BBC Night Network

The BBC Night Network (sometimes referred to on-air as BBC North FM and originally Radio North East) was an all-evening radio network which linked up the North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and later the North West England regions of BBC Local Radio. Each station would share the same programming.

From August 1986 to the launch of the Night Network, the four Yorkshire stations (Leeds, York, Sheffield and Humberside) simulcast specialist music programmes on weeknights from 6pm - 7:30pm, extending a year later to six days a week (Wednesday to Monday) between 7pm and 9pm with Tuesday nights reserved for local sports coverage.

The BBC Night Network was launched in May 1989 in the then BBC North and BBC North East regions – broadcast nightly on Radio Newcastle, Radio Cleveland, Radio York, Radio Leeds, Radio Humberside and Radio Sheffield between 6:05pm (6pm at the weekend) and midnight. Any local programming broadcast after 6pm, such as weeknight sport and ethnic minority output, was transmitted only on that station's medium-wave frequencies with Night Network output broadcasting on FM. Weeknight programming consisted of two three-hour shows, the second of which was presented by Martin Kelner. The programme included comedy sketches from Caroline Aherne in which she portrayed the Mrs Merton character and partook in ad-libbed conversations with Kelner. Weekend programming consisted of specialist music shows.

The network was expanded in 1991 to include the four BBC North West stations – BBC GMR (now Radio Manchester), Radio Merseyside, Radio Lancashire and Radio Cumbria. The stations had previously run their own Network North West simulcast service. The Night Network now broadcast from 7pm until midnight with specialist music programmes on-air from 7-10pm (the exception being made for midweek sports coverage) and a late show from Lancaster, presented by Bob Roberts. The late show was extended to 12:30am a year later and eventually to 1am.

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