Public File
Forth 1, like each local commercial station in the UK has obligations with regard to its programmes, including its music and local content. These obligations are set out in the station Format which forms part of our Public File.
The Public File is just one indicator of our output. Just ask us if you’d like a hard copy. If you have any comments on it, let us know or, if necessary, contact our regulator, Ofcom.
News:
Except in special or exceptional circumstances (which may include some public holiday periods,) the station broadcasts news bulletins hourly with Local and Regional bulletins from 0600 until 2100 (Friday, 19:00), with additional headlines in weekday breakfast and evening drive periods. Bulletins contain a mix of local/regional, national and world stories, along with sport, weather and entertainment news.
At the weekend, bulletins containing local/regional, national and world news, along with sport, weather and entertainment news, are broadcast between 0700 and 1300 and regional/national and world news from 14:00 to 18:00.
Additionally, at other times, bulletins containing national and world news, prepared by Sky News, may be broadcast in some hours.
The news operation is based at our studios in Edinburgh for the most part and during peak times. From time to time, some content is prepared from other Bauer Radio Limited newsrooms across our network of stations in Scotland.
Recent Programme and/or News Highlights:
Our website covers much of the programming we’re proud of (general and, where appropriate, news).
Check our news pages to see the latest stories we are covering.
Recent News stories covered on air
Our Edinburgh based news team:
Max Steele, News Editor
Alan Smith, Political Editor
Paul Reilly, Bulletin Editor
Jack Foster, Senior Reporter
Lorraine Herbison, Head of News, Scotland
You can contact the news team 24 hours a day at news@radioforth.com
Programmes:
The station broadcasts twenty four hours a day, with shows listed on our schedules on the website.
Programme Production:
Forth 1 shows are generally live and there is no automation during weekday daytime hours or daytimes at the weekend, apart from significant public holidays. However, these shows may be live in times of adverse weather, major news stories or other relevant circumstances.
Local Programming:
Forth 1 programmes are generally broadcast live from our studios in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness – with occasional off peak programmes like overnights broadcast from our studios in Manchester.
The amount of programming per day locally produced in our approved Ofcom region:
Monday to Friday - 16 Hours
Saturday - 19 Hours
Sunday - 13 Hours
Guidelines:
Guidelines on localness have been published by our regulator OFCOM.
Our main Edinburgh Studios are based at:
Radio Forth,
30 Leith Street
St James Quarter (Level 4 & 5)
Edinburgh,
EH1 3AS
Events/Charities support or coverage:
The station stages several events and charity initiatives through the year:
The last Forth Awards was held on the 16th of November 2023 at Edinburgh’s iconic Usher Hall. The event saw LF System, The Snuts, Nadine Coyle, K-Klass, Alison Limerick and Jason Donovan all perform along with Comedians Larry Dean and Craig Hill. Previous years have seen the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Amy Macdonald, Callum Beattie, Nina Nesbitt, Mark Almond, Heather Small, Wet Wet Wet and Sophie Ellis Bextor all hit the stage. The event is designed to give listeners a chance to recognise local community, business and sporting heroes in addition to voting for the musicians who impressed them the most last year. Award categories range from best teacher, best pub or club, local hero award and best Fringe performance. At the event, local winners accept their prizes alongside some of the top names in music and entertainment. The highlights from the 2023 event. The next event will be held on the 14th of November 2024.
Forth on the Fringe is our annual one stop shop for all the essential acts you need to see at the Edinburgh Festival. In 2023, it was held on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th of August at The Edinburgh Playhouse, featuring a selection of comedy, music, cabaret and dance. Forth 1's Breakfast show hosts, Boogie and Arlene hosted across the three shows with acts like Jason Byrne, Rueben Kay, Jon Culshaw, Suzie McCabe, Mark Nelson, Craig Hill and Gail Porter performing. The highlights from the 2023 event. The next event will be held on the opening weekend of the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2024.
We are also delighted in 2023 to continue as media partner for the Assembly at the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay.
Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids has been helping local children for over 30 years. To date we have helped over 1 million children in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk. In 2023, our Mission Christmas Toy Appeal helped over 22,061 children, so no child or teenager went without a gift at Christmas. We also help improve the lives of local children who may be disadvantaged through poverty and provide medical equipment to improve the lives of disabled children. We also support organisations who work with children with additional funding through out the year. Other Campaigns in 2023, included our the Cash for Kids Appeal & Boogie in the Morning's Supervan. This is done thanks to the efforts from our listeners and our many corporate partners who work tirelessly to raise funds for Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids.
Our Cash For Kids Charity Initiatives
Music:
Forth 1 plays all the biggest hits from today and throwbacks from the past 24 years.
Format:
As outlined at the head of this document, the station is governed by a Format, which forms part of our licence. Our Format is available on the Ofcom website.
Localness:
We aim that our radio stations belong to the areas they serve through the information services it provides. Any suggestions or thoughts on our output are always much valued.
Contact:
To contact the radio station generally, use our ‘contact us’ page and we’ll make every effort to reply to any emails which raise substantive issues.
How to complain:
Live, entertaining radio always carries some risk. We try to get things right, and not all programmes will be to everyone’s taste. Where we do make mistakes, we’ll try to take appropriate action as quickly as we can. Please do get in touch with any comments – praise or complaints and we’ll consider them carefully.
To speak to us directly, please email our Content Director, Michael MacRae and note the radio station you would like to speak about – michael.macrae@bauermedia.co.uk
If making a complaint, please include your full name, postal address and telephone number so that we can contact you to discuss your comments. We reserve the right not to process complaints that do not include this information.
If you feel we have not taken the right action regarding a broadcast after contacting us, you may refer the matter to our regulator, Ofcom.
Your main contacts at Radio Forth are:
Content Director, Michael MacRae
Sales Director, Lynsey Collins
News Editor, Max Steele
PA to the Directors, Louise Douglas
Chief Engineer, Douglas Paterson
Branded Content Manager (Sponsorship & Promotions), Oona McGinnis
Cash for Kids Manager, Victoria Hendry
Events Manager, Richie Jeffrey