Radio Stations: Which one(s) do you listen to?

GusB · 25 Feb 2017

Radio 4? What's that?

The only thing I know about Radio 4 is that it's one of the stations broadcast by one of the muckle great transmitters a few miles away.

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yorksrob · 25 Feb 2017

Well, today is the last day that Annika Rice is doing her Saturday morning show on Radio 2, which is a great shame as far as I'm concerned. I've started out many a weekend on the rails listening to Annika.

Strat-tastic · 7 Apr 2017

For those of us who can be a bit pedantic, shall we say

, there is the Grammar Phone-in on Radio 5L. It is on approximately every two weeks (sports & news dependant) from 2-4 am Mondays.

It was on last Monday so next on on the 17th which is Easter Monday so perhaps not? :lol:

Anyway, if you're interested, there's your heads up

Tetchytyke · 7 Apr 2017

Bevan Price said:
Thanks - but just checked Radio Times and found that neither are on air at convenient times - quite apart from the fact that I can only get reliable DAB signal is in the bedroom. So much of my DAB listening tends to be early morning or late evening.

Gideon Coe, 9-12 weeknights, plays a lot of interesting stuff, and a lot of it is quite obscure. Don Letts' show on a Sunday night is pretty good too.

I normally listen to Coe when I go to bed, though I'm not sure how relaxing Delta 5 really are :lol:

The car has a DAB radio in it, and it's a battle of wills with t'missus. I have 6 Music on, she has 4 Extra.

miami · 7 Apr 2017

Bevan Price said:
Thanks - but just checked Radio Times and found that neither are on air at convenient times - quite apart from the fact that I can only get reliable DAB signal is in the bedroom. So much of my DAB listening tends to be early morning or late evening.

It's on iplayer - either on your phone, or on computer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072l4x/episodes/player

Smelly_Diesel · 2 May 2017

I only tend to listen to one station (Moorlandsradio.co.uk) once a week (10pm Tuesday's) because someone very close to me actually hosts the show and he listens back to the show (As it's pre-recorded a few days earlier) and communicates with fans via the Facebook page. In the days of John Peel, used to be a thrice weekly listener of BBC R1 and I have in the past listened to KCRW in the U.S.A And Resonace FM on the net.

DaleCooper · 2 May 2017

Jazz24 - http://jazz24.radio.net/ - no adverts!

dcsprior · 3 May 2017

These days my radio listening is mainly in the car. I'll tend to listen to BBC Radio Scotland when it's broadcasting news/current affairs or music that I like, when it isn't I'll listen to BBC radio 4 or Radio Forth. I'll also listen to the last of these when my wife is in the car.
When I'm at home or work and listening to the "radio" it'll be BBC R6 Music or Amazon music "stations"

gareth950 · 3 May 2017

J-2739 said:
The thread title says it all!

Capital FM: Yorkshire's no.1 Hit Music Station!

Sometimes Hallam also.

You obviously don't remember Capital Yorkshire when it was the mighty Galaxy 105, then the biggest radio station in terms of listeners and geographical area covered outside of London.

The Galaxy network from 1997 - 2008 was quite simply the best specialist dance music radio network in the UK. Then Chrysalis decided to exit the radio market in 2007 selling Galaxy and Heart to Global radio.

Galaxy was then morphed into another bland, run of the mill, repetitive, devoid of personality hit music station, eventually becoming Capital in January 2011. Juice FM Liverpool suffered the same fate in January last year.

Nowadays internet radio is the only way to go for me. Gaydio isn't too bad for dance music, but daytimes are quite commercial. Although every bank holiday Monday they do a whole day of classic dance anthems, and not just the usual suspects, which I would recommend listening in for.

meridian2 · 4 May 2017

Welshman said:
Radio 3 mainly, except the Jazz programmes.

I remember being bombarded by "Heart FM" during a hospital appointment recently. Waiting to see my cardiac specialist was bad enough.

Agree on all counts. I used to dread taking the kids to A&E for the large screens playing interminable advert strewn daytime TV programmes in the waiting room. I took a gym membership trial period and gave that up for the endless pop videos and adverts. Even the dentist has Radio 2's inane babel on constantly. I resent having to listen to or watch things I haven't chosen to access a service.

As a non-telly watcher my media consumption is restricted to Radio 3, but I recently spent time with R4's Today Programme. Then I worked out what was driving me nuts - they never let anyone finish their point. Guests on R3 get to finish what they're saying, it avoids the competitive hysteria of talk radio stations. I also avoid the jazz shows.

Howardh · 4 May 2017

clappers said:
Agree on all counts. I used to dread taking the kids to A&E for the large screens playing interminable advert strewn daytime TV programmes in the waiting room. I took a gym membership trial period and gave that up for the endless pop videos and adverts. Even the dentist has Radio 2's inane babel on constantly. I resent having to listen to or watch things I haven't chosen to access a service.

.

Have you asked them to turn it off? One doctors surgery I know had local ads on their TV screens all day, their reasoning was it paid towards the upkeep of the surgery. Personal y I'd rather put a quid into a box than have a TV on with ads, musak or anything.

My actual surgery just has BBC 1 on mute with subtitles, even so that's unnecessary. At leats they don't play musak, one reason it would drown the "beep" when a patient's name comes on screen.

As an aside, I know firms/shops have to pay for a licence to play music/musak (what's wrong with the sound of crashing waves, seagulls??) but I would hit them hard with tax on top, if they want to play music then it's a certain amount per square metre where the darned stuff can be heard.

Then, when it hits their profits, we'll find out if the musak's on due to "customer demand"

Pakenhamtrain · 4 May 2017

I tend to go all over the shop.
During the drive home I've got Fox FM on. For the AFL coverage depends on the game and day. In general it's SEN1116, Triple M and 3AW.

ESPN Radio and BBC World service get a go at night every so often.

DarloRich · 4 May 2017

I have stumbled across something called "Union Jack" on the van digital radio. Seems to play only British hits and has no DJ. There are "funny" voice overs in the gaps between songs and no adverts. It seems to be controlled via an app.

pemma · 4 May 2017

Absolute, Radio X and Virgin. Although, I usually listen to the contents of a large USB stick containing music I've purchased rather than the radio.

Darandio · 1 Jun 2019

Yes, i'm digging up and old thread here. Been playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 and using the in-game radio (as you do) and stumbled across XS Manchester. Fantastic if you like classic rock and britpop. Last half hour has seen Cast, Embrace, Bowie and T-Rex.

Unless I just caught them on a really good day.

richw · 1 Jun 2019

Heart has lost me for breakfast and drive time now they’ve killed off local content as of this weekend.

I used to vary between Heart and Pirate Fm. I’ve stuck to pirate since Heart announced they were dropping (very) local stuff.

Busaholic · 1 Jun 2019

My butler can only find Radio 4 on our wireless transmitter (though I believe the screen shows Droitwich, wherever that may be!)

Howardh · 1 Jun 2019

Busaholic said:
My butler can only find Radio 4 on our wireless transmitter (though I believe the screen shows Droitwich, wherever that may be!)

Is that the new fangled name for the Home Service?

Might be worth asking if anyone on here was a DX'r - which (to me) means - before the internet and satellite radio - listening to long distance stations, mainly on short wave but always fun when in the UK we collected stations not meant for us (ie local continental ones where the conditions allowed the signal to travel some distance).

In Bolton I once managed Plymouth Sound - i think on FM but more likely AM; and in Scotland I once got Canadian TV on a caravan portable....the programme was in French! In fact the signal from Canada was - for that brief time - better than the local TV around Ullapool.

DX'rs always had a batch of postcards which they sent to those radio and TV stations who found them informative. Or so they said....

radamfi · 1 Jun 2019

Howardh said:
Might be worth asking if anyone on here was a DX'r - which (to me) means - before the internet and satellite radio - listening to long distance stations, mainly on short wave but always fun when in the UK we collected stations not meant for us (ie local continental ones where the conditions allowed the signal to travel some distance).

In Bolton I once managed Plymouth Sound - i think on FM but more likely AM; and in Scotland I once got Canadian TV on a caravan portable....the programme was in French! In fact the signal from Canada was - for that brief time - better than the local TV around Ullapool.

DX'rs always had a batch of postcards which they sent to those radio and TV stations who found them informative. Or so they said....

Lots of people are still interested in picking up distant AM/FM/DAB stations:

https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/1670783/atmospherics-merged-part-3/p169

Plymouth Sound was on 1152 kHz (transmitter now used for Smooth), which is the same frequency used by what is now Gold (previously Magic and Piccadilly) from the transmitter near Ashton-under-Lyne. Therefore the signal would have had to have drowned out the Manchester transmission to be heard in Bolton. Possible given that Bolton is some distance from the transmitter. Nighttime interference from long distance stations is normal on AM (one of the main reasons for the decline in AM listening) but long distance reception of FM stations is generally only possible when atmospheric conditions permit.

The main FM frequency was 97.0 MHz, until a relay for Tavistock opened on 96.6. 97.0 is again the same as what Piccadilly used until the mid 80s when it moved to 103.0 MHz. So it would have had to be a very strong "lift" to obliterate Piccadilly so it could be heard in Bolton, if this happened before the shift to 103.

Bletchleyite · 1 Jun 2019

I didn't used to listen to a lot of radio, but of late I've had Three Counties on in the background except when on teleconferences.

Ianno87 · 1 Jun 2019

Absolute Radio or Absolute Radio 90s (to "take me back")

richw · 1 Jun 2019

Can regularly pick up Radio Pembrokeshire in Cornwall, and very occasionally French stiff

UP13 · 1 Jun 2019

Kerrang Radio.

yorksrob · 1 Jun 2019

Darandio said:
Yes, i'm digging up and old thread here. Been playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 and using the in-game radio (as you do) and stumbled across XS Manchester. Fantastic if you like classic rock and britpop. Last half hour has seen Cast, Embrace, Bowie and T-Rex.

Unless I just caught them on a really good day.

Like all of those. Radio 2 should play more of the like and less grating modern pop.

GusB · 1 Jun 2019

Ianno87 said:
Absolute Radio or Absolute Radio 90s (to "take me back")

For some bizarre reason I can no longer get Absolute 90s - it was one of the reasons I finally decided to get a DAB radio.
I have since discovered Heart 80s which keeps me entertained when there's nothing on BBC radio that I want to listen to.

Busaholic · 1 Jun 2019

Howardh said:
Is that the new fangled name for the Home Service?

Might be worth asking if anyone on here was a DX'r - which (to me) means - before the internet and satellite radio - listening to long distance stations, mainly on short wave but always fun when in the UK we collected stations not meant for us (ie local continental ones where the conditions allowed the signal to travel some distance).

In Bolton I once managed Plymouth Sound - i think on FM but more likely AM; and in Scotland I once got Canadian TV on a caravan portable....the programme was in French! In fact the signal from Canada was - for that brief time - better than the local TV around Ullapool.

DX'rs always had a batch of postcards which they sent to those radio and TV stations who found them informative. Or so they said....

In pre pirate and Radio 1 days Radio Luxembourg was all that was available, and that ended around midnight, only starting at 7.30 p.m. iirc. I spent months of my teenage life trying to get foreign stations of interest, including American Forces in Germany, etc, and became obsessed with trying to get US stations on Short Wave and, on just one occasion, I believe I just about heard a few minutes of a Texan country station, if that is possible. The sound volume was about minus 1 on the scale, complete with all that SW interference, and I never achieved it again, to my chagrin.

yorksrob · 1 Jun 2019

Busaholic said:
In pre pirate and Radio 1 days Radio Luxembourg was all that was available, and that ended around midnight, only starting at 7.30 p.m. iirc. I spent months of my teenage life trying to get foreign stations of interest, including American Forces in Germany, etc, and became obsessed with trying to get US stations on Short Wave and, on just one occasion, I believe I just about heard a few minutes of a Texan country station, if that is possible. The sound volume was about minus 1 on the scale, complete with all that SW interference, and I never achieved it again, to my chagrin.

It's fascinating to hear what people were listening to pre-luxembourg. Was Mr Orbison on the airwaves at that time ?

radamfi · 2 Jun 2019

GusB said:
For some bizarre reason I can no longer get Absolute 90s - it was one of the reasons I finally decided to get a DAB radio.
I have since discovered Heart 80s which keeps me entertained when there's nothing on BBC radio that I want to listen to.

In February, Absolute 90s moved multiplexes from Digital One to Sound Digital. Sound Digital has less coverage but the owner of Absolute is part owner of Sound Digital so it is cheaper to run.

Sound Digital coverage in Scotland is quite limited but was recently extended to Aberdeen

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/stationmap-new.php?stid=651&svtid=8

Digital One has better coverage in the north of Scotland as it has a transmitter serving the Moray Firth as well as one for Aberdeen

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/stationmap-new.php?stid=440&svtid=8

Absolute 90s on DAB sucks anyway as it is only in mono. Online listening is much better as it is in stereo and DAB is only really useful out and about, for example in cars. Some cars now even have internet radio and even if it doesn't you can connect your phone by Bluetooth or use an Aux cable.

In the home there is almost no point in DAB if you have Wi-Fi.

GusB · 2 Jun 2019

radamfi said:
In February, Absolute 90s moved multiplexes from Digital One to Sound Digital. Sound Digital has less coverage but the owner of Absolute is part owner of Sound Digital so it is cheaper to run.

Sound Digital coverage in Scotland is quite limited but was recently extended to Aberdeen

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/stationmap-new.php?stid=651&svtid=8

Digital One has better coverage in the north of Scotland as it has a transmitter serving the Moray Firth as well as one for Aberdeen

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/stationmap-new.php?stid=440&svtid=8

Absolute 90s on DAB sucks anyway as it is only in mono. Online listening is much better as it is in stereo and DAB is only really useful out and about, for example in cars. Some cars now even have internet radio and even if it doesn't you can connect your phone by Bluetooth or use an Aux cable.

In the home there is almost no point in DAB if you have Wi-Fi.

Thank you for that explanation. It was around that time that I lost the station, and tried to rescan a couple of times to no avail. I thought initially that I had the aerial misaligned, but I have no issues with reception on other stations (BBC Radio Scotland on FM being the exception).

As an aside, in our old house we used to be able to hear Radio Scotland on our phone line. I'm assuming this was purely down to the proximity of the transmitters at Burghead; they're less than two miles away. People who called us would often comment that they could hear music or other speech, but we got used to it after a while!

yorksrob · 2 Jun 2019

It says something about Radio 2 that they haven't got a "Sounds of the Nineties" yet.

Not trendy enough. They'd rather have us listening to dreadful pop music that belongs on Radio 1.

Radio Stations: Which one(s) do you listen to?

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