View source for BBC Radio Scotland

{{Short description|Scottish national radio station}}
{{About|the BBC radio station|the earlier offshore radio station|Radio Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Multiple issues|{{More citations needed|date=January 2016}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=August 2024}}}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name            = BBC Radio Scotland
| logo            = [[File:BBC Radio Scotland 2022.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2022
| city            = [[Glasgow]]
| area            = [[Scotland]]{{efn|Scotland only on FM, MW, DAB and [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]], available via [[BBC Sounds]] and satellite/cable television for rest of the UK}}
| branding        =
| airdate         = {{start date and age|1978|11|23|df=yes}}
| frequency       = [[frequency modulation|FM]]: 92.5&ndash;94.7&nbsp;[[megahertz|MHz]]<br />[[medium wave|AM]]: 810&nbsp;[[kHz]]<br />[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 11B, 11C and 12D<br />[[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]: 711 (Scotland only)<br />[[Freesat]]: 712 <br />[[Sky UK|Sky]]: 0116 (UK only)<br />[[Virgin Media]]: 930
|former_frequencies = 585 MW
| rds             = BBC_Scot
| format          = [[News]], [[music]], [[sport]], [[Talk radio|talk]]
| language        = English
| owner           = [[BBC]]
| licensing_authority = [[Ofcom]]
| operator        = [[BBC Scotland]]
| sister_stations = {{unbulleted list|[[BBC Radio nan Gàidheal]]|[[BBC Radio Orkney]]|[[BBC Radio Shetland]]|}}
| webcast         = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_scotland_fm BBC Sounds]
| website         = {{URL|bbc.co.uk/radioscotland}} 
}}

'''BBC Radio Scotland''' is a [[Scotland|Scottish]] national [[radio station|radio network]] owned and operated by [[BBC Scotland]], a division of the [[BBC]]. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish [[BBC Radio 4]] opt-out service of the same name from 23 November 1978.<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of BBC Broadcasting in Scotland 1923-1983 |last= McDowell |first=W.H. |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=1992 |page=260 |isbn=0-7486-0376-X}}</ref> The station is broadcast from the [[BBC Pacific Quay|BBC Scotland studios]] at [[Pacific Quay]] in [[Glasgow]].

Radio Scotland is broadcast in English, whilst sister station [[BBC Radio nan Gàidheal|Radio nan Gàidheal]] broadcasts in [[Scottish Gaelic]].

According to [[RAJAR]], the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 801,000 and has a listening share of 5.8% as of March 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAJAR |url=https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519060556/https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php |archive-date=2024-05-19 |access-date= |website=rajar.co.uk}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|BBC Home Service}}
The first BBC Radio Scotland broadcast was on 17 December 1973, a [[fortnight]] earlier than planned.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 December 1973 |title=Radio Scotland off their mark |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jotAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4436%2C3370812 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816180926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jotAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4436%2C3370812 |archive-date=16 August 2023 |access-date=22 July 2017 |work=The Herald |page=5}}</ref>

BBC Radio Scotland was founded as a full-time radio network on 23 November 1978.<ref>{{cite news |last=Young |first=Andrew |date=7 November 1978 |title=Star line-up as Radio Scotland goes pop |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3gI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4430%2C1368831 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006175926/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3gI-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4430,1368831 |archive-date=2023-10-06 |access-date=1 April 2016 |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |location=Glasgow |page=4}}</ref> Previously it was possible only to opt out of [[BBC Radio 4]], and the service was known as Radio 4 Scotland or, formally on air, as "BBC Scotland Radio 4". Although on some occasions Radio Scotland used to use [[BBC Radio 2]] as a sustaining service at certain times, most notably during the ''Sport on 2'' Saturday afternoon programme with a BBC Scotland opt-out on 202m known as "BBC Scotland Radio 2"; however, this has been discontinued since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search - BBC Programme Index |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=1500m+and+202m#top |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511175958/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=1500m+and+202m#top |archive-date=2024-05-11 |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=202m in scotland - Search - Newspapers.com™ |url=https://www.newspapers.com/search/?date-end=1999&date-start=1967&keyword=+202m+in+scotland&region=gb-sct |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510232233/https://www.newspapers.com/search/?date-end=1999&date-start=1967&keyword=+202m+in+scotland&region=gb-sct |archive-date=2024-05-10 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=October 2017 |title=Radio 4 doing opt outs for Scotland? |url=https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2245131/radio-4-doing-opt-outs-for-scotland |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212051623/https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2245131/radio-4-doing-opt-outs-for-scotland |archive-date=2023-12-12 |website=Digital Spy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Scotland Radio 2 |url=https://wiki.scotlandonair.com/wiki/BBC_Scotland_Radio_2 |website=Scotland On-Air}}</ref><ref>https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/246410/radio-1-regionalised/p2</ref>

The establishment of a separate network was made possible when Radio 4 became a fully UK-wide network when it moved from [[medium wave]] to [[long wave]] and new VHF (FM) transmitters were brought into service, so that Radio 4 and Radio Scotland no longer had to share on FM. However, it was not until the early 1990s that Radio 4 was available on FM across all of Scotland; so for its first decade on air, the station only broadcast during the day so that Radio 4 could be heard on Radio Scotland's transmitters in the evening to compensate for poorer AM reception after dark.

[[Kirsty Wark]] launched her career on BBC Radio Scotland, first as a researcher and then as a producer.<ref name="ayrshirearts.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.ayrshirearts.com/Spaces/Gallery/Companies/SW%20Galleries%20Association/Take%20Your%20Pick/Take%20Your%20Pick%20Exhibition.html|title=Visual Arts Group|website=Ayrshirarts.com|access-date=28 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025750/http://www.ayrshirearts.com/Spaces/Gallery/Companies/SW%20Galleries%20Association/Take%20Your%20Pick/Take%20Your%20Pick%20Exhibition.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

==Programmes==
Radio Scotland broadcasts a wide range of programming, including news, debate, music, drama, comedy and sports. It is broadcast from the [[BBC Scotland]] headquarters in the [[Pacific Quay]] in [[Glasgow]]. The station simulcasts [[BBC Radio 5 Live]] during its overnight downtime.

==Local opt-outs==
[[BBC Radio Orkney]] and [[BBC Radio Shetland]] opt out of BBC Radio Scotland for 30 minutes each weekday to broadcast a local news programme and during the winter months this is supplemented in both areas by an additional hour-long programme. Local news and weather bulletins are also broadcast as opt-outs from news studios in [[Selkirk, Scottish Borders|Selkirk]], [[Dumfries]], [[Aberdeen]] and [[Inverness]] on weekdays.

==Notable presenters==
<!--Any non-notable presenters (those without Wikipedia articles) added here are liable to be removed - if someone is considered notable (red linking is not enough), write a Wikipedia article on them first, or provide multiple reputable independent sources to show they deserve an article and are associated with the station-->
{{Alumni|people|date=January 2018}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Kaye Adams]] (news)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000gd1|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Mornings, With Kaye Adams|website=BBC}}</ref>
*Iain Anderson (music)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hkv|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Iain Anderson|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Bryan Burnett]] (music) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0079fy9|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Get it On with Bryan Burnett|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Stuart Cosgrove]] (sport)
*[[Tam Cowan]] (sport)
*[[Vic Galloway]] (music) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hgc|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Vic Galloway|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Richard Gordon (broadcaster)|Richard Gordon]] (sport)
*[[Gary Innes]] (music)
*[[Stephen Jardine]] (news)
*[[Mary Ann Kennedy (Scottish singer)|Mary Ann Kennedy]] (lifestyle, features and documentaries)
*[[Fred MacAulay]] (lifestyle, features and documentaries)
*[[Cathy MacDonald]] (music)
*[[Michelle McManus]] (music)
*[[Natasha Raskin Sharp]] (music)
*[[Ricky Ross (musician)|Ricky Ross]] (music)
*Billy Sloan (music) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b067g94l|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Billy Sloan|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Graham Stewart]] (news)
*[[Ashley Storrie]] (music and chat show) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09yn48l|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Ashley Storrie|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Grant Stott]] (music) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08tbnf1|title=BBC Radio Scotland - Grant Stott's Vinyl Collective|website=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Des Clarke (comedian)|Des Clarke]]
{{div col end}}

===Past presenters===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Dougie Anderson]]
*[[John Beattie (rugby union)|John Beattie]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23766937.john-beattie-bbc-radio-scotland-presenter-step-role/|title=Top BBC Scotland presenter to step down from role to 'explore more of world'|date=4 September 2023|website=The National}}</ref>
*[[Colin Bell (journalist)|Colin Bell]]
*[[Ken Bruce]]
*[[Jackie Brambles]]
*[[Andy Cameron (comedian)|Andy Cameron]]
*[[Ross Finlay]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racecar.com/news/9913/motorsport/posthumous-award-of-jim-clark-memorial |title=Posthumous award of Jim Clark Memorial }}</ref>
*[[Archie Fisher]] (music)
*[[Jim Gellatly]] (music)
*[[Armando Iannucci]]
*[[Jimmie Macgregor]]
*[[Anne MacKenzie (journalist)|Anne MacKenzie]]
*[[Jimmy Mack (broadcaster)|Jimmy Mack]]
*[[Eddie Mair]]
*[[Bruce MacGregor (musician)|Bruce MacGregor]] (music)
*[[Sally Magnusson]] (lifestyle, features and documentaries)
*[[Sheena McDonald]]
*[[Brian Morton (Scottish writer)|Brian Morton]]
*[[Tom Morton]] (music)
*[[Shereen Nanjiani]] (news)
*[[Charles Nove]]
*[[Iain Purdon]]
*[[Robbie Shepherd]] (music)
*[[Ken Sykora]]
*[[Jim Traynor]]
*Gary West (music)
*[[Kirsty Young]]
{{div col end}}

==Heads of Radio, Scotland==
[[File:BBC Radio Scotland logo 2020.svg|thumb|Previous BBC Radio Scotland logo]]
The title "Head of Radio, Scotland" was applied to cover not only the Radio Scotland service but also BBC Scotland's radio productions for other networks.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Years served !! H.R.S.
|-
|1978&ndash;1979|| John Pickles
|-
|1980&ndash;1983|| Christopher Irwin
|-
|1983&ndash;1987|| Stan Taylor
|-
|1987&ndash;1992|| Neil Fraser
|-
|1992&ndash;1996|| [[James Boyle (broadcasting)|James Boyle]]
|-
|1996&ndash;2000|| [[Ken MacQuarrie]] 
|-
|2000&ndash;2005|| Maggie Cunningham
|-
|2005&ndash;2017|| Jeff Zycinski
|-
|2017&ndash;present|| Gareth Hynes
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Lockerbie, Catherine (1985), "Making Waves: Radio in Scotland", in Parker, Geoff (ed.), ''[[Cencrastus]]'' No. 20, Spring 1985, pp.&nbsp;8 – 11, {{issn|0264-0856}}

==External links==
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=radioscotland|title=BBC Radio Scotland}}

{{BBC Scotland}}
{{BBC Radio}}
{{Radio in Scotland}}
{{Glasgow radio}}
{{Aberdeen radio}}
{{Edinburgh radio}}
{{Media in the United Kingdom|radio}}
{{Freeview}}

{{Portal bar|BBC|Radio|Scotland}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|55.8580|-4.2909|display=title|region:GB_scale:5000}}

[[Category:BBC regional radio stations|Scotland]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1978]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Glasgow]]
[[Category:BBC Scotland]]
[[Category:1978 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Scotland]]