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BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby
BBC RADIO DERBY hit the air officially at 5:50pm on 29th April 1971. But, two months earlier than planned, finishing touches were being put to the building when the news team had to dash to Rolls Royce when the firm got into difficulties. A broadcast facility was rapidly set up at the base of a transmitter at Sutton Coldfield to transmit information. Since the launch, the station has evolved considerably both in studio and transmission form. However, there were some dark days in 1977 - the station's future as a public service broadcaster was in the balance as the Government considered handing over BBC local radio to commercial sectors - there was understandable protest from listeners and local groups. Surviving this threat, by its 10th birthday in 1981, the station was ranked second most popular BBC station nationally. In 1987, a Trent(!) bus was completely covered with a Radio Derby graphic including the logo which then included the ram's head. See our sticker archive for a picture of the station logo. Derbyshire was renowned for naff reception in places, most noticeably North Derbyshire. This led to a new North Derbyshire transmitter at Stanton Moor, switched on in 1988 on 95.3FM. Most triumphantly in 2000, Radio Derby recorded its largest audience figures ever.
Based on St. Helens Street, just off the Derby ring road, the station has for many years provided unrivalled coverage of Derby County Football Club - something that cannot be echoed by 106 Century FM due to its regional size. It was only rivalled for a short time by the now defunct Derby County's SKY DIGITAL based radio station, RAMPAGE (see below in our DIGITAL section) Radio Derby hosts an annual charity fundraising weekend on-air auction, 'The Money Mountain', which often requires the siting of a marquee in the station car park. Managed up until the early 1990s by Alex Trelinski, there was once a greater amount of local output on the station. Regional management demands following Alex's departure were met by new management and this resulted in taking Nottingham's 'Beat On The Beeb' service on Saturdays, and similar networking on a Sunday evening. Saturday nights previously ran to 1:00am featuring (firstly) David Harvey, (then) David Halls, and finally Devon Daley from 7:00-10:00 with the Dance Music Show, The Saturday Night Dance Party/Saturday Sort-Out, and this was followed by Tom Price and guests until 1:00am.
Following the evening networking, Devon has maintained his MOBO programme on a Sunday night. Later moves also led to the end of Ashley Franklin's popular 'Soundscapes' programme and ultimately, Ashley's work at Radio Derby. Other presenters of note are John Stiles (who officially launched the station), Graham Knight, Mark Sheldon, Terry Christian (ex-Channel 4 show 'The Word' and more recently on networked shows for Century FM), and long standing presenters who remain today, Chris Baird and Paul McKenzie. BBC Radio Derby has used ex-hospital radio staff too. Namely, Julia May-brown, David Rider, Nigel Cash and Andy Potter. I also worked for David Halls and Devon Daley's Saturday night programming for two and half years until networking from Nottingham took over. After a period in the wilderness, Alex Trelinski did some work for Radio Five Live, then for BBC Radio Nottingham but he is now the presenter of the regional networked evening show he inherited from John Taynton.
Both West and East Midlands BBC stations now have their own night time show but this previously used to be combined from BBC Pebble Mill Birmingham studios and presented by Alex until comparatively recently - he now presents the East Midlands evening service. Radio Derby broadcasts on 104.5, 95.3 & 96FM & on 1116kHz AM/MW to Derbyshire & East Staffordshire.
Information amended from the excellent Aircheck UK webpage
BBC Radio Derby Jingles
- BBC Radio Derby - jingles coming soon