BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live (also known as just 5 Live) is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, interviews and sports commentaries. It is the principal radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcasting virtually all major sports events staged in the UK or involving British competitors.

Radio 5 Live was launched in March 1994 as a repositioning of the original Radio 5, which was launched on 27 August 1990. It is transmitted via analogue radio in AM on medium wave 693 and 909 kHz and digitally via digital radio, television and via an Internet stream. Due to rights restrictions, coverage of some events (in particular live sport) is not available on-line or is restricted to UK addresses.

The station broadcasts from MediaCityUK in Salford and is a department of the BBC North division.

History

The success of Radio 4 News FM during the first Gulf War (1991) led the BBC to propose the launch a rolling-news service. After many arguments, both internal and external, the BBC closed their fifth radio network, BBC Radio 5, and replaced the old service's educational and children's programmes with a new news service, whilst retaining the sports programmes. The new BBC Radio 5 Live began its 24-hour service at 5am on Monday 28 March 1994. The first voice on air, Jane Garvey, later went on to co-present the breakfast and drive-time shows with Peter Allen. The Times described the launch as "slipp[ing] smoothly and confidently into a routine of informative banter" and The Scotsman as "professionalism at its slickest".