UK

Virgin Radio UK has been named as official radio station for CarFest, Latitude and Hardwick Festival.

Latitude takes place at Henham Park in Suffolk on 25th to 28th July, Hardwick Festival is on at Hardwick Hall in Durham on 16th to 18th August, whilst CarFest will be on in Laverstoke Park Farm in Overton on 23rd to 25th August.
The station will be broadcasting live on the ground from the three events so that listeners can enjoy the atmosphere without worrying about sleeping in a tent or buying wellies.
Headline acts like Duran Duran, Keane, Snow Patrol, Richard Ashcroft, Deacon Blue & UB40 will be hanging out as Steve Denyer & Stu Elmore bring the best chats and live tracks back to the Virgin Radio UK audience.
Mike Cass, Content Director, Virgin Radio UK says: “Virgin Radio UK is all about celebrating the best music out there – and we’re delighted to be in the middle of it all during festival season this year.”
Anjna Raheja, Festival Director of CarFest, says, “Virgin Radio has been part of the CarFest family for the past few years, and we are delighted to have made this official. The support the station gives us is incredible and a true partnership… like-minded visitors, listeners, music artists and presenters all coming together to ensure that CarFest continues to grow, flourish and raise money for UK children’s charities.”
Hardick Festival founder John Adamson says, “We are delighted to welcome Virgin Radio as our official broadcast partner for Hardwick Festival’s 10th Anniversary. Join us from 16th – 18th August 2024 as we celebrate a decade of exceptional music and entertainment with our biggest and best line-up to date. This milestone promises to be our most memorable Festival yet.”
Latitude’s Festival Director, Melvin Benn, says: “We are thrilled to welcome Virgin Radio back as a broadcast partner for this year’s Latitude Festival. Our shared commitment to showcasing exceptional music and comedy makes for a great partnership.
“The Latitude lineup, featuring Duran Duran, Keane, Nile Rodgers, Rag’n’Bone Man, Rick Astley, and Myles Smith, is adored by the Virgin audience. Likewise, comedians such as Sara Pascoe, Jo Brand, Judi Love, and Joanne McNally are firm listener favourites, so a great fit.” […]

Capital Breakfast presenters Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby are the first speakers to be announced for Radiocentre’s next Tuning In conference. 
The trio, who have been working together on the show since April, will take to the stage at London’s Picturehouse Central on 17 th September.
They will discuss how they entertain the nation every day and the work they do with commercial partners to bring brands into the show. Their appearance will be the first time they have sat down with advertisers and agencies since Jordan North joined the team.  
Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton says: “We are delighted to welcome Global’s  high profile breakfast show hosts to the stage of Tuning In. Jordan’s arrival has certainly intrigued many clients and agencies who will now get a chance to see and hear from the team up close.” 
The event will showcase the latest developments and innovations in audio advertising, and is open to all Radiocentre members, UK advertisers and agencies, with more speakers being announced soon.
Visit here to sign up. […]

Tony Blackburn celebrates 60 years in radio later this month and BBC Radio 2 will be marking the occasion with a day of special features.
Radio 2 will highlight the anniversary on July 25th, the date Tony first appeared on Radio Caroline on in 1964.
Gary Davies (in for Vernon Kay, 9.30am-12pm) will be doing a special edition of his De Ja Woo feature where he’ll invite listeners to share their memories of Tony who will join Gary in the studio, and he’ll be chatting about his broadcasting career on The Jeremy Vine Show (12-2pm).
Tony will also mark the moment on Sounds of the 60s with a Summer of ’64 special (Saturday 27 July, 6-8am), and in The Golden Hour – having introduced Motown to British radio in 1964 and being such a huge champion of it – he’ll be playing all his favourite Motown hits (Sunday 28 July, 7-8pm).
On BBC Sounds there will be another opportunity to listen to Happy Birthday, Tony Blackburn! marking his 80th birthday in 2023, Tracks of My Years featuring the songs that have soundtracked his life, and Clash of the Pirates which celebrated 60 years of pirate radio with fellow pirate DJ Johnnie Walker earlier this year.
Happy anniversary, Tony! […]

Ofcom has delayed the launch of an online only service from the BBC saying it could have a significant adverse impact on competition.

The BBC wanted to launch an extra Radio 2 “oldies” station online before getting approval to put it on DAB from a Pubic Interest test.
But now, following the latest RAJAR results which show online listening is bigger than AM/FM, Ofcom says the regulatory process must take place first.
Separately, Ofcom has accepted that a new Radio 1 00s service and Radio 3 chill service can go ahead on BBC Sounds.
Commercial radio body Radiocentre has welcomed the news, with CEO Matt Payton saying: “This decision represents a significant shift by Ofcom, as it is the first time that it has accepted that an online-only BBC radio service could have a material impact on competition. This stands to reason considering the rapid growth in online radio listening and the importance of online revenues.
“Obviously, we would have preferred to see all these new BBC services subject to a full Public Interest Test and regulatory process. However, this is an encouraging first step.
“Hopefully it signals a greater focus from Ofcom on BBC accountability and market impact, which is something we will also be seeking from the new government.” […]

Listeners to Fun Kids have created a time capsule containing their thoughts on what the future brings.

A flying car, a singing nail clipper, and edible computers and more ideas are now locked in the capsule, to be discovered by future generations.
Adam Stoner from Fun Kids says: “We’ve had submissions about everything from climate solutions to flying cars to navigating a world with AI. Filled with hope and optimism, this time capsule reminds us that we’re all responsible for building the future we want.”
Among drawings, photographs, music, and books are digital copies of voice recordings, Fun Kids podcasts, and images sent in by Fun Kids listeners, plus a letter to the future signed by Fun Kids presenters.
Created by US design studio CW&T, the time capsule is made from a decommissioned scuba-tank with custom electronics. A countdown clock in the capsule’s lid displays how long remains before the time capsule unlocks itself. It’s the first ever electronic time capsule and will seal its contents for 26 years.
The time capsule is now on display at Bristol’s We The Curious science centre where it was locked by Fun Kids Breakfast presenter George Butler in front of its members.
Jen Forster from We The Curious says: “We’re all about questions and exploring the world around us, it’s so important that children and young people have a voice, and are heard. As a science centre we think a lot about the future, and how to make it a better world for everyone, so we’re really excited to be part of this project encouraging people to think about both where we are now, and what the future may hold.”
The capsule was delivered to the UK by DHL and East Midlands Airport, where it has been slowly filled with contributions. We The Curious re-opened to the public last week following repairs after a fire in 2022.
The capsule is due to unlock on 30th June 2050. […]

Cheshire’s Mix 56 has hired Rebeckah Vaughan as its newest presenter.

Rebeckah was a contestant on the television show Big Brother in 2011, and lives in the Cheshire area.
The station says: “Bringing her passion for music and local content to the airwaves, Rebeckah is set to captivate listeners with her engaging personality and extensive music knowledge.”
Rebeckah tells RadioToday she is ready to leave her television past behind and focus on providing listeners with the latest news, local content, and a mix of timeless classics from the 80s, 90s, and noughties: “I’m excited to share my love for music and connect with the Cheshire community through the power of radio,” she expressed. […]