BBC Three Counties Radio

Broadcast area Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Format Local news, talk and music
Language(s) English
Owner BBC Local Radio,
BBC East
Website BBC Three Counties Radio

BBC Three Counties Radio is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire (referred to as Beds, Herts and Bucks), broadcasting from studios at Grove Park in Dunstable.

History

BBC Radio Bedfordshire (1985–1993)

The station launched as "Radio Bedfordshire" on 24 June 1985, serving the whole of Bedfordshire plus (despite the name) North Bucks and the northern parts of Hertfordshire. Therefore, as well as Luton and Bedford (and the rest of Bedfordshire), Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Harpenden, Aylesbury, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth, Stevenage and Hitchin were served by the new station. In 1992 the station became known as "BBC Radio Bedfordshire with Herts and Bucks".

BBC Three Counties Radio (1993–present)

The station changed to its present name on 5 April 1993. The new name was intended to reflect the wider reach across the three counties and to give equal service to all. The editorial area was not, at that point, expanded but enhanced studio facilities and staff were devoted to Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

The radio station changed to a new freephone number in March 2018 - the new number is 08081 008800

New transmitters at Epping Green and Bedmond extended the coverage to Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and west Hertfordshire in late 2005.

The station's satellite studio at Willen in Milton Keynes produced separate breakfast show for the Milton Keynes area from October 2001 until September 2012. With the opening of new transmitters in Buckinghamshire, the Milton Keynes opt-outs were extended across the whole county, with a separate drivetime show from November 2004 until October 2005, before producing the separate lunchtime programme which ended in February 2007 with a revamp of the schedule. The Buckinghamshire opt-out was scaled back to a breakfast show for Milton Keynes only, Morning MK with Helen Legh. The studio at Willen was also host to Phil Lack's early breakfast until late 2009. In September 2012, Morning MK was axed and replaced with a breakfast show for Beds, Herts and Bucks from BBC 3CR in Luton.

3CR became available on DAB radio on 14 February 2013.[1]

Three Counties moved to brand new studios in Dunstable in June 2015.

Transmitters

BBC Three Counties Radio broadcasts on 90.4FM (Epping Green, near Hertford), 92.1FM (Bedmond, near Hemel Hempstead), 94.7FM (Quainton Hill, near Aylesbury), 95.5FM (Sandy Heath), 98.0FM (High Wycombe), 103.8FM (Zouches Farm, near Luton), 104.5FM (Bow Brickhill, near Milton Keynes), 630 kHz 0.2 kW MW (Lewsey Farm, near Luton), 1161 kHz (Kempston, near Bedford), and streaming from the BBC 3CR website. BBC 3CR is also carried only the Herts, Beds and Bucks digital radio multiplex, transmitted from Sandy Heath, Epping Green, Hemel Hempstead, Chepping Wycombe, Letchworth, Zouches Farm and Bow Brickhill.

Programming

The station's local presenters include Andy Collins (weekday breakfast), Jonathan Vernon-Smith (weekday mornings, saturday mornings), Nick Coffer (weekday afternoons) and Roberto Perrone (weekday drivetime).

Notable past presenters

Station Managers

  • 1985 - 1995: Mike Gibbons, launch editor of BBC Radio Bedfordshire and led the radio station through its re-brand to BBC Three Counties Radio
  • 1995 (Interim): Nigel Dyson
  • 1995 - 1997: David Robey. News editor when the station launched in 1985, David Robey returned to lead the station in 1995 and oversaw its transition to an all-speech service after hring Jon Gaunt, Stephen Rhodes, Gordon Astley and Ronnie Barbour
  • 1997 (Interim): Frances Reid
  • 1997-1998: Andrew Wilson
  • 1998 - 2012: Mark Norman. A former producer with the station, Mark Norman remains the most successful editor in BBC Three Counties Radio's history, leading the station to record audience figures and a record number of Radio Academy Awards nominations for a single BBC Local Radio station, including Station of the Year in 2005 (following nominations in the category in the two preceding years).
  • 2006 (Interim to cover secondment): Angus Moorat
  • 2010 (Interim to cover secondment): Brett Spencer
  • 2012 - Present: Laura Moss. A former receptionist at the station, Laura Moss worked her way up before leaving the station to run BBC Radio Northampton. She returned following the departure of Mark Norman in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ Radio Today. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.

Coordinates: 51°52′37″N 0°25′05″W / 51.877°N 0.418°W / 51.877; -0.418

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