BBC Radio 5 Live facts for kids
Logo used since 2022
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| Broadcast area | United Kingdom and internationally via BBC Sounds |
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| Frequencies | MW: 693 kHz, 909 kHz, 990 kHz and on selected BBC Local Radio stations' frequencies overnight. DAB: 12B Freeview: 705 Freesat: 705 Sky (UK only): 0105 Virgin Media: 905 Virgin Media Ireland: 911 Astra 2E (28.2°E) satellite Intelsat 901 (18°W) satellite |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | News and sport |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC |
| Operator | BBC North |
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Sister stations
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BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra |
| History | |
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First air date
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28 March 1994 |
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Former call signs
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BBC Radio 5 |
| Technical information | |
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Licensing authority
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Ofcom |
| Links | |
| Webcast | BBC Sounds |
BBC Radio 5 Live is a national radio station in the United Kingdom. It is run by the BBC. The station mainly broadcasts news, sports, discussions, interviews, and phone-in shows.
It is the main BBC radio station for covering sport in the UK. It broadcasts almost all big sports events happening in the UK. It also covers events where British athletes are competing.
Radio 5 Live started in March 1994. It replaced an older station called Radio 5. You can listen to it on analogue radio (AM) on 693 and 909 kHz. It is also available digitally through DAB radio, digital TV, and the BBC Sounds app. Sometimes, due to special rules, you might not be able to listen to live sports online if you are outside the UK.
The station broadcasts from MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester. It is part of the BBC North team. Millions of people listen to BBC Radio 5 Live every week.
Contents
History of BBC Radio 5 Live
The idea for a 24-hour news radio station came after the success of Radio 4 News FM. This temporary station covered the first Gulf War in 1991. The BBC wanted to create a new service that would always have the latest news.
Instead of changing BBC Radio 4, the BBC decided to close BBC Radio 5. This old station used to broadcast educational and children's programmes. The new station, BBC Radio 5 Live, would focus on news. It would also keep the popular sports programmes.
BBC Radio 5 Live began broadcasting 24 hours a day on Monday, 28 March 1994. The first voice heard on the station was Jane Garvey. She later became a well-known presenter for the station. When it launched, people said it was a fresh and professional way to deliver news.
One of the first big stories the station covered live was an incident at Hall Garth School. This showed how the station would report on major events as they happened. The station's friendly and relaxed style was new for the BBC. It helped make the channel very popular. Millions of people tuned in, with a record audience of over 6 million listeners.
In 2000, the station got a new logo. This logo was used for the next seven years. On 2 February 2002, a new station was launched. It was called BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. This was a digital-only station. It was created to broadcast even more sports. This helped avoid situations where two big sports events were happening at the same time. Before this, other BBC radio stations had to be used for extra sports coverage.
During this time, 5 Live won many awards. In 2005, it won five Sony Awards. One gold award was for its excellent coverage of the 2004 Asian tsunami. In August 2007, BBC Radio 5 Live updated its logo again. This new look matched other BBC Radio stations.
In 2008, the BBC announced that 5 Live would move. It would go to MediaCityUK in Salford. This move happened in 2011.
How to Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live broadcasts on analogue radio (AM). You can find it on 693 and 909 kHz across the country. In west Wales, it also uses 990 kHz. These frequencies were previously used by the old BBC Radio 5.
Unlike most other BBC radio stations, 5 Live is not only digital. It also broadcasts on analogue radio. However, it is available in stereo on FM and DAB. This happens overnight on BBC Local Radio frequencies. This usually runs from 1 AM until the local stations start their morning shows around 5 AM.
You can also listen to BBC Radio 5 Live digitally. It is available on DAB Digital Radio. It is also on TV through satellite services like Sky. You can find it on cable services like Virgin Media. It is also on digital terrestrial TV services like Freeview and Freesat.
The station also streams its programmes live through BBC Sounds. This service also lets you listen to programmes again for up to a month after they were first broadcast.
Popular Programmes on 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live has many different shows. Here are some of the popular ones:
- Wake Up to Money – A show about money and business news.
- 5 Live Breakfast – The main morning news and sports show.
- Nicky Campbell – A popular weekday show with discussions and interviews.
- Elis James and John Robins – A fun show on Fridays.
- 5 Live Drive – The afternoon show covering news and sport on your way home.
- 5 Live Sport – The main sports show, covering many live events.
- 606 – A football phone-in show where fans can share their opinions.
- 5 Live Science – A show about science and new discoveries.
What BBC Radio 5 Live Broadcasts
News Coverage
BBC Radio 5 Live's main job is to broadcast news as it happens. It provides news updates every half an hour. This changes during live sports commentaries. When a big news story breaks in the UK, 5 Live is one of the first places the BBC reports it.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 5 Live shared its hourly news bulletins with BBC Radio 2. News bulletins are usually three minutes long. Longer five-minute bulletins are broadcast at certain times during the day, especially in the mornings and evenings.
News headlines are often read by the presenters or sports journalists. However, dedicated newsreaders are used during some weekday and weekend programmes.
Sports Coverage
BBC Radio 5 Live covers a huge variety of sports. It broadcasts all the major sporting events. Most of this is under its main sports show, 5 Live Sport. If there's a technical problem with a BBC TV sports broadcast, 5 Live's commentary might be used on the TV channel.
While football commentaries are a big part of the schedule, the station covers many other events. These include:
- Live Premier League football matches.
- Live FA Cup and EFL Cup matches.
- FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship football.
- UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League football.
- Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.
- Major golf tournaments like The Open Championship and The Masters.
- Ryder Cup golf.
- England rugby union matches, including the Six Nations Championship.
- Formula One motor racing.
- Horse racing events like The Grand National and The Cheltenham Festival.
- Boxing matches.
- World Athletics Championships.
- Full coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
- The London Marathon.
- The Tour de France cycling race.
Controllers of BBC Radio 5 Live
These are the people who have been in charge of BBC Radio 5 Live:
| Years served | Controller |
|---|---|
| 1997–1999 | Roger Mosey |
| 2000–2007 | Bob Shennan |
| 2008–2012 | Adrian Van Klaveren |
| 2013 – September 2019 | Jonathan Wall |
| 2019–present | Heidi Dawson |
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
BBC Radio 5 Live cannot broadcast every single sports event it has the rights for. So, some events are covered on its sister station, Sports Extra. This station is digital-only.
Some of the sports covered on Sports Extra include:
- Test Match Special commentary for all home England cricket tests.
- Cricket World Cup and other major cricket tournaments.
- Selected Super League and Challenge Cup Rugby League games.
- All 'Grand Slam' Tennis tournaments.
- Selected Premiership Rugby and European Rugby Champions Cup games.
- More Formula One coverage.
Sports Extra is often used when there are many football matches happening at the same time. 5 Live will broadcast the main match, and Sports Extra will cover others. Also, if 5 Live needs to switch to news coverage during a scheduled sports programme, the sports coverage moves to 5 Sports Extra.
The station started in 2002 as Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Its name was changed in 2022 as part of a BBC rebrand.
Awards
In January 2013, BBC Radio Five Live was nominated for the Responsible Media of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.
See also
In Spanish: BBC Radio 5 Live para niños
