Black Country Radio began life as two separate stations. 102.5 The 'Bridge started broadcasting on FM from studios in Stourbridge on 1 January 2008, targeting a 25 - 55 year old audience with an emphasis on local news, sport, events and good causes. In 2015, they merged with Black Country Community Radio to produce Black Country Radio, combining resources to secure the long term future of both stations. Black Country Radio also extended its coverage area and began broadcasting on DAB as part of the Birmingham 'MiniMux', which is an effort by the regulator to make technology more available to smaller stations operating on a much lower annual income. In September 2016, the station was temporarily taken off the air after thieves broke into the studios and stole vital broadcasting equipment. The burglary was featured on the BBC television programme, Caught Red Handed in 2017. In December 2016, Black Country Radio began broadcasting from their new studios at the Waterfront complex in Brierley Hill. The move into new purpose built premises provided the station with two on-air studios, dedicated recording suits and a live music area. During 2020, the station will move premises again as part of the new Resonance music college development in the town. This will give them four state of the art, fully digital studios, video streaming capability and a separate broadcast stream to help to train students in media practice.
Programming
All programming on Black Country Radio is produced locally, with the exception of some late night weekend content which is syndicated. During peak times, the station plays a mix of music from the 80s to the present day and also broadcasts over a dozen specialist shows including Jazz, Classical, Motown and Rock. There's also an emphasis on promoting local music, with many bands and singers having performed live on air as well as at roadshows, outside broadcasts and concerts. National news is broadcast on the hour, every hour with local news and sport bulletins broadcast from 7am to 7pm. The station also regularly hosts overnight coverage for both local and general elections, with interviews and analysis from prominent local and national political figures. Black Country Radio also broadcast regular sports coverage for local and national teams, including Stourbridge FC, Halesowen Town FC and Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Club. The shows also have a strong interest in women's leagues, which might not receive as much coverage otherwise.
Community Events and Outside Broadcasts
Black Country Radio regularly appears at events across the region, in conjunction with Dudley Council, local businesses, charities and community groups. The station has hosted live coverage of major events including the Birmingham St Patricks Day celebrations and Birmingham Pride, interviewing artists including Louisa Johnson and Dua Lipa. They also host Christmas light switch on events including celebrations at Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen town centres, working alongside celebrities and personalities including Britain's Got Talent finalist, Connie Talbot; Paralympic Grand Slam winner, Jordanne Whiley; TV presenter, Alison Hammond and singer and actress, Beverley Knight. The station are a permanent part of the Black Country Festival. As part of its commitment to the local area, Black Country Radio also covers a number of live events in the region, including the Dudley Volunteer Awards which celebrates the work of volunteers in the area. The awards is organised by Dudley Council for Voluntary Service, who also worked with the station in 2019 to coordinate their 'Operation Santa' appeal to ensure every child in the Black Country receives a present from Santa.
Presenters
The current on air team are a mixture of new local talent and staff who have previously worked on commercial and BBC stations. Notable names include:
On 1 January 2018, the station celebrated 10 years of radio in the Black Country with a day of special programmes. Past presenters appeared on air with archive audio from the early days of 102.5 The Bridge and the playlist was dedicated to music from 2008.
