BBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Englishcounty of Kent and parts of southeast London. It broadcasts on FM on 96.7, 97.6 and 104.2 and DAB. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 179,000 listeners and a 4.1% share as of December 2018.
History
The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the Medway Towns. It broadcast from studios at 30 High Street in Chatham, a former newspaper office which was subsequently named Media House. The station gained its current name when operations expanded to Kent on 2 July 1983 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 in stereofor the first time. In 1994, BBC Radio Kent stopped broadcasting on 1035khz MW due to the frequency being reallocated to a new London-wide commercial radio station. In 2001, the station moved to The Great Hall in Royal Tunbridge Wells, to combine with new television studios for the BBC South East region covering Kent and Sussex. 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 stations output. The music studio is in use daily as part of the evening arts strand "The Dominic King Show". BBC Radio Kent also operated a studio and office in The Wendy House although this has since closed, and small contributions studios in Dover and Canterbury.
Programming
Most of BBC Radio Kent's programming is produced and broadcast from its Tunbridge Wells studios. The station is unique within the BBC Local Radio estate as during peak programming hours it operates a 20/20 format; with news, sport, weather and travel every 20mins throughout the working day. At weekends the station provides 20/20 Travel, with travel bulletins at xx:20 and xx:40. During off-peak hours, BBC Radio Kent also carries regional programming for the Southern, South Eastern and Eastern regions, including some of its own weekend output. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Kent simulcasts BBC Radio 5 Live overnight. Notable presenters include Ian Collins, Jon Holmes and Lembit Öpik.
