UK

Classic FM and Smooth Radio presenter Margherita Taylor has an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University.
After receiving the award, she told journalism graduates at Birmingham City University (BCU) to continue investing in their education in order to keep pace with the rapidly changing media landscape.
Margherita also paid tribute to BCU for the start it gave her in her career, especially the student camaraderie she experienced while there.
“It was lovely to be surrounded by students who were so passionate about the career paths that they were studying for,” said Margherita.
“Having those friendships from university as a support network when you start out in the working world was a real bonus. It’s been fantastic to celebrate the successes of so many fellow students over the years, and to have watched them achieve so much in their chosen careers.”
Margherita, who is also one of the presenters on Countryfile, told media students attending Friday’s graduation ceremony at Symphony Hall that completing a degree should not be the end of learning.
“The industry moves quickly,” she said. “Stay open to topping up your skill set, education and training throughout your career. It’s a powerful investment in your future.”
Margherita was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her exceptional service to the City of Birmingham and for her outstanding contribution to public and professional life.
“It’s an amazing honour to be receiving this award from BCU,” she said. “It has been lovely to have stayed in touch over the years. It was great to catch up again with some familiar faces as well as meeting this year’s graduating class.”
BCU Summer Graduations 2024
Awarded an MBE in 2022 for services to broadcasting and diversity, Margherita has enjoyed a long list of exciting roles in her broadcasting career.
“I have felt very fortunate to have worked on lots of projects that I’ve loved on radio and television,” she said.
“Working with many teams across different broadcast platforms has meant I’ve had the chance to learn from some of the best in the business. That’s been one of the highlights. I’ve also been lucky to have had fantastic mentors through my career. I’ll always be grateful to them for their time, wisdom and continued support.”
Margherita, who began her broadcasting career at the Birmingham-based radio station BRMB before moving to Capital and then becoming one of the original presenters of the Channel 4 teen-focused show T4, is now determined to give back.
“In the past few years, I’ve begun working with the senior leadership team at Global to support others as they get their careers underway,” she said.
“When I started out, I was fortunate to be given lots of support and it’s been lovely to be able to pay it forward.” […]

Hugo Rifkind is taking over the mid-morning show on Times Radio, replacing Matt Chorley.
The broadcaster and Times columnist starts the Monday to Thursday slot on Monday 9th September.
Rifkind has been writing for The Times since 2001, after previously contributing to The Herald, The Spectator and GQ.
He is also the author of two novels, the most recent of which, Rabbits, was published in 2024.
A frequent panellist on BBC Radio 4’s the News Quiz, and the presenter of Campaign Sidebar (2015) and Hugo Rifkind’s Search For Power (2019), he was also part of the launch line-up for Times Radio in 2020, presenting a Saturday morning show.
From 2012 to 2024, he wrote a TV column in the Times’s Saturday Review section. He will continue to write his weekly opinion column in The Times and My Week, a diary parody of a person in the news.
Hugo Rifkind said: “I have adored presenting on Times Radio on Saturday mornings these past four years, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be moving over to weekdays.
“I was a huge fan of Matt Chorley’s show, and he’s left big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, making the show into even more of an unmissable landmark for news and politics addicts than it has been until now.”
Tim Levell, programme director of Times Radio, said: “Hugo’s Saturday morning show has been one of the delights of the Times Radio schedule. Our listeners love his intelligence, wit and curiosity. This new show will mean even more people get to enjoy him. And its focus on all the big news and political developments of the morning will ensure our listeners stay across the latest as they go about their day.”
Times Radio will announce its plans for its Friday and Saturday morning shows soon, and Matt hosts his last show today. […]

Two former competitors for the Inverclyde SSDAB multiplex licence have joined forces to bid for two of the Round 6 licence areas.
Caledonia TX Ltd and Lanarkshire based C.I. Broadcasting have formed Lanarkshire DAB and North Ayrshire Broadcasting to bid for the respective area licences.
Spencer Pryor of C.I. Broadcasting told RadioToday: “It makes a lot of sense to join forces and submit a single strong application for these areas. We would have bid for Lanarkshire on our own account as our EKlipse Radio station, which has been on the East Kilbride landscape since the late 1990s when we applied for an FM SALLIE licence, will now have a means to broadcast to its own locality.
“Coupled with Caledonia TX’s engineering skills and knowledge we are sure we can make Lanarkshire a great place to listen to local DAB radio.”
Also on board are community stations Shire Radio and Breeze Radio Scotland, along with Jay Crawford’s Edge 1 and 2, as well as stations like Timeless Radio and Celtic Music Radio.
Andy McGregor of Hamilton’s Breeze Radio said: “Breeze Radio broadcasts from the Heart of Lanarkshire in Hamilton, and we’re excited to be part of the Lanarkshire DAB bid for the licence. Hopefully we’ll be blasting out across Lanarkshire in 2025 in fabulous DAB stereo!”
In North Ayrshire the joint venture company is North Ayrshire Broadcasting (NAB) and it’s proposed to use a two site SFN transmitter network to cover the coast up to the Inverclyde licence area which is due to launch in the next week, and which is operated by Coast DAB. The North Ayrshire multiplex will cover the main towns of North Ayrshire such as Stevenston, Saltcoats and Largs. Bid partner stations include local community stations 3TR and Clyde Coast Radio.
Caledonia TX and C.I. Broadcasting are also involved separately in bids for Cumbernauld & Coatbridge, Paisley & West Glasgow, and Ayr, Troon & Irvine. […]

BBC Introducing has announced its lineup of activities for its flagship music discovery event, BBC Introducing LIVE 2024.

Set to take place across seven UK cities throughout October, this annual event will showcase live performances, workshops, open mic and open DJ deck sessions, feedback centres, and networking opportunities designed to support and inspire the next generation of musicians and music industry professionals across the UK.
Since its inception, BBC Introducing has championed unsigned British musicians through the BBC Introducing Uploader, with 23 local radio shows and six national shows on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, and 6 Music.
Many successful artists, including Ed Sheeran, Raye, Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, and Loyle Carner, began their careers with support from BBC Introducing.
BBC Introducing LIVE 2024 highlights:
Cardiff Thursday 3 October 2024
Teaming up with long standing partners Horizons and the Forte Music Project, BBC Introducing LIVE in Wales will host an unforgettable gig at The Gate on Thursday 3 October.
The live musical event is set to be a highlight of the inaugural Cardiff Music Festival, a month-long pageant celebrating the vibrant Welsh music scene with festivals, street art, and grassroots activities.
Newcastle Friday 4 October and Saturday 5 October 2024
BBC Introducing LIVE in Newcastle will consist of an incredible two-day event, with BBC Introducing collaborating with Generator Live to bring an unparalleled music industry experience for aspiring artists and creatives.
The first of two feedback sessions will see a panel of top industry professionals listen to tracks from new and emerging artists and provide invaluable feedback to the room, creating an inclusive learning environment for all attendees. The second session will explore all things BBC Introducing – a 30-minute Q&A with members of the BBC Introducing team on how to maximise exposure and make the most of the one-of-a-kind platform as an aspiring artist.
A live showcase on Saturday at Boiler Shop will then spotlight the North East’s hottest emerging musical talent, including performances from L Devine, Finn Forster, The Peevie Wonders, Cortney Dixon, Look Terrified, Sarah Johnsone, Maius Mollis, Rivkala, Alannah Lamb (DJ), NE-O, Dan Swift, and Eyeconic.
Manchester Thursday 10 October and Saturday 12 October 2024
Building on last year’s huge success and partnering with Blues Kitchen and DJ collective Our House Your House, BBC Introducing LIVE will bring an expanded open decks session to Manchester, offering fresh DJ talent the chance to showcase their skills. Full details on the sign-up process will be announced via the BBC Introducing socials and on the website.
BBC Introducing will then join forces with Beyond The Music Festival to host a live gig on Saturday 12 October, featuring a lineup of Manchester’s best new artists at the iconic Night & Day venue, hosted by BBC Introducing presenter, Roesh.
Glasgow Saturday 12 October 2024
Teaming up with Tenement Trail, BBC Introducing LIVE will host a special gig at Barras 2 with BBC Introducing presenters Phoebe I-H and Stephanie Cheape, to bring the ultimate celebration of Scottish emerging talent. To celebrate Tenement Trail’s 10th anniversary, the festival have already confirmed a special lineup of local artists including headliners Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year winners Bottle Rockets, Redolent, Neon Waltz and more.
London Saturday 19 October 2024
BBC Introducing LIVE will take over Omeara for a day of panels, open mic and deck sessions, and an industry feedback centre. This event will offer attendees the chance to network with top tier industry leaders and receive personal feedback on their music.
BBC Introducing LIVE will also host a special day of networking and panels at London’s Southbank Centre in collaboration with futuretense exclusively for Student Radio members, BBC Introducing apprentices and Open Music trainees.
Belfast Friday 25 October 2024
Partnering with the Belfast International Arts Festival, BBC Introducing LIVE will hold a special event at Mandela Hall. The day will feature a music industry panel discussion, an open decks session for aspiring DJs, and an evening gig with a soon-to-be-announced lineup via @bbcintroducing and @belfast_int_arts_fest in the coming weeks.
Birmingham TBC
BBC Introducing LIVE will also be in Birmingham with an exclusive event curated by the BBC 1Xtra Introducing Show. Hosted by Theo Johnson, the 1Xtra Introducing Show airs every Sunday from Birmingham and is dedicated to spotlighting unsigned and undiscovered artists. More details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
For more information and updates on BBC Introducing LIVE 2024, follow BBC Introducing on social media.
Selected BIMM students will be given the incredible opportunity to assist in the production of the BBC Introducing LIVE events in Manchester, London, and Birmingham, providing them with invaluable work experience and unparalleled exposure to real-life event production in the creative industries. […]

Cambridge 105 Radio is returning to the Cambridge Folk Festival and will be backstage at Cherry Hinton Hall.

The station will be broadcasting over 20 hours of programmes, with intimate performances and exclusive artist interviews.
Listeners can also hear live sets from the Emerging Talent Stage, The Den.
Future hitmakers Jake Bugg and Passenger first played The Den before headlining Stage 1 and over recent years Christian Raphael Prize winners Angeline Morrison and Katherine Priddy have followed suit.
There will also be a nightly video round-up available on the Cambridge 105 Radio YouTube channel.
The coverage will be presented by Steffi Callister, Julian Clover, Alex Elbro, Lucy Milazzo, Linda Ness and Les Ray. Veteran musician and journalist Ian A. Anderson will be on hand with daily previews of the Festival Line-Up.
Julian Clover, Editorial Lead, Cambridge 105 Radio said: “This is our largest outside broadcast of the year and we’re thrilled to be able to bring all of the atmosphere of the Festival from our intimate backstage area. Whether you’re at home or listening on site with the Radioplayer this is the Cambridge music event no one should miss.” […]

The latest AA/WARC expenditure report released today highlights positive revenue momentum for commercial radio.

It shows updated forecasts for 2024 now predicting an increase of 5.5% year-on-year, an upgrade of 3.2 percentage points since April’s forecast.
In line with Radiocentre’s own data, AA/WARC’s recorded media revenues for the first quarter of 2024 reveal that radio revenue rose by 7% compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, for 2025 the report reveals how radio is forecast also to surpass the previous revenue growth prediction by 2.1 percentage points – the highest upward revision of all display media – resulting in expected year-on-year growth of 3.7% for next year.
Commenting on the latest figures, Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said: “We’re pleased to see such optimism for radio revenue following a positive start to 2024.
These upgraded forecasts reflect the record audiences posted by commercial radio in Q1 and are a clear indication of the potential for sustained growth in the years ahead. This is good news for broadcasters and advertisers alike.”
See the full AA/WARC release here. […]