BBC Three Counties Radio


BBC Three Counties Radio is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, broadcasting from studios at Grove Park in Dunstable.
According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 137,000 listeners and a 4.6% share as of December 2018.

History

BBC Radio Bedfordshire (1985–1993)

The station launched as "Radio Bedfordshire" on 24 June 1985, serving the whole of Bedfordshire plus North Bucks and the northern parts of Hertfordshire. Therefore, as well as Luton, Bedford, 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)

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.
The radio station changed to a new freephone number in March 2018 – the new number is 08081 008800
New transmitters at Epping Green and Bedmond extended the coverage to Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and west Hertfordshire in late 2005.
The station's satellite studio at Willen in Milton Keynes produced separate breakfast show for the Milton Keynes area from October 2001 until September 2012. With the opening of new transmitters in Buckinghamshire, the Milton Keynes opt-outs were extended across the whole county, with a separate drivetime show from November 2004 until October 2005, before producing the separate lunchtime programme which ended in February 2007 with a revamp of the schedule. The Buckinghamshire opt-out was scaled back to a breakfast show for Milton Keynes only, Morning MK with Helen Legh. The studio at Willen was also host to Phil Lack's early breakfast until late 2009. In September 2012, Morning MK was axed and replaced with a breakfast show for Beds, Herts and Bucks from BBC 3CR in Luton.
3CR became available on DAB radio on 14 February 2013.
Three Counties moved to brand new studios in Dunstable in June 2015.

Transmitters

BBC Three Counties Radio broadcasts on 90.4FM, 92.1FM, 94.7FM, 95.5FM, 98.0FM, 103.8FM, 104.5FM, 630 kHz 0.2 kW MW, 1161 kHz, and streaming from the BBC 3CR website. BBC 3CR is also carried on the Herts, Beds and Bucks digital radio multiplex, transmitted from Sandy Heath, Aylesbury TE, Epping Green, Hemel Hempstead, Chepping Wycombe, Letchworth, Zouches Farm and Bow Brickhill. The AM services on 630 & 1161 kHz stopped carrying 3CR on 20 February 2020 & officially closed down on 6 April 2020.

Programming

Most of BBC Three Counties Radio's programming is produced and broadcast from its Dunstable studios.
During off-peak hours, BBC Three Counties Radio also carries regional programming for the East, produced from sister stations BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Essex, BBC Radio Suffolk and BBC Radio Northampton. During the station's downtime, BBC Three Counties Radio simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live overnight.
BBC Three Counties Radio uses the 2020 Reelworld Europe package produced for BBC Local Radio.

Notable presenters

Notable past presenters