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

News Bulletin Schedule including which bulletins provide local news and which provide only UK-wide bulletins. 
 
Heart North West and Wales broadcasts news bulletins on the half-hour between 0600 and 0900 and hourly from 0900 until 1800 on weekdays. 

All bulletins contain a mix of local, national and world stories, along with appropriate weather and entertainment stories.  There is an extra bulletin containing national and world news at 1900.

At the weekend, news bulletins containing local, national and world news are broadcast on Heart North West and Wales between 0800 and 1100 with an extra national and world news bulletin at 1200.

*On Heart 96.3 we provide news bulletins in the Welsh language at 6am and 6.30am every weekday and at 8am and 9am at weekends.

See the latest local news here.

Contact details for the News team

Phil Topham, Senior Broadcast Journalist - 01978 722230

Mair Thomas, Senior Broadcast Journalist – 01978 722230

The programme schedule

You can see the complete programme schedule here

 

The average number of hours of automated programming within weekday daytimes and within daytimes on Saturdays and Sundays:

Output in the Welsh language on Heart 96.3 is automated every weekday from 5am to 6am and on Sundays from 7am to 8am

Programme Automation

There are 3 hours of automation between 0100 and 0400 Monday to Friday.
On a Friday night there are 4 hours of automation between 2200 and 0200 (Saturday morning).
Saturday day afternoons between 1600 and 1900 is pre-recorded.
Sunday morning is automated between 0000 and 0200.

The amount of local programming per day produced by the station :

Heart North West and Wales weekday daytime output (0600-10:00 and 16:00 - 19:00) and weekend (0800-12:00 Saturday and Sunday) output is produced and presented for Heart at our local studios based in Wrexham.

We also provide output in the Welsh language on Heart 96.3. This is broadcast every weekday from 5am to 6am and on Sundays from 7am to 8am

Off peak programming (Toby Anstis, Nick Snaith, Early Evening Show with Simon Dale, Club Classics, The Late Show, Nick Snaith, Emma Bunton, Jason Donovan, Big Top 40 and overnights) is produced at various studios owned and operated by Heart's parent company Global Radio.

Ofcom Localness Guidelines and how to complain to Ofcom

Ofcom, the government regulator with responsibilities for local radio, has produced localness guidelines that this station adheres to.

These guidelines can be read by clicking here

In addition all local radio stations have written 'formats' that they must follow at all times.

You can read ours by clicking here

If you have a complaint to make about this station, in the first instance you should contact the programme controller at the address below. If you are unhappy with the response you have received, you can complain directly to the regulator, Ofcom.

Heart North West and Wales Contact details

For all programming enquiries please contact Paul Holmes, Programme Controller paul.holmes@heart.co.uk

and our address is:

The Studios
Mold Rd
Wrexham
LL11 4AF

Events/charities support or coverage

Heart is committed to publicising local charities and organisations by providing the facility for charities and organisations to upload details of their events to our website in the events section.

Heart is the official media partner for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life event in Chester and Wrexham which sees thousands of local women take part for charity – we also hosted the charity’s Run 10K event in Delamere Forest.

We also supported the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Moonlight Walk for a third year as well as a similar event for Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham.

We have also launched our own Have A Heart Charity which will focus on helping various sectors of the local community.

Any other issues or areas of interest likely to impact on localness

There are no current issues that impact on the localness of the station.

The station's playlist

Heart's playlist is available by clicking here