BBC Radio Newcastle

BBC Radio Newcastle

City of license	Newcastle upon Tyne
Broadcast area	Tyne and Wear Northumberland northern County Durham
Slogan	The Sound of the North East
Frequency	FM 95.4 MHz (Pontop Pike) DAB: 11C (Burnhope)
Repeaters	Chatton: FM 96.0 MHz Newton: FM 103.7 MHz Fenham: FM 104.4 MHz Fenham: DAB 11C
First air date	2 January 1971 (1971-01-02)
Format	Mainly local news and talk, with a range of music from across the decades.
Language(s)	English
Transmitter coordinates
Former frequencies	AM: 1458 kHz (Wrekenton)
Owner	BBC
Sister stations	BBC Radio Cumbria BBC Radio Tees
Webcast	BBC Sounds
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The "Pink Palace" - the studio and office complex of BBC Look North and BBC Radio Newcastle

BBC Radio Newcastle is the BBC's local radio station serving Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Barrack Road in Newcastle upon Tyne.

According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 218,000 listeners and a 7% share as of March 2020.

Technical

The Pontop Pike transmitter broadcasts the strongest signal on 95.4 MHz. This transmitter, one of the first in the country, provides Tyneside and parts of Wearside with national radio frequencies, terrestrial television, BBC National DAB and Digital One. The 96 MHz frequency from Chatton covers most of the populated areas of east Northumberland. The other two FM transmitters are much weaker.

The Fenham transmitter, for west Newcastle and Gateshead is situated close to the studios on Barrack Road. It also broadcasts television, national radio, BBC National DAB, Digital One, the MXR North East 12C multiplex, Heart North East on 96.2, Metro Radio on 103 and Capital North East on 105.6. The Newton transmitter also has television channels, national radio, Heart on 96.4, Metro Radio on 103.2, and Capital North East on 105.8.

The DAB signal comes mainly from Burnhope (near Consett), and also from Fenham (lower power), on the Bauer Digital Radio multiplex.

In addition, BBC Radio Newcastle also broadcasts on Freeview TV channel 719 and streams online via BBC Sounds.

Programming

Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC Radio Newcastle's studios from 6am - 1am each day.

The station's late show, airing from 10pm - 1am, is simulcast every night on BBC Radio Tees and on BBC Radio Cumbria on Fridays.

During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Newcastle simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

Presenters

Notable current presenters include:

• Alfie Joey (weekday breakfast)

The station's team of sports commentators includes Gary Bennett, Marco Gabbiadini, Matthew Raisbeck and John Anderson.

BBC Radio Sunderland

In January 2021, BBC Radio Sunderland launched as a temporary sister station. The service provided eight hours of opt-out programming for listeners in Sunderland and the surrounding area each weekday until March 2021.

Notable former presenters

• Alex Hall
• Lisa Shaw
• Frank Wappat

External links

• media.info - BBC Radio Newcastle
• History of local radio in Tyneside and Northumberland
• Chatton transmitter
• Fenham transmitter
• Newton transmitter
• Pontop Pike transmitter (including coverage map)