Since the launch of its similarly named television station, TalkTV, in 2022 a large number of broadcasts are simulcast across both radio and television with the TalkTV branding being primarily used.[2]
As of December 2023, the station has a weekly audience of 725,000 listeners according to RAJAR.[3] TalkRadio employs a number of presenters described as shock jocks.[4][5][6]
The original Talk Radio UK started in February 1995 using the AM frequencies previously occupied by BBC Radio 1 (1053/1089 kHz). It saw a number of presenters host shows in its first two years but settled down to a regular schedule with presenters such as Carol McGiffin, Anna Raeburn, Tommy Boyd and Mike Dickin. It failed to make sufficient revenue and in the late 1990s introduced sports output which increased audiences. In 2000 the station changed its name to Talksport and almost all programming was of a sporting nature other than overnights and the mid-morning show. In March 2012, this 39 hours of non-sporting content was axed from the station.[7]
The introduction of a new DAB multiplex enabled Talkradio to be relaunched as a separate channel from Talksport on DAB on 21 March 2016.[8] At launch, the station featured presenters Paul Ross, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Sam Delaney, Jon Holmes, Jonny Gould, and Iain Lee across its weekday schedule.[8][9] In September 2016, the station's parent company, Wireless, came under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch's News UK, and in the following years tie-ups between the station and his newspapers increased.[10][11] At times overnight programming is simulcast with Talksport.[12]
In January 2018, Talkradio underwent a revamp to the weekday and weekend schedule in a bid to boost ratings and make the station more news-focused.[13] On 9 June 2020, Talkradio moved from DAB to DAB+ and the DAB signal ceased transmission on 26 June.[14]
In 2022 a sister television station, named TalkTV, was launched.[2] TalkTV marked Rupert Murdoch's return to British television news after being forced to sell Sky News to preserve its editorial independence from his other newspapers, radio and television stations.[15] The television station simulcasts TalkRadio on off-peak hours. In April of that year talkRADIO's Twitter account was rebranded as TalkTV, and the branding of the radio station was changed to TalkRadio with an upper case T to match the TV station.[2]
In a 2023 poll by YouGov 9% of respondents ranked TalkRadio/TalkTV as a trusted news-brand.[16]
In response to poor viewer ratings the television channel was rebranded as "Talk" and became an internet-only service in 2024.[17]
Controversies
Presenter James Whale was suspended over a 30 July 2018 interview with an alleged sex assault victim that was said by the station to have "completely lacked sensitivity".[18] He was suspended for a week and his show returned on 13 August.[18] He apologised to the alleged victim.[18]
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom ruled in 2019 that three episodes of former MP George Galloway's show breached impartiality rules due to the lack of dissenting views to Galloway's own on the subjects of Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party and the Salisbury poisoning.[19][20] In June 2019, Galloway was sacked by the station for a tweet in which he praised Liverpool F.C. for winning the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final instead of Tottenham Hotspur, a team with strong links to the Jewish community; he wrote "No #Israël [sic] flags on the Cup!" Tottenham Hotspur and Jewish organisations condemned Galloway's comment.[21] Ofcom fined TalkRadio £75,000 relating to Galloway's breaches of code.[22]
In September 2020, presenter Mark Dolan cut up a disposable mask during a Talkradio broadcast, while claiming that wearing masks did not have a significant impact on COVID-19.[23]
On 5 January 2021, Talkradio's YouTube channel was briefly terminated without explanation.[24] Within a few hours the station returned to the YouTube platform. In a statement YouTube said "TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated. We quickly remove flagged content that violate our community guidelines, including Covid-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization. We make exceptions for material posted with an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, as was deemed in this case."[25]
In 2022 TalkRadio paid a “substantial” libel settlement to Labour MP Barry Gardiner regarding a claim made by Jeremy Kyle on the station.[26]
News
TalkTV provides news bulletins for TalkRadio. Until the launch of TalkTV in 2022, Sky News Radio provided hourly news bulletins for the network via Independent Radio News.[27][28]
