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BBC Radio Kent

Royal Tunbridge Wells
Broadcast area	Kent
Frequencies	FM: 96.7 MHz (Medway,Maidstone, North andWest Kent) FM: 97.6 MHz (Folkestone) FM: 104.2 MHz (Canterbury andEast Kent) DAB: 11C Freeview: 711
RDS	BBC Kent
Programming
Language	English
Format	Local news, talk and music
Ownership
Owner	BBC Local Radio, BBC South East
History
First air date	18 December 1970
Former names	BBC Radio Medway (1970–1983)
Former frequencies	774MW 1035 MW 1602 MW
Technical information
Licensing authority	Ofcom
Links
Website	BBC Radio Kent

BBC Radio Kent is theBBC's local radio station serving the county ofKent.

It broadcasts onFM,DAB, digital TV and viaBBC Sounds from studios at The Great Hall inRoyal Tunbridge Wells.

According toRAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 136,000 listeners as of May 2025.^[1]

The radio station was launched in 1970 asBBC Radio Medway, originally only serving theMedway Towns. It broadcast from studios at 30 High Street inRochester, a former newspaper office which was subsequently named Media House. The station became well known in the early 1980s for its early Friday evening soul music show presented by DJ Dave Brown, becoming one of the most listened to soul shows in the UK before DJRobbie Vincent earned that achievement with the national broadcasterBBC Radio 1 in 1983.

The station gained its current name on 2 July 1983 when operations expanded to cover all ofKent as part of the BBC's policy of operating countywide stations. Radio Medway was closed down by long serving staff member Rod Lucas, who was also the first voice to be heard on the new BBC Radio Kent.

In July 1986, the studios moved to the nearby Sun Pier, from where it broadcast instereo for the first time.

On 18 March 1994, BBC Radio Kent stopped broadcasting on 1035 kHzMW due to the frequency being reallocated to a new London-wide commercial radio station, and then in January 2018, 774 and 1602 kHz stopped broadcasting in order to make cost savings.

In 2001, the station moved to The Great Hall inRoyal Tunbridge Wells, to combine with new television studios for theBBC South East region covering Kent andSussex. From here, BBC Radio Kent operates a total of five studios – two for programmes, one for news bulletins, one network contributions area, and a comprehensive live performance area. Since gaining the live performance area, live music has played an increasingly important part of the station's output. The music studio is in use daily as part of the evening arts strand "The Dominic King Show".

In 2015, under the direction of a new Station Managing Editor, the station created a comprehensive Station Imaging Creative Department. Organised more along the lines of a commercial stations Creative Department, it is responsible for trails, idents and jingles. The three person department also undertook creative imaging for shared programmes originating from Tunbridge Wells, as well as providing trails for other stations in the South East cluster. Other Local BBC Radio usually has a single Station Sound producer, not a whole department.

BBC Radio Kent also operated a studio and office in The Wendy House (a building close to the original Sun Pier site inChatham), although this has since closed, and small contributions studios inDover andCanterbury.

BBC Radio Kent broadcasts on 96.7 FM for North and West Kent from theWrotham transmitting station on theNorth Downs, close to the village ofWrotham, 97.6 FM forFolkestone and surrounding areas from the Creteway Down transmitting station situated north east of the town^[2] and 104.2 FM from theSwingate transmitting station located at the village ofSwingate, nearDover coveringCanterbury, south and east Kent. It also broadcast onDAB.

The station also broadcasts onFreeview TV channel 711 in theBBC South East region and streams online viaBBC Sounds.

Local programming airs from the BBC'sTunbridge Wells studios from 6 am to 2 pm on weekdays and for sports coverage.

Off-peak programming, including the weekday late show from 10 pm to 1 am, originates fromBBC Radio Solent inSouthampton,BBC Radio Manchester andBBC Radio London.

During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Kent simulcasts overnight programming fromBBC Radio 5 Live.

• Dave Cash (1999–2016)
• Don Durbridge (1983–1992)
• Mo Dutta (1991–1994)
• Alex Lester (2017, now atGreatest Hits Radio)
• Jimmy Mack (1970–1983)
• Richard Spendlove (1989–2017)
• Barbara Sturgeon (1983–2004)
• Rod Lucas (1971 - 1979) - (1981 - 1987)

• BBC Radio Kent

51°07′49″N0°15′49″E / 51.130235°N 0.263537°E /51.130235; 0.263537

• Radio stations established in 1970
• BBC Local Radio
• Radio stations in Kent
• Borough of Tunbridge Wells
• 1970 establishments in England

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