BBC Southern Counties Radio

Nick Harvey · Tue 14 Apr, 2009 17.40

The BBC Local RDS changes were on March 31st.

With much singing, dancing and promos saying we'd all need to re-tune our radios (which we didn't need to), BBC WLTS became BBCWILTS.

Must say I was totally underwhelmed by the whole operation.

I noticed BBCSURRY appear on Friday as I passed through said county on the way to BBC KENT.

nwtv2003 · Wed 15 Apr, 2009 09.49

Nick Harvey wrote:The BBC Local RDS changes were on March 31st.

Was it a National thing? I had a problem or two with my car radio, I had it preset to BBC GMR (as it was), but it automatically gave me Radio Manchester, but around this time pressing the button for GMR it switched to Radio Merseyside, although I've reset it back now, but I've lost the BBC GMR display forever.

Nick Harvey · Wed 15 Apr, 2009 11.52

nwtv2003 wrote:Was it a National thing?

Don't know about national, but it was certainly Swindon and Wiltshire as well as Southern Counties.

The on-air promotions sounded as if they'd been done centrally, so perhaps quite a lot changed.

You're the first person I've heard of who DID actually have to re-tune a car radio.

Steve in Pudsey · Fri 17 Apr, 2009 17.16

BBC LEED has now become BBCLEEDS. The purpose of these RDS changes was to recode the stations so that when you get near the edge of your station's transmission area and a neighbouring station has a stronger signal you don't get switched to that.

I wonder whether the 103.9FM outlet of Radio Leeds has a different code to 92.4/95.3/103.9 as they have started doing frequency splits for Leeds United coverage and Leeds Rugby Union from Beecroft Hill.