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| Broadcast area | Hampshire,Dorset and theIsle of Wight |
|---|---|
| Frequencies | FM: 96.1 MHz (Hampshire, Isle of Wight and East Dorset) FM: 103.8 MHz (Central and West Dorset) DAB: 11B (Bournemouth) DAB: 11C (South Hampshire) Freeview: 714 (Hampshire) Freeview: 715 (Dorset) |
| RDS | BBC SLNT |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Local news, talk and music |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC Local Radio, BBC South, BBC South West |
| History | |
First air date | 31 December 1970 |
Former frequencies | 999MW 1359 MW |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | Ofcom |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
BBC Radio Solent is theBBC's local radio station servingHampshire,Dorset and theIsle of Wight, broadcasting onFM,DAB, digital TV and viaBBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road inSouthampton.
According toRAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 204,000 listeners and a 4.2% share as of September 2023.[1]
The station began broadcasting on 31 December 1970. It is named after theSolent, the area of sea betweenSouthampton,Portsmouth and theIsle of Wight.
In 1996, Radio Solent expanded its coverage intoWest Dorset and South Dorset by taking over neighbouringBBC Dorset FM, which was formerly an opt-out ofBBC Radio Devon.
In 2013, a new programme specifically forDorset listeners on 103.8FM was launched under the nameBreakfast in Dorset, after campaigns for a more locally focused service. The programme is presented by Steve Harris from a studio complex inDorchester and also broadcasts county-wide onDAB.
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The service is broadcast on 96.1FM forHampshire, theIsle of Wight and easternDorset fromRowridge transmitting station on the Isle of Wight; and on 103.8 FM for western Dorset fromBincombe Hill transmitter. Since 2003, the station has also been broadcast onDAB Digital Radio from theNOW South Hampshire and NOW Bournemouth networks from thirteen transmitters between them.[2][3][4]
The station also broadcasts onFreeview TV channels 714 (Hampshire / Isle of Wight) and 715 (Dorset) in theBBC South region, and streams online viaBBC Sounds.Freeview TV channel 715 (Dorset) is also broadcast in theBBC South West andBBC West regions.
From launch until 2020,[5] BBC Radio Solent broadcast onmedium wave, with the mainAM transmitter on 999 kHz fromFareham covering most of the coverage area and a secondary transmitter coveringBournemouth andPoole on 1359 kHz from Fern Barrow, Bournemouth.[4]
The signal for Hampshire on 96.1 FM fromRowridge on the Isle of Wight is weaker north ofWinchester than the transmissions from otherBBC Local Radio stations, so that the north Hampshire towns ofBasingstoke andAndover are officially served byBBC Radio Berkshire,[6] while towns such asAldershot,Farnborough andFleet in the north-east of the county are served byBBC Radio Surrey.
As of 2023, local programming was produced and broadcast from the BBC'sSouthampton studios from 6 am to 6 pm each Monday to Friday and for sports coverage. Full speech content is required during the breakfast peak of 7 am to 8.30 am.[7] The station must also provide at least 95 hours of locally made programming per week, that provides news, information and content relevant to the areas and communities it serves.[8]
On weekdays, the station's 6 am to 10 am breakfast show, 10 am to 2 pm morning show and 2 pm to 6 pm afternoon show are broadcast solely to the station's broadcast area.[9]
The station's Saturday and Sunday afternoon show is occupied by sports coverage under theBBC Radio Solent Sport banner. The Saturday evening 8 pm to 10 pm slot is occupied by theBBC Music Introducing programme[10] which features music from new and up and coming artists from the local area.[11] The show helped discover and launch the careers ofWet Leg[12] and has featured artists such asNatives[13] andEchotape.
During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Solent simulcasts overnight programming fromBBC Radio 5 Live between 1 am and 6am
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