UK

Radio News AI has been acquired by radio company Aiir.

Aiir, which provides radio station websites, apps and playout software, says it plans to grow the product in the months ahead.
Radio News AI is an audio tool used by radio stations worldwide to create news, sports, weather, events, and traffic reports using AI and cloned voices.
It was created by Stefan de Groot in the Netherlands and released just over 12 months ago.
Ricki Lee, Aiir CEO: “Aiir’s mission is to help our customers ‘Create Radio’. I believe Radio News AI perfectly fits our mission statement.
“This acquisition means Aiir has entered the AI space for the first time, and I cannot wait to share our growth plans for this product with you in the coming months.”
Stefan de Groot, Founder, Radio News AI: “I can’t imagine a better match for acquiring Radio News AI than my new friends at Aiir.
“Many of our users are already using their software, and I am positive they will take the platform and all its possibilities to the next level.” […]

Hello Rayo – Bauer’s new audio platform has officially launched today offering audiences one service to listen to more than 50 stations.

Rayo also has hundreds of curated playlists and a range of on-demand content, and is available as an app, on the web and smart speakers.
It replaces Bauer’s previous aggregator Planet Radio and can be found at hellorayo.co.uk.
Bauer stations including Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS and Magic Radio have all launched an on-air campaign promoting the new platform to audiences, with a series of promotional trails and live reads.
Presenters including Ken Bruce, Tyler West and Penny Smith can also be found on brand social channels and the newly launched Rayo pages, showcasing the Rayo app.
Simon Myciunka, CEO for Bauer Media Audio UK said: “This is a pivotal moment in Bauer Media Audio UK’s journey. We have an incredibly strong portfolio of brands, and millions of engaged listeners – many of whom are increasingly listening stations on connected devices.
“Rayo will bring them into the audioverse and offer a much-improved listening experience, with a daily soundtrack that is simplified, personalised and hand-picked by our team of DJs, presenters and special guests.
“Whatever their taste in music and whatever their mood, they can enjoy live and on-demand radio, from Popmaster with Ken Bruce to exclusive playlists like Super KISSTORY or 00s Workout. There really is something for everyone.”
Recent RAJAR results showed that Bauer is ahead of the market with more than 30% of connected listening. […]

LBC is set to host a policy debate on immigration with Home Secretary James Cleverly and Labour’s Yvette Cooper.

They’ll go head-to-head in a live debate moderated by Nick Ferrari.
The broadcast will highlight the immigration policies of the Conservative and Labour parties, providing insights for voters ahead of the upcoming General Election.
The policy debate will be broadcast on LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast from Global’s studios in London’s Leicester Square and will be fully visualised and streamed live on Global Player, TikTok, and YouTube.
The debates follow LBC’s leader phone-ins last week, which saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer take to the hot seat and answer questions from LBC callers.
The show will air on Tuesday from 9am. […]

Journalism students across the UK are joining together as part of a network overnight General Election results programme on radio, online and social media.

The Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) and the UK Community Radio Network have joined forced to offer the national programme.
More than 100 students studying to be journalists will be at constituency counts reporting live or in the studio for the Vote 2024 programme, which is being offered to all community and student radio stations, live streamed on the web and social platforms.
The collaboration between 22 Universities is being overseen by the BJTC – the industry body which accredits multiplatform Journalism courses in the UK supported by the BBC, Global, Bauer Media, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4, ITN, Associated Press, Reuters and the NUJ.
Working through the night, the students will be gathering interviews and results from election counts throughout the UK for the eight-hour BJTC programme and filing count results for industry partners Sky News, ITN and the BBC.
The programme will be hosted and co-ordinated by students from the University of Northampton and broadcast from radio station NLive Radio. Any radio station wanting to take the feed on the night please can contact hello@ukcrn.radio for details.
Programme Executive Producer and BJTC Deputy Chair Kate Ironside said: “We are creating something very special – a nationwide broadcast news operation of a real, live, breaking story of critical importance in a way that perfectly matches the news operation of professional broadcasters.”
BJTC Chief Executive Jon Godel added: “The ethos of BJTC journalism training is students experience real industry practice as part of acquiring the digital skills needed by employers. This is a perfect opportunity to do just that.”
Martin Steers, Director of the UK Community Radio Network, said: “It’s important for community radio to be involved in election coverage. We welcome the chance to work with the next generation of journalists at the start of their career.”
The programme can be heard from 10pm on July 4th and will be broadcast from NLive radio studios. […]

Global has secured the position of official audio partner of Team GB and will be broadcasting live from Team GB House, the team’s home-from-home at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Since London 2012, Team GB House has provided a base in the host city for athletes, their family and friends, and Team GB guests to celebrate throughout the Olympic Games – but Paris 2024 will see Team GB House open to the general public for the first time ever.
Global presenters, journalists and podcast hosts will be at the venue, with broadcasts from behind-the-scenes interviews with Britain’s sporting heroes and live reactions to the biggest moments of the Games and medal celebrations with the athletes themselves.
In partnership with NatWest, Team GB’s official banking partner, Heart, Capital and Classic FM will be broadcasting from Team GB House from the day of the Opening Ceremony on the 26th of July until the Closing Ceremony on the 11th of August.
Global Original podcasts including The Sports Agents with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman, and Tom Dean Medal Machine will also produce exclusive episodes from Team GB House.
Tim Ellerton, Team GB’s Commercial Director, said: “Team GB House is the ultimate place for fans to get involved in the magic of Paris 2024, so we’re delighted that Global, in partnership with NatWest, will be joining us to give listeners back at home a slice of the action too. We know how much the support of the nation means to our athletes, so having Global’s audience behind them throughout the competition will be invaluable, and we look forward to working together to bring their stories to life.”
Mike Gordon, Global’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are so delighted to be the official audio partner for Team GB. This year’s Olympics in Paris will be the closest to home since 2012 and it will rekindle the spirit of the Games right across the UK. We know our listeners want to feel part of significant cultural moments and in collaboration with NatWest, this partnership allows us to leverage our strength of bringing fans closer to the action.” […]

Greg James will be on-air till 11am as the breakfast show gets extended in the new Radio 1 summer schedule.

The new timeslot starts on July 1st, when a few other changes also take place.
Greg says: “Being on the radio is pretty much my entire personality so why not do an extra half hour a day for all those who can’t be bothered waking up early for the Breakfast Show in the summer holidays.”
Additionally, Sam and Danni will cover Friday Early Breakfast (5am – 7am) from 5 July, until January 2025. The duo will keep the seat warm until the next wave of presenting talent will take the reins and the slot will resume to its normal format dedicated to showcasing the very best new and emerging presenting talent.
Sam and Danni will host Friday Early Breakfast alongside Weekend Breakfast (Saturdays and Sundays, 7am – 10am) with both shows broadcasting from Cardiff.
Later this summer Radio 1 will also launch a number of new shows on the BBC Sounds Radio 1 Dance stream. Arielle Free will host Radio 1 Dance Morning, which will launch on 15 July and be available Monday to Sunday. Danny Howard will present Radio 1’s Dance Party Warm Up, a weekly show available every Thursday (6pm – 8pm) getting listeners ready for the weekend.
Pete Tong will curate his Essential History of Dance a weekly show (Saturdays, 7pm – 8pm) dedicated to telling the story of the Dance genre. There will also be a new evening specialist series which will see Radio 1 Dance collaborate with key Dance music labels Defected Records, HE.SHE.THEY. and DnB Allstars.
In addition, Connor Coates will present a daily playlist – Radio 1 Dance – which will come from Northern Ireland, playing new, current and classic Dance tracks, and Charlie Hedges’ Radio 1 Dance Anthems will be streamed daily across afternoons.
It was also announced today that Martha will take over the station’s weekly Tuesday night show (11pm – 1am) which was previously hosted by the late Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale. Martha will continue Annie’s legacy in showcasing the biggest and best new Dance tracks in the world.
Martha has been supported by Annie and was one of the inaugural recipients of the Annie Nightingale Presents Scholarship, an initiative created by Annie Nightingale in 2021 focussed on celebrating and elevating talented women and non-binary people in the electronic music scene by providing them with a national platform to showcase their taste and expertise. Martha will be simulcast on the Radio 1 Dance stream.
Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, says: “The summer months see a change in routine for our young listeners and as a station, it’s important we acknowledge this and continue to cater to their needs. With that in mind, I’m pleased to introduce our new summer 2024 schedule which offers a variety of new shows and content as well as an extra thirty minutes of Radio 1 Breakfast! I can’t wait to tune in!” […]