The Bee was a local radio station serving southern and eastern parts of
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, England. On Friday 27 May 2016, The Bee merged with its sister Lancashire station
2BR.
The station was owned and operated by
UKRD
The UKRD Group Ltd was a British media company that owned 15 commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The name originates from UK Radio Developments. Since its acquisition in March 2019, it has been run as a subsidiary of Bauer Radio.
H ...
and broadcast from studios at
Clayton-le-Moors
Clayton-le-Moors is an industrial town in the borough of Hyndburn in the county of Lancashire, England. located two miles north of Accrington. The town has a population of 8,522 according to the 2011 census.
To the west lies Rishton, to the ...
in
Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
.
History
''The Bee'' initially broadcast to the
Blackburn
Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...
,
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish in the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The residents of the town are known as "Darreners".
The A666 road passes through Darwen towards Blackburn to the north, Bolton to the sout ...
and
Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
areas under
RSL licences in 2001 and 2002, before winning a permanent licence in December 2004. The station, founded by Roy Martin, launched full-time on 1 October 2005. Its investors included neighbouring station
2BR, The Radio Business and local shareholders. Initially based at Dalton Court in
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish in the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The residents of the town are known as "Darreners".
The A666 road passes through Darwen towards Blackburn to the north, Bolton to the sout ...
, the station moved to Petre Court in
Clayton-le-Moors
Clayton-le-Moors is an industrial town in the borough of Hyndburn in the county of Lancashire, England. located two miles north of Accrington. The town has a population of 8,522 according to the 2011 census.
To the west lies Rishton, to the ...
in August 2010, co-locating with 2BR.
At 7pm on 17 June 2011, the station began broadcasting to the
Preston,
Leyland and
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
areas on 106.5 FM, following the sale and subsequent closure of
106.5 Central Radio. A further relay (96.3FM) for the Chorley area went on air in 2012.
On 4 April 2016, UKRD announced The Bee would be closed and merged with its sister East Lancashire station
2BR as part of an expansion onto DAB. The merged station carries the same 2BR programming and identity with opt-outs for local news, traffic and advertising in the Burnley, Blackburn and Preston & Chorley areas.
In July 2018, the expanded 2BR was brought by
Global
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
.
Frequencies
* 96.3FM
Chorley
Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came pr ...
* 106.5FM
Preston and South
Ribble
* 107FM
Blackburn
Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...
,
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish in the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The residents of the town are known as "Darreners".
The A666 road passes through Darwen towards Blackburn to the north, Bolton to the sout ...
and
Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
References
Radio stations in Lancashire
Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom
{{UK-radio-station-stub