BBC Radio Derby

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BBC Radio Derby is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Derbyshire. It covers all but the northern tip of the county, and also serves eastern Staffordshire, mainly Uttoxeter and Burton upon Trent. It broadcasts from its studios in Derby on 104.5, 95.3 (Stanton Moor, near Bakewell) and 96.0 (Buxton) FM and 1116 (Burnaston Lane, next to the Toyota factory) AM. It also transmits its programmes over the internet, but does not broadcast on DAB Digital Radio. The station won the prestigious "Station of the Year" award in the category for radio stations that serve between 300,000 and 1 million listeners at the Sony Radio Awards of 2007.

104.5FM is the primary frequency for BBC Radio Derby, and comes from a 200 ft transmitting mast on Drum Hill, four miles north of the Derby City Centre, the other side of the A38 from Little Eaton, next to a Scout camp. This service used to come from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. There is a transmitter for the Bakewell and Matlock areas based at Stanton Moor on 95.3 FM, and a relay of that frequency for the Buxton area on 96 FM. BBC Radio Sheffield is also clearly heard around Chesterfield with a dedicated relay station based in the town. Though in Derbyshire, Chesterfield and its surrounding area is officially catered for by Peak FM, Hallam FM or Radio Sheffield. Likewise, the north-western portion of the county taking in Glossop, Chapel, and Whaley Bridge is served by BBC Radio Manchester. In addition, all of BBC Radio Derby"s area is served via its medium wave service on 1116kHz which comes from its transmitting mast at Burnaston, just south of the city, close to the Toyota car plant. The frequency is used to relay the BBC"s Asian Network from 7pm, unless sports commentaries are being broadcast.

RAM FM broadcasting on 102.8 FM also comes from the Drum Hill transmitter, as well as a local relay on 101.4 FM for the East Midlands regional station, Smooth FM. Stanton Moor also transmits the BBC national radio stations on FM and Peak FM on 102 FM (broadcast from Sheepbridge in Chesterfield on 107.4 FM). Buxton also has a television relay with regional programming from the North West and BBC national FM services, and High Peak Radio on 106.4 FM.

BBC Radio Derby's bus travels around the area supporting transmissions and special events.

There is no BBC DAB National or Digital One transmitter in Derbyshire at the moment, though Digital One have announced plans for a transmitter in Chesterfield. Services over most of the area come from the nearest BBC DAB transmitters at Sutton Coldfield and Waltham, plus Holme Moss in the north. North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield listeners can pick up intermittent reception of Yorkshire-based local and regional DAB services from a transmitter in Sheffield (Tapton Hill). A local Derbyshire DAB license was advertised by OFCOM in January 2007, and has been awarded to "Now Digital", with an "on air" date of July 2008. In addition to commercial services, BBC Radio Derby will be transmitted on the multiplex from five transmitter sites of Chesterfield, Drum Hill, Tibshelf, Stanton Moor, and Lichfield. There are also long term plans for further transmitters at Buxton, Ashbourne, and Glossop. This will clearly substantially increase BBC Radio Derby"s service area. With the exception of some sports broadcasts, BBC Radio Derby"s programmes are simulcast via bbc.co.uk/derby.

BBC Radio Derby began broadcasting officially on April 29, 1971, though it went on air two months earlier than planned to cover the bankruptcy of the local aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce. The station's logo was a Rams head in the late 80"s and early 90"s (as many other organisations in Derby have).

Much of the output is speech based, featuring news, sport, weather, travel, interviews, and discussions, mixed in with music and competitions. The station"s primary audience is aimed at listeners aged over 45, though the sports and weekend shows attract a greater age range. After 7pm each weekday, Radio Derby's output comes mainly from Nottingham, until midnight, when it joins BBC Five Live. BBC Radio Derby broadcasts match commentaries from local soccer/football teams; especially the Rams (Derby County)and Burton Albion. There is extensive coverage of Derbyshire cricket during the summer.

The current presenters at BBC Radio Derby are:

Andy Potter presents the 'Early' Breakfast Show and typically consists of chat and competitions. The show is broadcast from 5am until 7am.

On Sunday afternoons, Andy presents Music for Grown-ups; where songs from (typically) the 1960s-1990s are played, along with personality interviews with musicians from that era. This show can be heard from 1pm until 4pm. He also covers local amateur theatre for the station.

Shane O'Connor joined BBC Radio Derby in about 2002; having previously worked at BBC WM as well as other stations in the region. At first, he was the presenter of the Friday afternoon show and Saturday Breakfast Show; however he went on to become the presenter of the weekday Mid-Morning show following John Holmes' return to BBC Radio Nottingham. One of the more memorable occasions to date was when he made comments regarding Paula Radcliffe's premature retirement from the 2004 Olympic Games. He played Roy Orbison's song Crying and dedicated it to the sportswoman. Shortly afterwards, an enraged listener called in to complain about his behaviour - only for him to start an even more fierce argument in retaliation. The event is still occasionally mentioned today - though usually now only for comedic effect.

Shane now presents the station's weekday Breakfast Show - the format of which usually consists of the morning's news being discussed in detail; often with contributions from listeners. The show is broadcast from 7am until 10am.

The Saturday Breakfast show is still presented by Shane and consists of music, chat and off-the-wall competitions. A popular feature is 'The Laughter Track' - a length of humorous audio played out before the 7am news bulletin - often from a BBC Radio comedy show. The show is broadcast from 6am until 9am.

Locally-born Aleena presents the weekday Mid-Morning Show on BBC Radio Derby. The typical format of the show usually consists of celebrity interviews, expert advice and Outside Broadcasts. The show is broadcast from 10am until 1pm.

Alex Trelinski has been associated with BBC Radio Derby for many years - having joined in 1983 and later becoming the station's manager between 1993 and 1996. He presented the Late Show between 2000 and 2004.

Alex presents the station's Afternoon Show - usually comprising of a wide variety of guests from local organisations; also local theatre, gardening, and local history as well as TV, film and book reviewers. The show is broadcast from 1pm until 4pm. Alex also presents other programmes on the station including deputising for Ross Fletcher when he is away from his Drivetime programme.

Alex can also be heard on Sunday mornings from 9am until midday. Until the BBC put a freeze on phone-in competitions, two quizzes were run every week - 'The Mystery Singer' (where a clip of someone who isn't usually credited as being a singer was played out and listeners had to guess their identity) and 'The Tricky Trivia Trio' (where three questions were asked and the person who answered the most questions correctly by the end of the competition was the winner. This competition varied in difficulty - though questions with answers which could not be found by using a Search Engine were popular. The format of the show now consists of interviews and popular features from the previous week's output being played out again. The headlines and music from a given month and year are also a popular feature. In the last set of audience figures (taking in the first three months of 2007), the programme gained the highest figures on the station (according to figures from the joint BBC/Commercial Radio audience measurement system, RAJAR).

Alex is also heard on ABC Local Radio in Australia each Sunday morning as a guest on Rod Quinn's Overnights program, talking about the events of the week in the UK.

Ross presents Drivetime from 4pm until 7pm - with the first two hours looking at the day's news in detail. After 6pm, the format changes to one of a more sporting flavour - on Monday evenings during the football season, he is joined by former Derby County player Dean Sturridge to discuss the weekend's football action with listeners.

Ross also presents a show on Saturday afternoons from 2pm until 6pm - though this only takes place when the football season is not on - when it is, he can be heard providing commentary for Derby County games. On the occasions that The Rams are not playing on a Saturday, commentary on Burton Albion or local rugby union is provided instead.

Rob Underwood presents The Late Show - another show which is broadcast across the Midlands (from Nottingham) - being relayed by three BBC local stations in the western part of the Midlands. This show is broadcast from 9pm until midnight and competitions and chat are usually the main focus. Rob presented the Early Show for a number of years.

Satvinder Rana's show, Aaj Kal, can be heard on Friday evenings from 7pm until 9pm - the content being primarily Bangra music aimed at a young Asian audience.

Belper-born Sally presents the Saturday Morning show; consisting of music, chat and a variety of competitions. A feature of the show is 'TV Treasures', where personalities from well-known TV shows past and present are interviewed on their life and career. The show is broadcast from 9am until midday.

Sally is currently on maternity leave and so the show is being presented by Kevin Fernihough at the moment - Kevin was a presenter at the station in the 1980s but then moved to BBC Radio Stoke and later BBC Radio Northampton.

Ed can be heard on Saturday lunchtimes between 12pm and 2pm with the show consisting of a preview of the weekend's sporting action, as well as music and chat. Ed also presents other shows when the regular presenter is away.

Dean Jackson hosts The Beat on Saturday evenings from 6pm until 10pm. This show is also broadcast from the Nottingham studios and can be heard throughout the East Midlands. The show focuses on the pop scene with star names joining Dean on the programme, as well as local sessions.

Devon Daley presents 'A Touch of Soul' - looking at the history of Soul music. The show is broadcast from 10pm until midnight every Saturday.

Derby Cathedral's Canon Nicholas Henshall presents the Sunday Breakfast Show between 6am and 9am. This show features interviews with people from a variety of faiths; to hear their opinion on events which have happened in the last few days. Music from different faith groups is combined with regular tunes from the station's playlist. Prior to Nicholas presenting this show, Canon Donald McDonald from St Osmund's Church was the presenter - he occasionally still makes appearances to this day - though only as a guest.

Mike Carey presents Memorable Melodies from 4pm until 6pm on Sundays - the show features music from a bygone era. As a result, the show is popular with many of the station's older listeners.

From 6pm until 9pm, Devon Daley, Stephanie Hernandez and Hopeton 'GMan' Gordon present the African-Caribbean Experience with local, national and international news and views from Derby's Black community.

Specialist music shows take place Mondays-Thursdays from 7pm until 9pm and are usually heard across the entire East Midlands (unless one of the stations is broadcasting a special show at that time instead). These shows consist of:

Mondays - Folkwaves
Tuesdays - The Country Show
Wednesdays - The Celtic Fringe
Thursdays - Jazz Incorporated

The following presenters often sit in for others when they are away, but do not have their own regular slot.

Anthony Isaacs
Alan Hodgetts

Andy Whittaker presented the station's weekday Breakfast Show before Shane took over in June 2007 - a role he was in since 1994, having previously worked at BBC WM, presenting a Saturday morning show and a Tuesday and Wednesday evening show. On Friday 9th February 2007, Andy presented his 3,000th Breakfast Show - this was held at a local bakery where commemorative products were being produced to mark the occasion. A highlight of the show was the surprise contribution from Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC. The Breakfast Show's time slot was between 6am and 9am when Andy presented, however the schedules were changed following his departure.

Andy also presented the Saturday morning show - a popular competition was 'Andy's Abode', where callers answered questions related to different rooms in a house - for example, the living room featured questions related to television and music whilst the kitchen featured questions related to cooking. A caller's round ended when they had 'visited' all six rooms of the house. The eventual winner was the caller who managed to answer the most questions correctly by the time the competition ended.

As with Sally Pepper's current show, this programme was broadcast from 9am until midday.

On the morning of the 2nd May 2006, during a conversation with sports reporter Colin Gibson after the sports report at 7.30, it was announced that Andy was leaving BBC Radio Derby in order to move to BBC Radio Nottingham. He stated that he had achieved all he could and wished to move in order to get a new challenge. His final Breakfast Show took place on Friday 11th May 2007 (his final Saturday Show took place on Saturday 5th May).

Chris Baird (b.1948) was the station's second longest-serving presenter - joining in 1979 (Richard Sykes is first, however he is rarely heard on the station's output nowadays due to commitments with the station's BBC Bus). He presented The Greatest Hits Show on Sunday afternoons for sixteen years as of 2006 - this show concentrated on music from the past; particularly the 1960s; and many of the jingles used on this show were reminiscent of the ones used on offshore radio stations of this period. On Sunday 20th August 2006, Chris presented a special version of The Greatest Hits Show to mark forty years of him 'broadcasting in public places' as he described it.

During the morning of Friday, 25th August 2006, it was revealed that Chris was set to leave Radio Derby - his last Greatest Hits Show was broadcast the following Sunday. Chris had kept his retirement well and truly under wraps, even to virtually everybody on station. The format of Greatest Hits was largely kept when Andy Potter took over with his new show, "Music for Grown Ups".

Paul was also a long-serving presenter at BBC Radio Derby but left in December 2005. The very sudden announcement of his departure, along with the lack of any reason as to why he was leaving caused some listeners to suggest that he had not particularly wanted to leave. For many weeks after his departure, listeners wrote into the Derby Evening Telegraph to voice their sadness and anger at his leaving. Paul presented the weekday Afternoon and Sunday morning shows at the station, with both consisting of listener participation in great amounts. Spurred on by Paul, many listeners frequently called in with highly oddball suggestions for topics of discussion - such as one claiming that a giraffe had been spotted near Cromford. After BBC Radio Derby, Paul briefly presented a show on the community radio station Amber FM, however due to licensing restrictions, the station could only broadcast for a few weeks.

Since 1983, BBC Radio Derby has held its annual 'Money Mountain' event. Nowadays this usually takes place on the second Sunday of October; however it was originally held over the course of the entire weekend, and was presented from a marquee in the station's car park. This idea was abandoned a few years ago and all presenting now takes place inside the station building itself.

The idea of the event is to support local charities with donations from listeners. The day kicks off with 'Dial a Hymn'; where listeners can dedicate hymns to loved ones in exchange for a donation. This is then followed at 9am by an on-air auction which goes on until late in the evening. Lots typically consist of services by local companies (such as car valeting) and unique items (such as signed celebrity photographs, behind-the-scenes tours and home-made products).

In 2004, the amount of money raised over the years passed the one million pound mark. The person who pledged the bid to surpass this figure was rewarded with a cut glass trophy. The 2007 auction took place on October 14th. A final total of £17,389 was pledged by the end of the auction. The final lot was to spend an afternoon with BBC Radio Derby's sports team - this on its own raised £330. Information about the auction can be read here: [1]

The jingles used to be provided by Bespoke Music of Penryn, Cornwall (being the exact same as Radio Wiltshire), but are now provided by Wise Buddah of London.