Broadcast area | United Kingdom |
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Slogan |
"On digital and online, this is BBC Radio 5 Live" "Live news. Live sport." "The World Cup Station" "The Olympic Station" "First for breaking news, and the best live sport" |
Frequency |
MW: 693 kHz, 909 kHz, 990 kHz and on selected BBC Local Radio stations' frequencies overnight. DAB: 12B Freeview: 705 Freesat: 705 Sky (UK only): 0105 Virgin Media: 905 Virgin Media Ireland: 911 |
First air date | 28 March 1994 |
Format | News and sport |
Language(s) | English |
Audience share | 3.5% (September 2016, RAJAR) |
Owner | BBC |
Webcast |
HTTP Streams HLS Streams
MPEG DASH Streams |
Website | www |
HTTP Streams
HLS Streams
MPEG DASH Streams
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.
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 05:00 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".