History
The station, codenamed "Network Z", was launched by Paul Merton at 8pm on 15 December 2002 in a simulcast with BBC Radio 4.
BBC 7 -branded to reflect that the station was on the internet, digital television and DAB radio—carried no news, with the exception of a weekday 4:55pm bulletin aimed at younger listeners presented by the Newsround team. Until January 2010 each continuity announcer was associated with themed blocks of programming and were promoted as personalities and presenters; subsequently Radio 7 adopted more traditional continuity using one presenter to announce every programme throughout the day. As Radio 7, regular presenters included Penny Haslam, Helen Aitken, Kerry McCarthy, Wes Butters, Jim Lee, Joanna Pinnock, Alex Riley and Michaela Saunders. Because of the station's archive nature the station was scheduled, produced and researched by 17 people, excluding presenters.
The station won the Sony Radio Academy Award for station sound in 2003, was nominated for the Promo Award in 2004, and in 2005 received a silver for the Short-Form award, plus nominations in the speech and digital derrestrial station-of-the-year sections.
On 4 October 2008, BBC 7 was renamed BBC Radio 7 to bring it in line with other BBC Radio names.
In February 2010 Radio 7 was reported as one of few digital radio stations to show consistent growth in audience, winning 931,000 listeners, up 5.3% on the previous quarter and 9.5% year on year. The station's listening share saw 20.0% growth, year-on-year, in the 12 months to March 2010.
Read more about this topic: BBC Radio 4 Extra
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“We may pretend that we’re basically moral people who make mistakes, but the whole of history proves otherwise.”
—Terry Hands (b. 1941)