The BBC has signed Lisa I’Anson and unveiled the line-up for London
Live, the radio station which will replace GLR on the 94.9fm frequency
on 27 March.
I’Anson will present a daily lifestyle programme from 2pm to 4pm,
covering issues, celebrities and what’s on in London.
For London Live’s breakfast show, the BBC has poached Talk Sport
breakfast presenter Paul Ross. GLR’s breakfast show presenter Clare
McDonnell will keep her slot alongside Ross, but her co-presenter Bill
Overton will present the new drivetime show, from 4pm until 7pm.
Alice Beer, who presents BBC1’s Watchdog Health-check, has been signed
up to front a daily consumer action programme from 12pm to 2pm. The new
show will cover a range of London issues, ranging from transport to
health.
The balance of music and speech at the station will be shifted. Music
will disappear from the breakfast, lunchtime and drivetime shows, but
there will be less speech content in the evenings than at GLR.
The London Live brand will be launched simultaneously as a web site next
month and then as a television service on a date yet to be
announced.
The station is headed by managing editor David Robey, who was brought in
six months ago to manage the BBC’s London radio service when it was
announced that an overhaul of the content would take place.
GLR’s share of audience peaked in 1992 with 5.8 per cent of audience
share, but fell to an average of 2.9 per cent last year.
