BBC Radio Solent

BBC Local Radio service for Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, England

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BBC Radio Solent

* Southampton and Dorchester

Broadcast area| Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight
Frequency| FM: 96.1 MHz (Hampshire, Isle of Wight and East Dorset)
FM: 103.8 MHz (Central and West Dorset)
DAB: 11B (Bournemouth)
DAB: 11C (South Hampshire)
Freeview: 714 (Hampshire)
Freeview: 715 (Dorset)
RDS| BBC SLNT
Programming
Language| English
Format| Local news, talk and music
Ownership
Owner| BBC Local Radio,
BBC South,
BBC South West
History

First air date

| 31 December 1970

Former frequencies

| 999 MW
1359 MW
Technical information

Licensing authority

| Ofcom
Links
Website| www.bbc.co.uk/radiosolent/

BBC Radio Solent is the BBC's local radio station serving Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, broadcasting on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road in Southampton.

According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 204,000 listeners and a 4.2% share as of September 2023.[1]

## History

[edit]

The station began broadcasting on 31 December 1970. It 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 and South Dorset by taking over neighbouring BBC Dorset FM, which was formerly an opt-out of BBC Radio Devon.

In 2013, a new programme specifically for Dorset listeners on 103.8 FM was launched under the name Breakfast in Dorset, after campaigns for a more locally focused service. The programme is presented by Steve Harris from a studio complex in Dorchester and also broadcasts county-wide on DAB.

## Technical

[edit]

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Former presenter Nick Girdler in an original BBC Radio Solent studio in Southampton

The service is broadcast on 96.1 FM for Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and eastern Dorset from Rowridge transmitting station on the Isle of Wight; and on 103.8 FM for western Dorset from Bincombe Hill transmitter. Since 2003, the station has also been broadcast on DAB Digital Radio from the NOW South Hampshire and NOW Bournemouth networks from thirteen transmitters between them.[2][3][4]

The station also broadcasts on Freeview TV channels 714 (Hampshire / Isle of Wight) and 715 (Dorset) in the BBC South region, and streams online via BBC Sounds. Freeview TV channel 715 (Dorset) is also broadcast in the BBC South West and BBC West regions.

From launch until 2020,[5] BBC Radio Solent broadcast on medium wave, with the main AM transmitter on 999 kHz from Fareham covering most of the coverage area and a secondary transmitter covering Bournemouth and Poole on 1359 kHz from Fern Barrow, Bournemouth.[4]

### North and north-east Hampshire

[edit]

The signal for Hampshire on 96.1 FM from Rowridge on the Isle of Wight is weaker north of Winchester than the transmissions from other BBC Local Radio stations, so that the north Hampshire towns of Basingstoke and Andover are officially served by BBC Radio Berkshire,[6] while towns such as Aldershot, Farnborough and Fleet in the north-east of the county are served by BBC Radio Surrey.

## Programming

[edit]

As of 2023, local programming was produced and broadcast from the BBC's Southampton studios from 6 am to 6 pm each Monday to Friday and for sports coverage. Full speech content is required during the breakfast peak of 7 am to 8.30 am.[7] The station must also provide at least 95 hours of locally-made programming per week, that provides news, information and content relevant to the areas and communities it serves.[8]

On weekdays, the station's 6 am to 10 am breakfast show, 10 am to 2 pm morning show and 2 pm to 6 pm afternoon show are broadcast solely to the station's broadcast area.[9]

The station's Saturday and Sunday afternoon show is occupied by sports coverage under the BBC Radio Solent Sport banner. The Saturday evening 8 pm to 10 pm slot is occupied by the BBC Music Introducing programme[10] which features music from new and up and coming artists from the local area.[11] The show helped discover and launch the careers of Wet Leg[12] and has featured artists such as Natives[13] and Echotape.

During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Solent simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live between 1 am and 6am

## Presenters

[edit]

### Notable past presenters

[edit]

* Roger Day (DJ and presenter, left in 2012, now at Boom Radio)[14]
* Kenny Everett (1972)
* Nick Girdler (1972–2006, 2009–2019)
* Nicky Horne (left in 2019, now at Boom Radio)
* Simon Jupp (former Member of Parliament for East Devon)
* Andrew Peach (now at BBC Radio Berkshire)
* John Piper (presented Piper's Tune throughout the 1970s, left to launch 2CR in Bournemouth)
* Carolyn Quinn (left to join BBC Radio 4)
* Richard Skinner (newsreader, left to join BBC Radio 1 in 1973)
* Sean Street (broadcaster, poet, writer, and Britain's first Professor of Radio)
* Sally Taylor (presenter on BBC South Today, worked for Radio Solent from 2006 to 2011)
* Peter White (the BBC's Disability Affairs Correspondent, worked for Radio Solent from 1970 to 2006)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "RAJAR". RAJAR. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
2. ^ "Now Digital South Hampshire DAB Multiplex". radiodns.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
3. ^ "Now Digital Bournemouth DAB Multiplex". radiodns.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
4. ^ a b "BBC Radio Solent Station Information". BBC Dorset. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
5. ^ "BBC Radio to close more medium wave transmitters". 14 January 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
6. ^ "BBC Radio Berkshire - BBC Radio Berkshire, Baby beavers welcomed to Basingstoke estate". BBC. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
7. ^ "Operating licence for the BBC's UK Public Services" (PDF). Ofcom. 13 October 2017. p. 31. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
8. ^ "Operating licence for the BBC's UK Public Services" (PDF). Ofcom. 13 October 2017. p. 32. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
9. ^ "BBC Sounds - Radio Solent - Schedules". BBC. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
10. ^ "Radio Solent Schedule". BBC Sounds. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
11. ^ "New BBC Introducing show for Solent's musical talent". Southern Daily Echo. Newsquest Media Group. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
12. ^ "Sound Of 2022: Meet the Introducing Artists on the Longlist". BBC Music Introducing. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
13. ^ "Natives – Interview at BBC Introducing: Solent". British Broadcasting Corporation. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
14. ^ Yandell, Chris (20 August 2012), "Listener petition to save the Roger Day show on BBC Radio Solent", Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 27 January 2018

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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BBC Radio

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Related articles|

* Timeline of BBC Local Radio
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* v
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Radio stations in Hampshire, England

Major stations|

* Greatest Hits Radio South
* Easy Radio South Coast
* BBC Radio Solent
* Capital South
* Smooth Radio
* Heart South
* Nation Radio South Coast

Community radio|

* Andover Radio (Andover)
* Skyline Community Radio (Hedge End)
* Unity 101 (Southampton)
* 103.9 Voice FM (Southampton)

Student radio|

* Echo Radio (Farnborough)
* Pure FM (Portsmouth)
* Radio Sonar (Solent)
* Surge (Southampton)

DAB multiplexes|

* NOW South Hampshire
* NOW Berkshire & North Hampshire

See also
List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
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