BBC Radio Humberside

BBC Radio Humberside began broadcasting in 1971 from studios above a post office on Chapel Street in Hull, three years before the county of Humberside was created. It has retained its name despite Humberside being abolished as a county in 1996.

On the first night of broadcasting, many West Yorkshire rugby league fans were disappointed when the relatively powerful High Hunsley transmitter signal was broadcast instead of BBC Radio Leeds, so they heard a commentary of Hull KR v Widnes. Medium wave broadcasts began in late 1971.

In 1979, Radio Humberside stopped broadcasting dedicated agricultural programmes despite serving agricultural areas.

In the 1970s, the station sponsored the Radio Humberside Handicap horserace at Beverley Racecourse, which became the BBC Radio Humberside Stakes in the 1980s. By the 1990s, this included the Martin Plenderleith Conditions Stakes, the Steve Massam Selling Stakes, the Peter Adamson Maiden Auction Stakes, the Charlie Partridge Selling Stakes and the Chris Langmore Handicap that all took place on the same day in early July.

BBC Radio Humberside's headquarters at Queen's Gardens, Hull

In line with the other BBC local stations in the area, BBC Radio Humberside was part of the BBC Night Network when it was formed in May 1989, providing the station with regular evening, albeit regional rather than local, programming for the first time. Before this, the station generally stopped broadcasting at around 6 pm and broadcast BBC Radio 2 for the rest of the night. Three years before the launch of Night Network, Radio Humberside had broadcast the Yorkshire-wide early evening specialist music programmes which were also carried on Radios York, Leeds and Sheffield.

In 2004, the station moved to a new digital broadcast centre located at Queen's Gardens in Hull, where it was joined by a full TV operation, supporting BBC Look North.

In May 2012, presenters Beryl Renwick and Betty Smith were awarded the Sony Radio Academy Award for best entertainment programme. Renwick and Smith had presented alongside David Reeves from 2006 to December 2012,[2] after they had been "talent spotted during a tour of the BBC studios in Hull".[3] The pair, aged 86 and 90 respectively, had been the oldest winners of the award. Smith died in November 2014[4] and Renwick died in September 2015.[5]

In May 2013, the station was named "Station of The Year" at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.[6]

BBC Radio Humberside's former Grimsby studio

BBC Radio Humberside has studios at Queen's Court, Queen's Gardens in Hull. The station also has a second studio, which is situated in the Grimsby Institute for Higher Education.

In 2016, BBC Radio Humberside's studios were refurbished as part of the ViLoR programme.

High Hunsley 95.9 FM mast

BBC Radio Humberside broadcasts to East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire on 95.9 FM (High Hunsley), DAB, Freeview TV channel 721, and online via BBC Sounds.

The FM transmitter, between Beverley and South Cave 500 ft up on the Yorkshire Wolds is quite powerful over the relatively flat surrounding area being heard clearly in most of South Yorkshire as well. The signal reaches right across to the highest point of the M62 near junction 22 with the A672, the highest point of the A66, much of Lincolnshire, and as far south as Nottingham on the M1, near the Trowell service station and Newark.

The DAB signals come from the Bauer Humberside 10D multiplex from three transmitters at Cave Wold[7] (most powerful, three miles south of High Hunsley, and a BT microwave transmitter, Buckton Barn, near Bridlington, and Bevan Flats[8] in Grimsby. There is no FM transmitter on the south bank, but there is a DAB transmitter in Grimsby. AM broadcasts ended in January 2018.[9]

In the past, BBC Radio Humberside have used music by David Arnold for their jingles. The first package was written by Paul Hart and performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In August 2005, the station began using a custom made package featuring the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, produced by S2Blue in Staffordshire. BBC Radio Humberside were responsible for its artistic commissioning and for the eventual shape and construction of the jingles. In autumn 2008, jingles were refresh for key daytime programmes and presenters. In 2010, the package was completely refreshed by S2Blue, introducing new rhythm tracks to the 2005 package and new instrumentation across the whole set.[10] David Reeves was the station sound producer with Katy Noone and Neil Rudd providing many of the voice-overs.

BBC Radio Humberside carries travel bulletins every 30 minutes (every 15 minutes during Breakfast and Drive) from INTRIX Travel Media. Regular traffic presenters include Wayne Foy, Nick Robbins and Ed Sheppard.

Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's Hull studios from 6 am to 10 pm on Mondays to Saturdays and from 6 am to 6 pm on Sundays.

Off-peak programming originates from BBC Radio Leeds (weekday nights) and BBC Radio York (Sunday evenings).

During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Humberside simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

• BBC Radio Humberside
• Buckton Barn (digital)
• Cave Wold (digital)Archived 3 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• High Hunsley transmitter (includes coverage map)
• Paull MW transmitter Archived 14 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• Hull studio building Archived 16 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
• Lincolnshire Radio campaign (an anti-Humberside website)