BBC Radio 3 frequency & live stream

BBC Radio 3 is the BBC’s national cultural station, devoted primarily to classical music alongside jazz, world music, drama, documentaries and arts discussion. It is one of the world’s most significant commissioners and broadcasters of live classical performance.

History

Radio 3 launched on 30 September 1967, replacing the BBC Third Programme, which had been founded in 1946 as a home for serious music and the arts. The new network inherited the Third Programme’s cultural remit while broadening its schedule into a full-time service. Over the decades it has remained the BBC’s principal outlet for classical music, while periodically renewing its presentation style to reach wider audiences.

Format and programming

The station’s core output is classical music, ranging from early music to contemporary composition, with regular live and specially recorded concerts. Signature programmes include the morning sequence of classical music, lunchtime concerts, evening performances and late-night experimental strands. Radio 3 also broadcasts jazz, world music, radio drama and speech programming about ideas and culture. Each summer it is the broadcast home of the BBC Proms, the eight-week festival of orchestral music held mainly at the Royal Albert Hall, airing every concert live.

Reach

Radio 3 broadcasts across the United Kingdom on FM between 90.2 and 92.6 MHz and on DAB digital radio, and streams on BBC Sounds in the UK. While its audience is smaller than the BBC’s mainstream networks, it serves a dedicated national listenership for classical music and the arts.

Significance

Radio 3 plays a distinctive role in British cultural life. Through the BBC’s performing groups, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers, and through extensive commissioning of new works, it directly supports live music-making in the UK. Its combination of complete live concerts, new composition, drama and arts discussion has few parallels among broadcasters worldwide, and the Proms coverage it anchors is among the largest classical music broadcasting undertakings anywhere.

Sources

• Official site: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3
• Radio Browser: https://www.radio-browser.info

BBC Radio 3: frequently asked questions

What frequency is BBC Radio 3 on?

BBC Radio 3 is available on UK 90.2–92.6 FM, DAB digital radio, Online via BBC Sounds.

Which country is BBC Radio 3 from?

BBC Radio 3 is a radio station from the United Kingdom, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It broadcasts in English.

Who owns BBC Radio 3?

BBC Radio 3 is owned by BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

How can I listen to BBC Radio 3 online?

You can stream BBC Radio 3 live in your browser with the player on this page or on the official website, www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 — free, with no app or sign-up needed.

Read more about BBC Radio 3

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