Public File

Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news, speech levels etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK's radio regulator. This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.

News Bulletin schedule 

Heart 96.9  broadcasts locally produced news bulletins hourly between 0600 and 1900 weekdays, and 6am and 12pm at weekends. In addition to these, news containing nationally produced content is broadcast at 5.00am and 5.30am weekdays.

News Stories - today's headlines news

The Heart 96.9 Newsteam

Our journalists are:

News Editor: Huw James

Senior Broadcast Journalist: John Stratford

Journalist: Bela Shah

Journalist: Amy Woodfield

Email: fcnews@heart.co.uk

Telephone: 01234 235030

Fax: 01908 591609

The Heart 96.9 Programme Schedule

The Heart 96.9 programme schedule can be found here. This includes details of all the shows for the coming week as well as quick links to all the DJ pages.

Programme Automation

Friday evenings between 19.00 and 21.00 are pre-recorded.
Saturdays between 17.00 and 21.00 are pre-recorded.

The amount of local programming per day produced by the station

Heart 96.9’s weekday output is broadcast from 6am-10am, and 4pm to 7pm, Saturdays from 1pm - 5pm and Sundays from 12pm - 4pm and is produced and presented from our local studios, based in Milton Keynes. Off-peak programming (such as Toby Anstis, Nick Snaith, Club Classics, Roberto, The Late Show, JK & Lucy, Stephen & Emma, Emma Bunton, Margherita Taylor, Jason Donovan, and The Big Top 40 Show) is produced at various studios owned and operated by Heart 96.9’s  parent company, Global Radio Holdings Limited.

Ofcom Localness Guidelines

Ofcom, the government regulator with responsibilities for local radio, has produced localness guidelines that this station adheres to. These guidelines can be read here: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/localness/localness-guidelines

In addition, all local radio stations have written 'formats' that they must follow at all times. You can read ours here: www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/amfm/analogue-main.htm

Events / Charities support

Have a Heart  is Heart’s own charity whose aim is to make life better for disadvantaged children.  Working with charity partners, it makes a direct impact on the lives of these children living in the areas that Heart broadcasts to. In previous years we have supported Starlight Children's Foundation, Children's Hospices UK & ChildLine.  Please see the Have a Heart section of this website for details of who Have a Heart is currently supporting.

Have a Heart raises money through a variety of means, including the Have a Heart Appeal each Spring, overseas challenges, on-air fundraising initiatives and one-off events.

We also act as media partner and supporter Cancer Research's Race for Life .  Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. We promote Race for Life across each of our Heart radio stations, supporting almost 200 events and 500,000 participants.

We also attend various summer fetes and carnivals across Bedfordshire, Christmas Light Switch On events and Firework events at venues like Bedford Blues Rugby Club, Kimbolton School, and Fairlands valley Park Stevenage. We attend and support The bi-annual Bedford River Festival as well as supporting Keech Hospice Care in Luton with various fundraising events through the year and The Harpur Centre Wishing Tree appeal. 

Heart 96.9's Playlist

Station Format

A melodic adult contemporary music -led service for 25 to 44 year olds, supplemented with news, information and entertainment. The service should have a particular appeal to people in their 30's.

Read Ofcom's Station Format (PDF file)

Station Contact Details

Studio Telephone Number: 0845 481 00 77 

Station Contact Number:  01908 591600

Traffic & Travel Number: 0845 373 3738

Text Number: 82122

Text Messages: Start your message with RADIO

News Contact Number 01234 235030

Sales Contact Number 01234 235010

PC Contact Number 01908 591701

Heart TV

Heart TV is licensed and regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) under Television Licensable Content Service License No. 1658.

The licensee operating Heart TV is Global Music Television Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Global Radio UK Ltd.  Both companies are based at 30 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LA.

Heart TV can be contacted in the following ways:

•    via post at 30 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LA

•    via email at tv@heart.co.uk

•    or via telephone number: 020 7766 6000

Ofcom can be contacted via post as follows:

Ofcom
Television Broadcast Licensing (5th Floor)
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA

In addition, viewers can correspond with Ofcom via its website at:

http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/

Heart TV may from time to time offer viewers the opportunity to enter competitions using Premium Rate Telephony Services.

If you think there is a problem with our Premium Rate Services or would like to make a complaint, please call our customer service line on:
 
0844 372 2300
 
Calls to this number will be charged at 5p per minute from a BT landline plus any network extras.  Calling this number from a mobile phone may cost considerably more. Global Radio Ltd do not make any profit from calls to this number.
 
Alternatively, you can write to us.  Please send your query to: Premium Rate Manager, Global Radio Limited, 30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA.
 
Global Radio, the parent company of Heart TV is registered with the Premium Rate Services regulator, PhonepayPlus. Our registration number is: ORG832-96388-41101.

Comment or Complain about the station

If you would like to comment or make a complaint about Heart 96.9, please email mark.sadler@heart.co.uk providing details of your comment or complaint, and our programming team will help with your enquiry.

If you are unhappy with the response you receive, you can complain directly to the regulator, Ofcom. Their website has full details about how to do this: www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/