An idea for Radio 5

Philip · Fri 24 Jul, 2009 19.52

The BBC have always wanted a rolling news station on radio since Scud FM was a success. So, I have an idea that I hope is viable.

Well, right now news and sport are crammed into the same station on MW and digital, what we know as Radio 5 Live. What if 5 Live dropped the news programming and stuck to an all sport format? The digital only station Sports Extra would merge with the normal station as there would now be room for all sports coverage on one station. Then, the space left by Sports Extra on digital would be replaced with a rolling news format, like News 24 on TV but instead on radio.

The newly merged Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live Sports Extra would be known as 'BBC Radio Sport', and the digital-only station would be known as 'BBC Radio News'. I also have some ideas in mind for the logos. I'll get back to you on them.

Of course, some people (and by 'some' people I mean most people) won't have a digital radio just yet... there would be some problem with the discussion and talk shows BBC Radio 5 Live/BBC Radio News would put on. Maybe allocating another FM, MW or LW frequency, but that might be a problem. Hopefully one day everyone will have a DAB+ radio. Yes, I said DAB+.

Edit: Made the logos roughly in Paintbrush on Mac. They would be better aligned on Window's Paint, but you can't control where the text goes in Paintbrush, so it was a matter of trial and error.

Nick Harvey · Fri 24 Jul, 2009 23.41

Funnily enough, I switched to Radio 5 for a while today, whilst waiting for the Norwich result. It was the first time in many months, if not about a year. It reminded me of the early (seventies) days of LBC and had nearly all the same people on as were on LBC back then. It was quite enjoyable; I might pop back.

Alexia · Sat 25 Jul, 2009 13.28

There would need to be a hell of a lot more sports coverage for BBC Radio Sport to be viable. They'd need night-time coverage, probably from the US, and morning / afternoon coverage. The reason that Sky Sports can fill their schedules is by running endless full-match reruns, highlights, retrospective programmes and the like. Unless BBC Radio Sport is to go down the TalkSPORT route of endless phone-ins and discussion shows, they'd need a hell of a lot more coverage.

DVB Cornwall · Sat 25 Jul, 2009 13.38

Events don't lend themselves to this format change, there are frequent occasions where Sport requires BOTH channels. Similarly there are times when there's no sport content available. The existing mix is about right. There'll be little or no format changes until DAB is universal and AM/FM are phased out supposedly in 2015.

One thing that would be good though would be an extension of the use of 5LSX for some Parliamentary coverage when it's not required for sporting events. There are frequent occasions that a ministerial statement is covered on 5L and the opposition parties contributions and members questions are not subsequently covered live.

I would also like an experiment to run during the afternoon of simulcasting 5L and BBC NEWS. Simon Mayo's programme lends itself to say the 2.30pm half hour being covered on both.

Pete · Sat 25 Jul, 2009 13.43

Does sports extra broadcast sports at the same time fivelive does? or is it only when the events overrun?

Even then IIRC it requires the other stations to temporarily dip their bitrates and seems to exist purely as an emergency station rather than a well planned network.

DVB Cornwall · Sat 25 Jul, 2009 13.56

Hymagumba wrote:Does sports extra broadcast sports at the same time fivelive does? or is it only when the events overrun?

Even then IIRC it requires the other stations to temporarily dip their bitrates and seems to exist purely as an emergency station rather than a well planned network.

Frequently, Wimbledon alternative courts, Test Match Special and virtually all of Saturday there are alternative commentaries (Football League on 5LSX, Premiership on 5L). During the week some alternative commentaries are offered too.

Philip · Sat 25 Jul, 2009 22.02

I thought Radio Sport would be viable if another station is needed for the current Radio 5 sports programming. There's not a lot on that station, so I'm sure moving it to one station would make up for it. Maybe half of the station plays sports shows, and the other discussion/news shows?

Oh, wait...

Inspector Sands · Sun 26 Jul, 2009 23.10

Hymagumba wrote:Does sports extra broadcast sports at the same time fivelive does? or is it only when the events overrun?

Even then IIRC it requires the other stations to temporarily dip their bitrates and seems to exist purely as an emergency station rather than a well planned network.

It is a temporary, occasional station, it only broadcasts (and on DAB it only appears) when there's something to broadcast. On DAB the same is true of the 2 'Radio 4 long wave' programmes which pop up on their own sub channels a couple of times a day.

There isn't really the room for it 24/7, not without reducing the bitrates of the other stations all the time. Radio 4 goes from 128k to 84k when Sports Extra or the Long Wave programmes are on

Inspector Sands · Sun 26 Jul, 2009 23.13

Philip wrote:The BBC have always wanted a rolling news station on radio since Scud FM was a success. So, I have an idea that I hope is viable.

Well, right now news and sport are crammed into the same station on MW and digital, what we know as Radio 5 Live. What if 5 Live dropped the news programming and stuck to an all sport format? The digital only station Sports Extra would merge with the normal station as there would now be room for all sports coverage on one station. Then, the space left by Sports Extra on digital would be replaced with a rolling news format, like News 24 on TV but instead on radio.

So what about the programmes on 5 Live at the moment which aren't 'rolling news' and aren't sport? That would leave most of their schedule without a home - Victoria Derbyshire, Simon Mayo, Richard Bacon, Up All Night etc

Nick Harvey · Mon 27 Jul, 2009 00.20

Inspector Sands wrote:So what about the programmes on 5 Live at the moment which aren't 'rolling news' and aren't sport? That would leave most of their schedule without a home - Victoria Derbyshire, Simon Mayo, Richard Bacon, Up All Night etc

One solution to that might be to move them to Radio 4 in exchange for the 'newsy' bits from there. Today, World at One, PM and the rest.

Make Radio 5 the news channel and Radio 4 the 'non-news-speech' channel.

That's a thought that's been rumbling around in my head ever since the birth of Radio 5.

It's always seemed odd to me that the BBC have two speech networks and they both have a mixture of news and other things. Why not tidy things up?

DVB Cornwall · Mon 27 Jul, 2009 00.44

Sorry Nick, the remits are different the Radio Four listener would not appreciate the Five Live style and vice versa. They appeal to different constituents, and should be retained as now.