View source for BBC Radio Foyle

{{short description|Radio station in Derry, Northern Ireland}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name      = BBC Radio Foyle
| logo      = [[File:BBC Radio Foyle 2022.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2022
| city      = [[Derry]]
| area      = [[County Londonderry]]
| airdate   = {{start date and age|1979|9|11|df=y}}
| frequency = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: 93.1 [[megahertz|MHz]]<br /> [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 12D<br />
[[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]: 712 (NI only)<br>[[Freesat]]: 717<br>[[Sky (United Kingdom)|Sky]]: 0135 (NI only)<br>[[Sky UK|Sky]]: 0154 (UK-wide)<br>[[Virgin Media]]: 933<br />Online: [https://web.archive.org/web/20090423023337/http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playlive/bbc_radio_foyle/]
| rds       = BBC FYLE
| format    = News, talk, sport and music
| former_frequencies = 792 MW
| network   = [[BBC Radio Ulster]]
| owner     = [[BBC]]
| coordinates = {{coord|55.005512|N|7.325885|W|type:landmark_region:GB-DRY|display=inline,title}}
| licensing_authority = [[Ofcom]]
| operator  = [[BBC Northern Ireland]]
| website   = {{URL|www.bbc.co.uk/radiofoyle}}
}}

'''BBC Radio Foyle''' is a [[BBC Northern Ireland]] local radio station, serving [[County Londonderry]] in Northern Ireland. It is named after the [[River Foyle]] which flows through [[Derry]], the city where the station is based.

It is an [[Regional variation#Opt-out|opt-out]] from BBC Radio's main Northern Ireland service, [[BBC Radio Ulster]]. Recent budget cuts saw some reduction in local programming, which now only airs during the week – currently airing between 8:00am and 4:00pm, along with some local evening programming. At all other times, and throughout the weekend, the station's frequencies carry BBC Radio Ulster.

==Broadcasting==
[[File:Radio Foyle Studio, Derry - Londonderry - geograph.org.uk - 1553361.jpg|thumb|Radio Foyle Studio, Derry (2009)]]
The station broadcasts from BBC's Northland Road studios on 93.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] in Derry. It was available on 792&nbsp;kHz [[medium wave]] until 6 May 2021.

There is also a small television studio based there used for interviews with the interviewee sitting in front of a [[colour-separation overlay|CSO screen]] which normally has a live view of Derry. Since it broadcasts from a point close to the border between County Londonderry and [[County Donegal]] in the Republic of Ireland, it includes some coverage of the latter county.

==Digital==
BBC Radio Foyle is available online and is carried on [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]] in Northern Ireland (occupying the slot held by [[BBC Radio nan Gàidheal]] in Scotland and by [[BBC Radio Cymru]] in [[Wales]]). It was not initially available on DAB digital radio, however; the Northern Ireland multiplex licence only requires carriage of Radio Ulster.

In June 2010, the BBC announced a trial scheme under which Radio Foyle would be available on DAB as a part-time sidecar station to Radio Ulster, using a similar format as the part-time longwave-programming optouts of [[BBC Radio 4]] on the [[BBC National DAB]] multiplex. During this trial, the bitrate of Radio Ulster would drop during Foyle's separate broadcast hours, with Foyle carried as a split audio stream in the remaining space; outside of split shows, the full bitrate would revert to Radio Ulster.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wohnort.org/DAB/|title=DAB Ensembles Worldwide – Latest News & Updates|last=Carey|website=wohnort.org}}</ref>

When the Digital One ensemble commenced broadcasting in Northern Ireland certain stations that used Digital One in the rest of the UK left the Northern Ireland ensemble, leaving space for Radio Foyle to broadcast in Stereo without the need for the Radio Ulster capacity to be split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wohnort.org/DAB/ukloc.html#NIreland|title=DAB Ensembles WorldWide – UK Local & Minimuxes|last=Carey|website=wohnort.org|access-date=24 February 2016|archive-date=4 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004000138/http://wohnort.org/DAB/ukloc.html#NIreland|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the closure of the medium wave services of BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle on 6 May 2021, the digital frequencies of BBC Radio Foyle have been used for split sports programming formerly broadcast on 1341&nbsp;kHz and 792&nbsp;kHz.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=radiofoyle|title=BBC Radio Foyle}}

{{Northern Ireland radio|792}}
{{Radio in Ireland}}
{{BBC Radio}}
{{Freeview}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:BBC regional radio stations|Foyle]]
[[Category:Mass media in Derry (city)]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1979]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:BBC Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Mass media in County Londonderry]]
[[Category:Music in Derry (city)]]