UK

Absolute Radio’s Ultimate Britpop Anthem, as voted for by listeners, is Pulp’s Common People.

The band also secured a second place in the top five with Disco 2000, which landed at number five.
Oasis are at fourth with Live Forever, while Blur’s Parklife took third place and The Verve reached second with Bittersweet Symphony.
The countdown began at 9am this morning with Ben Burrell and concluded just before 6pm when Richie Firth revealed the number one track.
Speaking after the result, Richie said: “This result shows the enduring quality of a song which was released 30 years ago but which still sounds as fresh today.
“Seeing crowds of all ages sing it live on Pulp’s recent tour demonstrates why it is now officially the greatest Britpop anthem of all-time.”
You can find the Top 100 in full here and listen back to the whole chart on the Rayo App.

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Penny Mordaunt, Emily Thornberry, James Cleverly and Ed Davey each present James O’Brien’s weekday mid-morning show on LBC next week.

The guest hosting begins on 26th August and runs until 29th August while O’Brien is on holiday, giving listeners the chance to hear from four senior politicians across the political spectrum.
On Tuesday, Conservative MP and former Leader of the House of Commons Dame Penny Mordaunt will present the show, followed on Wednesday by Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, who currently chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
Thursday will see Conservative MP and former Foreign Secretary Sir James Cleverly step into the role, before Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey concludes the guest week on Friday.
Tom Cheal, LBC’s managing editor, said: “LBC is the home of political debate and this line-up gives listeners the chance to put their questions directly to key figures from across the political divide.”
The programmes will be broadcast live on LBC between 10am and 1pm, and also available live and on demand via the LBC app.

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BBC Northern Ireland will celebrate Sir Van Morrison’s 80th birthday this month with a special Astral Weekend of programmes and music on BBC Radio Ulster.

From Friday 29th August until his birthday on Sunday 31st August, the station will feature themed content, live recordings, listener choices and reflections on the Belfast singer’s career and influence.
The weekend begins on Friday with a Van-themed Thought For The Day. On Saturday, Kerry McLean opens breakfast with a classic track, Your Place And Mine visits County Down locations from his song Coney Island, and John Toal revisits key Belfast landmarks. Later, Taylor Johnson spotlights cover versions, Neil Martin looks at folk recordings, and Mike Edgar ends the evening with four favourites.
On Sunday, there will be reflections on the spiritual side of Van’s songwriting on Sunday Sequence, classics with Anna Curran, and a special Long Player dedicated to Avalon Sunset.
Ralph McLean hosts Vanatics, with stories from fans worldwide, followed by a repeat of Up On Cyprus Avenue, recorded for his 70th birthday. The concert will also air on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer.
The weekend closes with Kathy Clugston’s Sunday Club, while throughout August Ralph McLean has been counting down the Top 80 Van Morrison Songs, concluding with the Top 20 on 25th August.

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BCfm Radio has launched a new Community Radio Road Safety Toolkit in partnership with the Road Safety Trust and the Community Media Association.

The free resource is designed to help community stations run locally focused campaigns while also supporting them to access sustainable funding.
The toolkit offers practical guidance on creating audio and digital road safety campaigns, including advice on messaging, collaboration and partnership working.
It also provides funding tips, enabling stations to work with local authorities, police and charities to make road safety programming a regular part of community broadcasting.
Marcus Smith, Development Lead at BCfm Radio, said: “Community radio has always been about local impact, and this toolkit helps stations take the lead in saving lives in their own neighbourhoods.
“It’s practical, accessible, and designed to support real action. Just as importantly, it also highlights a sustainable way for stations to access funding and build long-term partnerships around public interest content like road safety.”
The Community Radio Road Safety Toolkit is available now, free to download from the BCfm website.

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Global Academy has reported the best exam results in its history, with record achievements across both academic and creative subjects.

Headline results for 2024/25 show that 33% of all grades awarded were at the top level of 7-9 or Distinction/Distinction*, compared with a national average of around 22%.
In Media Production, 43% of grades were at Distinction+, more than double the national benchmark. Music Production achieved 48.5% Distinction+, while Creative Digital Media reached 34.9%. In Drama, 42% of grades were between 9-6.
Principal James Murray-Walsh said: “These are the best results in our history, and they belong to our incredible students.
“A third of all grades were at the very top level – far above national averages – which is an extraordinary achievement. At Global Academy we do education differently – our students don’t just sit exams, they build futures.”
From this September, every student will receive an iPad to support digital learning, and the Academy is already oversubscribed for September 2025.
Looking ahead, a new Media Scholars programme will launch in 2026, offering aptitude-based places for 10% of Year 10 students with outstanding creative skills.
Two new Saturday Schools are also set to open this November in South London and Scotland, providing opportunities for younger students from Year 8 to gain hands-on media experience.

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The Barn Theatre in Cirencester has confirmed the full cast for Haywire, a new play telling the story of how BBC radio created The Archers.

Written by long-standing Archers scriptwriter Tim Stimpson and directed by Joseph O’Malley, Haywire is licensed by the BBC and staged in the lead-up to the programme’s 75th anniversary on BBC Radio 4 in January 2026.
The play focuses on the early years of the drama, when a small Birmingham team recorded the very first episode above a used car showroom in December 1950.
The cast includes Liam Horrigan as Sam, Geebs Marie Williams as Jessica, Rosanna Miles as Fiona, Olivia Bernstone as Abbie, Anthony Glennon as Martin, Kieran Brown as Adrian and James Mack as Jonty.
Speaking about the project, Tim Stimpson said: “It’s been a long-standing ambition of mine to tell the story of how a small team recording above a car showroom created what is now the world’s longest running continuing drama.”
The Archers Editor Jeremy Howe said the Barn Theatre “bit our hands off” to stage the play, calling it “a love song to the early years of The Archers.”
Barn Theatre CEO Iwan Lewis added that staging the premiere recognises one of the most important moments in British radio history and a landmark in BBC broadcasting.
The production runs from 1st September to 11th October, with a press night on 4th September. Find out more by visiting the Barn Theatre website.

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