to coordinate the BBC's response to Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture. The current Acting Editor is Phil Roberts. The Assistant Editor is Jonathan Hallewell.

Presenters include Roger Philips, Tony Snell, Billy Butler, Roger Lyon, Linda McDermott, Lucinda Moore, Sean Styles, Maureen Walsh, Claire Hamilton and Wayne Clarke.

Programming

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts from 6am until 1am each day, though formerly it shared programming with other BBC local radio stations in the North West and BBC Night Network. The first programme from the new building was presented by David Kenyon (aka Ian Kenyon).

Simon O'Brien was the former bresnter of the Breakfast Show from September 2006 until 25th June 2007. However, when he resigned after the accidental broadcast of a package which he had prepared of him saying "fuck the government, fuck the planners".

Since 28th August 2007, Liverpool's 800th birthday, the breakfast show has been hosted by Tony Snell from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The new mid-morning programme from 10:00 a.m. to 12noon is hosted by local comedian Sean Styles. Roger Phillips and Billy Butler have continued in their afternoon programmes. Claire Hamilton presents the drivetime programme. Since early October 2007, the Late Show (10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.) has been presented by Linda McDermott.

Trivia

In 2004, reporters Simon Moffatt and Simon Harris flew to South Africa and launched the "Books for Tembisa" campaign. It was an inspired appeal as it was not 'give us your money.' The two journalists introduced us to children like Elton who told about their difficult lives in the township of Tembisa. The listeners were then asked to donate books. Over 100,000 children's books were donated and the radio station then built something like 40 libraries in Tembisa Schools.

For two days on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th September 2007, the BBC's regional news programme North West Tonight (and lunchtime bulletin North West Today) was broadcast live from Radio Merseyside's studios in Liverpool whilst a new set was installed in the regional news studio in Manchester. Gordon Burns presented the programme from the performance space at Radio Merseyside's Hanover Street base.