Allan Beswick moves to weekends on Local BBC Radio
Weeknight phone-in host Allan Beswick, who is heard across BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Manchester Monday to Thursday, is moving to weekends only.
Allan has hosted the show since 2014, and the move means each station will move to provide local programmes in their own areas.
John Gillmore will host 10pm till 1am on BBC Radio Lancashire (and Cumbria), whilst Anna Jameson will be on BBC Radio Manchester.
The new show, on Saturday and Sunday, will also air on BBC Radio Merseyside.
The former Red Rose Radio presenter announced the news on his programme Sunday night, saying the move should have happened about 18 months ago but was delayed, then the pandemic delayed it further.
Medium wave services carrying Greatest Hits Radio in Lancashire, Manchester and Leeds, plus Magic in
Humberside are being switched off.
The changes will be taking place at the end of April, and follow GHR being available on FM in addition to DAB in most of these areas.
In Lancashire, 999 kHz carries the same output as 96.5FM in Blackpool, in Manchester 1152 kHz is duplicated on 96.2FM from Oldham and GHR was added to the former Radio Aire frequency of 96.3FM last year in addition to 828 kHz.
Bauer will also switch off the Magic Radio AM (1161 kHz) in Hull. Magic replaced Greatest Hits on AM last year when KCFM (owned by Nation Broadcasting) re-branded as Greatest Hits Radio.
FORMER BBC radio presenter and journalist John Barnes has joined Rossendale Radio. Mr Barnes worked for over 20 years as Rock FM and Red Rose Radio news editor and a presenter on BBC Radio Lancashire. He will now present a Sunday morning show on Rossendale Radio 104.7 FM, a new challenge he says he is looking forward to getting stuck in to. Mr Barnes said: “This time last year I had no intention of leaving the BBC but like for so many of us lockdown forced me to rethink my priorities. The BBC wanted me to stay but it was the right time for me to move on to the next stage. Right now, I’m renovating our 300 year old house with my husband Dave and will be taking on more work when that’s done but right now I want to get back to doing a little bit of radio as it’s always been in my blood.”
New life for another of Jordan North s happy places
Another of Radio One DJ Jordan North’s happy places - the Rock FM studios in Preston where he launched his career - has a new owner.
Friday, 29th January 2021, 4:54 pm
But the future of the former St Paul’s Church building on Ringway is unclear after it was sold this week to an unnamed buyer.
The Grade II Listed property has been empty since Rock FM moved out almost a year ago, relocating the station’s presenters to Manchester and its sales staff to new offices in Preston.
The Post understands the new buyer is a local company which will be making the 200-year-old building its headquarters. But an announcement is not expected until next week.