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  • BBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire. It broadcasts on 94.6 (Henley), 95.4 (Windsor), 104.1 (Hannington, north Hampshire) and 104.4 (Broad St Mall, Reading) FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading.

 

History

The station began on 26 January 1991, starting as a sister station of Radio Oxford, broadcasting for part of the weekday and weekend mornings, before joining BBC World Service programming. Due to financial cutbacks, BBC Director-General John Birt announced that it was to merge with BBC Radio Oxford on 9 April 1996 to become "BBC Thames Valley FM" On 13 February 2000 the two stations became separate once again.

Andrew Peach is the station's main presenter and has been on the air since October 1992. His news and phone-in show is still broadcast every weekday morning from 7am-10am. Other notable presenters are Steve Madden, Henry Kelly, Debbie McGee and Maggie Philbin. The jingles used are the same as Radio Sheffield, provided by Bespoke Music of Penryn.

Transmitters

The Hannington transmitter for BBC Radio Berkshire's 104.1 FM frequency is located on Cottington Hill (close to Watership Down). Along with the BBC's signal it also carries television channels and 2-Ten FM on 102.9 FM. The 104.1 FM and 104.1 signal can be heard over most of Hampshire, certainly more than Radio Solent. The Broad St Mall transmitter carries 2-Ten FM on 97 FM and Radio Berkshire on 104.4 FM since 1991, although the BBC call it Fountain House after the name of the building it is fixed to. The Henley-on-Thames transmitter which carries BBC Radio Berkshire on 94.6 FM also carries 2-Ten FM on 103.4 FM. Since July 31st 2004, DAB broadcasts have come from the NOW Digital Thames Valley 12D multiplex from Coppid Beech (at the junction of the B3408 and A329(M) in west Bracknell), Hannington and Hemdean (just north of Caversham). The Basingstoke DAB transmitter (between Cliddesden and Winslade near the A339 in Hampshire) was added on October 3rd 2005. The station essentially covers the M4 corridor.

Programming

Saturday

  • 0500-0600 Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports
  • 0600-0700 David Sheppard
  • 0700-1000 Nicki Whiteman on Saturday
  • 1000-1300 Tim Smith
  • 1300-1800 Jonny Saunders Sport
  • 1800-2100 Dave Cash (simulcast with Radio Solent, Radio Berkshire, Radio Kent and Southern Counties Radio)
  • 2100-0100 David Allen (simulcast with Radio Solent, Radio Berkshire, Radio Kent and Southern Counties Radio)
  • 0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: Up All Night

Sunday

  • 0500-0600 Radio 5 Live: Morning Reports
  • 0600-0900 Clare Catford
  • 0900-1200 Debbie McGee
  • 1200-1400 David Sheppard
  • 1400-1700 Irish Eye with Henry Wymbs
  • 1700-1900 Gillham Gold with Tony Gillham
  • 1900-2000 The Session with Linda Serck
  • 2000-2100 Berkshire's Greatest Hits with Phil Kennedy
  • 2100-2200 Louise Chandler
  • 2200-0100 Bill & Angela Rennells
  • 0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: Up All Night

Weekdays

  • 0500-0700 Steve Madden
  • 0700-1000 Andrew Peach, Sarah Walker & Maggie Philbin
  • 1000-1300 Henry Kelly
  • 1300-1600 Nicki Whiteman
  • 1600-1900 Phil Kennedy
  • 1900-2000 Roger Day (simulcast with Solent, Berkshire, Kent and Southern Counties Radio)
  • 2200-0100 Paul Miller (simulcast with Solent, Berkshire, Kent and Southern Counties Radio)
  • 0100-0500 Radio 5 Live: Up All Night

Friday variations

  • 1600-1800 Phil Kennedy
  • 1800-1900 Sportstalk

Networked and simulcast programming

From Monday to Saturday, BBC Radio Berkshire simulcasts networked programming with BBC Local Radio stations in the South and South East regions. A full evening of local programmes is broadcast on Sundays. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night is simulcast with the early morning news programme, Morning Reports, also simulcast at weekends.