Green Party showed strongest broadcast momentum under new leader Zack Polanski
Be Broadcast’s Mission Control analysis, in partnership with Cast From Clay, tracked over 220,000 UK broadcast mentions and found the Greens were the only party to increase their airtime since early September. Under Polanski, coverage rose 44%, with 13,728 mentions and a shift in tone from activism to fairness and prosperity. Membership also jumped to 126,000, overtaking the Conservatives. So what: demonstrated how leadership style and message discipline reshaped broadcast visibility; a signal that momentum and tone now outweigh parliamentary size in media cut-through.
Read more of our data on Washington Post and Metro.
Sky News relaunched mornings with Sophy Ridge and Wilfred Frost
Sky News unveiled Mornings with Ridge and Frost, airing Monday–Thursday (7–10 a.m.), accompanied by the daily Cheat Sheet podcast at 6 a.m. The programme blended interviews, debate and analysis, with weekend output fronted by Kamali Melbourne and Anna Jones. So what: positioned Sky to compete directly in breakfast TV with a more conversational and social-first tone; Ridge called it a response to audiences’ “hyper engagement” with news.
BBC restructured Talent & Inclusion, expanding Creative Diversity
The BBC confirmed a net loss of three roles across Talent & Inclusion while adding posts within Creative Diversity under Jessica Schibli. Led by Simone Marquis, the shake-up introduced regional positions and a new Performance & Talent framework. So what: showed a strategic shift towards visible diversity and regional creative representation across the UK.
Ofcom set new PSB quotas and a 2% annual regional spend rise
Reforms under the Media Act 2024 converted proportional quotas into absolute hours and spend metrics and aligned indie supplier levels across PSBs. BBC, ITV and C4 objected to the 2% uplift, while Pact and TAC backed it. So what: added clarity but raised budget pressure outside London — PSBs will need to rebalance production spend regionally.
MTV closed five UK music channels amid Paramount cuts
MTV Music, 80s, 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live signed off after three decades as Paramount streamlined global operations. So what: signalled the end of an era for linear music TV and a pivot to FAST and social video.
Channel 4 broke its single-day streaming record
C4 registered 6.9 million views on 30 September, driven by Bake Off, MAFS UK and Taskmaster, up 8% on last year. Chief Content Officer Ian Katz called it a “landmark moment.” So what: underlined C4’s strength as a digital player and a major AV buy for younger audiences.
PSBs united behind a five-point plan at RTS Cambridge
BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C, MG ALBA and STV collectively called for tax credits, digital prominence and internet transition. Tim Davie, Carolyn McCall, Jonathan Allan and Sarah Rose fronted the appeal. So what: a rare coalition moment that pushed for policy action to secure public service media’s future.
Lisa Nandy warned she was ready to legislate for YouTube prominence
The Culture Secretary supported Ofcom’s push for PSB visibility on video-sharing platforms and said she would regulate if voluntary deals failed. So what: extended the broadcast policy battle into digital ecosystems and put YouTube under official scrutiny.
Tim Davie outlined the BBC’s charter-renewal roadmap
After 870,000 public submissions to Our BBC, Our Future, Davie confirmed plans for consultation and a modernised licence fee model. So what: opened debate on sustainable funding and digital reach ahead of the next charter cycle.
STV Radio expanded its presenter team ahead of launch
Jane McCarry, Micky Gavin and Jodie McCluskey joined the station alongside Ewen Cameron and Cat Harvey. So what: reinforced STV’s ambition to pair recognisable talent with strong regional identity for its 2026 debut.
Your Media Group launched ‘Your Christmas’ on DAB+
The new station began broadcasting on 1 November across North Yorkshire with support from Visit North Yorkshire. So what: gave local advertisers seasonal inventory tied to community events.
K107FM and Kirkcaldy Foodbank launched community Christmas collection
Community station K107FM partnered with Love Oor Lang Toun and Kirkcaldy Foodbank for the Lang Toun Lights switch-on on 29 November. The free event invited attendees to bring food donations, while on-air activity supported the foodbank throughout November and December. So what: a strong example of hyper-local radio driving tangible community impact over the festive period.
Magic Classical and Dogs Trust teamed up for ‘Calming Pet Sounds’
The week-long Rayo station offered music to soothe pets during Bonfire Night. So what: a clever cause-led activation combining brand purpose and listener utility.
Virgin Radio UK switched on its Christmas channel
Virgin Radio Christmas ran from 1 November to Boxing Day, fronted by Chris Evans and The National Lottery. So what: demonstrated Virgin’s seasonal brand power and Q4 advertising appeal.
Sunrise Radio launched two new stations for its 36th anniversary
Sunrise Hits and Sunrise Retro expanded the network’s reach under Tony Lit MBE. So what: enhanced choice for Asian audiences and advertisers seeking cultural specificity.
Mix 56 refreshed its breakfast line-up
Smithy teamed with Ian James as Phil Roberts moved to mid-mornings. So what: energised local radio in Cheshire and deepened community connection.
Fix Radio added business coach Craig Wilkinson to its schedule
The trades station welcomed Wilkinson to Snag the Week with Chance Litchfield. So what: broadened Fix’s appeal with actionable business advice for its core audience.
Derby ONE launched on 15 November
Elliot Holman, Chris Birks and Dan Martin fronted the weekday line-up. So what: gave Derby a dedicated local voice and a new commercial radio competitor.
BBC Scotland introduced ‘Radio Scotland Breakfast’
Martin Geissler and Laura Maciver took over from Good Morning Scotland, with Phil Goodlad on sport. So what: modernised BBC Scotland’s news tone with live cross-platform energy.
RAJAR Q3 2025 confirmed digital’s dominance
Commercial radio captured 56% share and 77% of listening hours. Global reached record audience levels, while GB News Radio grew fastest. So what: proved audio’s resilience and the growth of digital-only spin-offs as key drivers of reach.
Ofcom clarified rules on politicians presenting news
Rule 5.3 remained intact but guidance on impartiality was tightened by Group Director Cristina Nicolotti Squires. So what: protected audience trust while maintaining editorial freedom for current affairs programming.
Ofcom proposed radio protections on smart speakers
It recommended Amazon, Google and Apple be designated as “significant platforms” to safeguard free access to UK radio. So what: ensured reliable delivery and guarded against ad overlays on voice-activated devices.
BBC dropped its 5 Live commentary-hours reporting requirement
Ofcom agreed that detailed per-sport data added limited value; breadth commitments remained. So what: cut red tape and allowed more agile live sport coverage.
‘Help I Sexted My Boss’ joined Global Player exclusively
Jordan North and William Hanson’s podcast appeared a day early on Global Player under a new Audio Always deal. So what: illustrated podcasting’s platform wars and cross-promotion potential.
UKCRN Conference celebrated 20 years of community radio
Held in Bradford and sponsored by Be Broadcast, the event featured Stephanie Hirst, Dom Chambers, Jason Rosam and Rebecca Steers. So what: highlighted grassroots broadcasting as a crucial pipeline for talent and local impact.
Colson Smith joined BBC Local Radio in Yorkshire
The Coronation Street actor began hosting Saturday daytimes across BBC Radio Leeds, York and Sheffield. So what: brought celebrity appeal to regional output and strengthened BBC Local’s weekend offer.
