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BBC Three Counties Radio

Coordinates: 51°52′37″N 0°25′05″W / 51.877°N 0.418°W / 51.877; -0.418
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BBC Three Counties Radio
Broadcast areaBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
FrequencyFM: 90.4 MHz (Welwyn Garden City, Hertford and Stevenage)
FM: 92.1 MHz (Hemel Hempstead, Watford and St Albans)
FM: 94.7 MHz (Aylesbury)
FM: 95.5 MHz (Bedford and Hitchin)
FM: 98.0 MHz (High Wycombe)
FM: 103.8 MHz (Luton and Dunstable)
FM: 104.5 MHz (Milton Keynes and Buckingham)
DAB: 10D
Freeview: 712
RDSBBC 3CR
Programming
LanguageEnglish
FormatLocal news, talk and music
Ownership
OwnerBBC Local Radio,
BBC East,
BBC London,
BBC South
History
First air date
24 June 1985 (1985-06-24)
Former names
BBC Radio Bedfordshire (1985–1993)
Technical information
Licensing authority
Ofcom
Links
Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/threecountiesradio Edit this at Wikidata

BBC Three Counties Radio is the BBC's local radio station serving the counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Grove Park in Dunstable.

According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 125,000 listeners and a 5.8% share as of December 2023.[1]

History

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BBC Radio Bedfordshire (1985–1993)

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Radio Bedfordshire logo

The station launched as "Radio Bedfordshire" on 24 June 1985, serving the whole of Bedfordshire plus (despite the name) North Buckinghamshire and the northern parts of Hertfordshire. Therefore Bedford, Luton, Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Knebworth, Berkhamsted, Tring, Harpenden, Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage and Hitchin were served by the new station. In 1992, the station became known as "BBC Radio Bedfordshire with Herts and Bucks".

BBC Three Counties Radio (1993–present)

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The station changed to its present name on 5 April 1993. The new name was intended to reflect the wider reach across the three counties and to give equal service to all. The editorial area was not, at that point, expanded but enhanced studio facilities and staff were devoted to Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

New transmitters at Epping Green and Bedmond extended the coverage area to Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and west Hertfordshire in late 2005.[citation needed]

BBC Three Counties Radio became available on DAB radio on 14 February 2013. In June 2015, the station moved from its Luton base to new studios in Dunstable.

In 2025, the station celebrated the 40th anniversary of its launch on 24 June 1985.

Programming

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Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's Dunstable studios from 6 am to 2 pm weekdays. Weekdays from 2 pm to 10 pm are BBC East regional programming. Saturday 6 am to 10 pm BBC East shared programming. Sundays 6 am to 6 pm BBC East regional shared programming. Many of the regional shows are broadcast from the studios of Three Counties Radio. All other times such as late and overnight programming is England-wide shared programming.

Presenters

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Notable current presenters

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Notable past presenters

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References

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  1. ^ "RAJAR". RAJAR. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Nana Akua". nanaakua.com. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
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51°52′37″N 0°25′05″W / 51.877°N 0.418°W / 51.877; -0.418