BBC Radio Merseyside

Radio Merseyside studios, 2021

BBC Radio Merseyside was the third BBC Local Radio station to start broadcasting, launching on 22 November 1967 and broadcasting from the sixth floor of council-owned offices in Commerce House, Liverpool. In late 1981, Radio Merseyside moved to a new purpose-built studios on Paradise Street, Liverpool. Broadcasts began from the new studios on 7 December 1981. On 15 July 2006, Radio Merseyside moved from its former home to a new purpose-built studio building on the corner of Hanover Street and College Lane in Liverpool. This building has two ground-floor studios next to a public performance space. An open learning centre was previously located on the first floor and the main office is on the second floor.

In October 2006, the studio building was nominated and made the Building Design shortlist for the inaugural Carbuncle Cup, which was ultimately awarded to Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth.[2]

Until the late 1980s the station was generally on air from breakfast until teatime, with any programming after 6 pm devoted to specialist music and magazines aimed at specialist interests and at ethnic minority communities including ‘Orient Express’ with June Yee.[3] In early 1989, the four BBC stations in North West England launched an evening service called Network North West. It was broadcast each night from 7:30 pm until midnight. In May 1991, the four north-west stations joined the BBC Night Network, which had previously provided evening programming for the BBC's six North East and Yorkshire stations. At this point, local broadcasts ended at 7:05 pm (7 pm at weekends) until midnight, extending to 12:30 am in the early 1990s, and to 1 am by the end of that decade.

BBC Radio Merseyside broadcasts on 95.8 MHz (Allerton Park) and DAB from the Allerton Park site and DAB signals come from the Bauer Digital Bauer Liverpool 10C Multiplex from Billinge Hill (between St Helens and Wigan), Hope Mountain (between Buckley and Wrexham) and the Radio City Tower (on top of Radio City's studios).

In 2018, BBC Radio Merseyside launched on BBC Sounds. Local sports commentaries are not broadcast on this service, due to licensing agreements.

The station also broadcasts on Freeview TV channel 722 in the BBC North West region.

In March 2020, BBC Radio Merseyside's 1485 AM signal was switched off.

Local programming is produced and broadcast from the BBC's Liverpool studios from 6 am to 10 pm on weekdays and weekends.

The stations late show was aired from 10 pm to 1 am and was simulcast with BBC Radio Lancashire on Friday nights and originated from BBC Radio Manchester on Saturday and Sunday nights until October 2023.

During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Merseyside simulcasts overnight programming from BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London.

During a breakfast show on 25 June 2007, presenter Simon O'Brien accidentally broadcast an unedited interview in which he said, "fuck the government, fuck the planners". O'Brien resigned from the station later in the day. He later went on to present a short-lived Saturday breakfast show on the now defunct talk radio station Radio City Talk in Liverpool. Radio City Talk later used the phrase that led to his resignation as part of their launch marketing for the station.

• BBC Radio Merseyside
• North West Radio
• History of local radio in Merseyside
• MDS975's Transmitter map
• Allerton transmitter 95.8 MHz
• Hope Mountain (Digital)
• Wallasey transmitter 1485 kHz

53.399097°N 2.992277°W / 53.399097; -2.992277