BBC Radio Northampton

BBC Radio Northampton is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Northamptonshire. It broadcasts from its studios in Broadcasting House, Northampton (a listed building) on 104.2 (Northampton) and 103.6 (Geddington, between Kettering and Corby) FM. The station also has two studios in Daventry and Corby.

It was launched at 6:45am on June 16 1982 on 1107 AM and 96.6 FM, with Jon Beynon's programme Start the Day, the first piece of music being John Williams's Superman theme, followed by Work that Body by Diana Ross. The station was renamed BBC Northampton in 1990, but reverted to its original name on April 3 2000.

The station has two transmitters, with 104.2 FM broadcast from the Moulton Park area of Northampton, and 103.6 FM broadcast from a mast near the village of Geddington. Listeners can tune in to 104.2 in the south and west of the county (including Northampton and surrounding area), whereas 103.6 serves the north and east (including Kettering and Corby). Along the M1, the station can be heard on 104.2FM from Milton Keynes to Watford Gap or the M6 junction. There is no MW frequency, nor does the station currently broadcast on DAB. The Northampton transmitter also has the GCap-owned commercial station Northants 96 on 96.6FM, and has national radio frequencies.

Bernie Keith, who has the mid-morning programme, loves to deviously wind-up unsuspecting callers to his show, treating them to the occasional double-entendre. Less worldly-wise listeners may be embarrassed. Richard Oliff, who hosts from 11 to 2pm, has a consumer-type show where he airs people's grievances, and feels particularly strongly about people who have been 'wronged' or let down by the 'system'. He can get very heated, if not exasperated, when a heavily-discussed topic returns to show its ugly head again. His favourite phrase must be 'How can we let this happen?' as though tearing his hair out.

From 7pm until 1am, the station joins up with the rest of BBC local radio in the BBC East region, who are covered by the evening BBC news programme, Look East. Nick Lawrence hosts until 10pm, then the veteran Keith Skues takes the helm, with both broadcasting from Norwich.

The current Managing Editor is Laura Moss, who joined the station in 2003.

Current presenters

• Liz Carroll-Wheat (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_wheat.shtml)
• Mark Dean (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_dean.shtml)
• Geoff Doyle
• Martin Heath
• Alan Hodgetts
• Richard Jordan
• Bernie Keith (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_keith.shtml)
• Jona Kotnis (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_kotnis.shtml)
• Sue Marchant
• Anna Murby (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_murby.shtml)
• Richard Oliff (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_oliff.shtml)
• Andrew Radd (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_radd.shtml)
• Kevin Saddington
• Dave Watkins (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton/biog_watkins.shtml)

Past presenters

• Jim Hawkins (http://www.jimhawkins.co.uk/) - former presenter of the weekday Talk Show
• Liz Kershaw - former breakfast show presenter, as of 2005 a presenter on BBC 6 Music
• Steve Riches (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radiocambridgeshire/presenters/biog_steve_riches.shtml) - former brekfast show presenter, as of 2005 presents BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's breakfast programme
• Howard Stapleford - went on to present the BBC television series Tomorrow's World
• Martin Stanford - as of 2005 presents Sky News's Sky News Today

External links

• BBC Radio Northampton (http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radionorthampton)
• Media UK - BBC Radio Northampton (http://www.mediauk.com/radio/274)
• History of local radio in Northamptonshire. (http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKNorthants.htm)
• Bernie Keith (http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/BKeithtracker.htm)
• MDS975's Transmitter Map. (http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/pipexdsl/r/arar93/mds975/txmaps/northampton.html)
• Geddington transmitter. (http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/geddington.asp)
• Northampton transmitter. (http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/northampton.asp)