26 September 2022 tbs.pm/76265

• Radio Nottingham opened on January 31st 1968.
• Radio Nottingham puts out an average of seven hours of local broadcasting each day, plus a great many programmes of special events.
• Programmes cover news, sport, music, records, politics, religion, cinema, theatre, antiques, stamp collecting, motoring, forthcoming events in City and County, scouting, the blind.
• In audience research surveys it was found that
  1. 34% of people in Nottingham are listeners.
  2. There are about a quarter of a million listeners in the whole of Radio Nottingham’s coverage area.
  3. 98% of listeners liked Radio Nottingham — “because it’s produced in this area, for this area”.
• Radio Nottingham is one of the most successful of the first eight local radio stations in ratio of listening figures and listener reactions.
• In its three Open Days in 1968 and 1969 Radio Nottingham attracted nearly 9,000 visitors.
• Radio Nottingham has interviewed hundreds of big names — the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Jeremy Thorpe, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Elizabeth Taylor, Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Alec Guiness, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Sir Alec Rose, Sammy Davis, Jnr., Bing Crosby, Ken Dodd, Harry Secombe — but also many thousands of local people, without whom the station could never have succeeded.
• 10,000 record requests played since the station opened.
• 7,000 news bulletins and weather reports.

“A remarkably lusty infant” — Lord Hill of Luton, the Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors, talking about Radio Nottingham on its second birthday.

SOME REGULAR PROGRAMMES

NOTTINGHAM FESTIVAL

Radio Nottingham’s “Discoveries” Competition (in association with Ewart Watson Ltd) at the Nottingham Enterprise Theatre.

PROGRAMMES

“Festival Checkpoint” — A run-down on the day’s Festival events

Monday—Friday at 6.35 a.m., 7.30 a.m., 8.50 a.m.
Saturday at 7.30 a.m. and 10.00 a.m.
Sunday at 7.50 a.m. and 9.00 a.m.

“Festival ’70” — Festival news and interviews

Monday—Saturday at 6.30 p.m.

“Festival Requests” — from Enterprise Nottingham Festival

Monday—Wednesday—Friday at 5 p.m.

Live broadcasts and eye-witness accounts of the main FESTIVAL events including —

The Great Balloon Race
National Jousting Championships
Civil War Pageant and Battle
It’s a Knock Out Competition
Horse Show
Trent Regatta
Enterprise Nottingham — the Industrial Fair
The Grand Finale and Fireworks at Wollaton Park and various concerts including: Jazz Praises from St. Mary’s Church — July 18th at 7.30 p.m.
John Williams Guitar Recital from Nottingham University — July 20th at 7.30 p.m.
Folk Concert from the Albert Hall — July 22nd at 7.30 p.m.
English Symphonia Serenade Concert from Nottingham University — July 24th at 8 p.m.
More than 80 special Festival programmes will be broadcast by Radio Nottingham during the Enterprise Nottingham Festival.

BBC RADIO NOTTINGHAM

Of the people of Nottingham; by the people of Nottingham; for the people of Nottingham — that is what the station is all about.

OF THE PEOPLE

Many of the staff are Nottingham people, but all of the thirty odd staff have become “local folk” — they meet listeners on City buses, they chat with listeners in City pubs, they cheer with listeners at City football matches.

BY THE PEOPLE

Many local people are regular broadcasters —

An ex-policeman does theatre reviews
A local postman talks about gardening
A solicitor writes humorous talks
A Nottingham Forest footballer plays record requests
A local businessman talks about cricket.

Anybody in the City with a point of view is free to phone or drop in and may well have the chance of putting it forward on the air.

The programme “What are they up to now” discusses matters of local controversy. Listeners phone in with their comments on the issues. One listener wrote in of the programme—“This to me seems to be magnificent local radio … we live in a particularly remarkable country where such broadcasting is freely allowed … All strength to your work”.

FOR THE PEOPLE

Radio Nottingham’s programmes are not just about Nottingham, surrounding towns and villages are covered thoroughly. Many aspects of national life are looked at. International affairs are often mentioned, but Nottingham City is the focal point of all programmes. The news is usually about local people; record requests are by local people; interviews are usually with local people; music is played or sung by local people. Radio Nottingham is a station with which City and County people can readily identify.