Public File
Forth 1, like each local commercial station in the UK has obligations with regard to its programmes, including its music and local content. These obligations are set out in the station Format which forms part of our Public File.
The Public File is just one indicator of our output. Just ask us if you’d like a hard copy. If you have any comments on it, let us know or, if necessary, contact our regulator, Ofcom.
News:
Except in special or exceptional circumstances (which may include some public holiday periods,) the station broadcasts news bulletins hourly with Local and Regional bulletins from 0600 until 19:00, with additional headlines in weekday breakfast and evening drive periods. Bulletins contain a mix of local/regional, national and world stories, along with sport, weather and entertainment news.
At the weekend, bulletins containing local/regional, national and world news, along with sport, weather and entertainment news, are broadcast between 0700 and 1300 and regional/national and world news from 14:00 to 18:00.
Additionally, at other times, bulletins containing national and world news, prepared by Sky News, may be broadcast in some hours.
The news operation is based at our studios in Edinburgh for the most part and during peak times. From time to time, some content is prepared from other Bauer Radio Limited newsrooms across our network of stations in Scotland.
Recent Programme and/or News Highlights:
Our website covers much of the programming we’re proud of (general and, where appropriate, news).
Check our news pages to see the latest stories we are covering.
Recent News stories covered on air
Our Edinburgh based news team:
Max Steele, News Editor
Alan Smith, Political Editor
Paul Reilly, Bulletin Editor
Liv Thomson, Reporter
Lorraine Herbison, Head of News, Scotland
You can contact the news team 24 hours a day at news@radioforth.com
Programmes:
The station broadcasts twenty four hours a day, with shows listed on our schedules on the website.
Programme Production:
Forth 1 shows are generally live and there is no automation during weekday and weekend daytime hours, apart from Sunday's with the Hits UK Chart Show (From 4pm) and during significant public holidays. However, these shows may be live in times of adverse weather, major news stories or other relevant circumstances.
Our Edinburgh studios also host and produce daily/weekly shows for Mellow Magic, Magic Classical, Greatest Hits Radio and Hits Radio Chilled.
Local Programming:
Forth 1 programmes are generally broadcast live from our studios in Edinburgh and Glasgow with occasional off peak programmes like overnights broadcast from our studios in Manchester.
The amount of programming per day produced from our region:
Monday to Friday - 21 Hours
Saturday - 20 Hours
Sunday - 17 Hours
Guidelines:
Guidelines on localness have been published by our regulator OFCOM.
Our main Edinburgh Studios are based at:
Forth 1 ,
30 Leith Street,
St James Quarter,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3AS
Events/Charities support or coverage:
The station stages several events and charity initiatives through the year:
Forth on the Fringe is our annual one stop shop for all the essential acts you need to see at the Edinburgh Festival. In 2025, it was held on the opening weekend of the Edinburgh Fringe at The Edinburgh Playhouse, featuring a selection of comedy, music, cabaret and dance. Forth 1's Breakfast show hosts, Boogie and Arlene hosted across the three shows with acts like Alan Davies, Jason Byrne, Miriam Margolyes, Hal Cruttenden, Connor Burns, Mark Nelson, Gareth Waugh, Jess Robinson, Suzie McCabe and Craig Hill all performing. A look behind the scenes from 2025. The next event will be held during the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2026.
The last Forth Awards was held on the 13th of November 2025 at Edinburgh’s iconic Usher Hall. The event saw Amy Macdonald, Wet Wet Wet, Tidelines, Claire Richards from Steps, Angie Brown and Robin S perform along with comedians Connor Burns and Craig Hill. Previous years have seen the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Callum Beattie, Nathan Evans, Mark Almond, Heather Small, Jason Donovan, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Simple Minds all hit the stage. The event is designed to give listeners a chance to recognise local community, business and sporting heroes in addition to voting for the musicians who impressed them the most last year. Award categories range from best teacher, best pub or club, local hero award and best Fringe performance. At the event, local winners accept their prizes alongside some of the top names in music and entertainment. The highlights from the 2025 event. The next event will be held in November 2026.
We are also delighted in 2025 to continue as media partners for the Assembly at the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh’s Christmas and Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids has been helping local children for over 30 years. To date we have helped over 1 million children in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk. In 2024, our Mission Christmas Toy Appeal helped over 23,300 children, so no child or teenager went without a gift at Christmas. We also help improve the lives of local children who may be disadvantaged through poverty and provide medical equipment to improve the lives of disabled children. We also support organisations who work with children with additional funding through out the year. Other Campaigns in 2024, included our the Cash for Kids Appeal & Boogie in the Morning's Forth 100 which raised over £160,000 with Boogie and 100 listeners running the Edinburgh Marathon. This is done thanks to the efforts from our listeners and our many corporate partners who work tirelessly to raise funds for Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids.
Our Cash For Kids Charity Initiatives
Music:
Forth 1 plays all the biggest hits from today and throwbacks from the past 25 years.
Format:
As outlined at the head of this document, the station is governed by a Format, which forms part of our licence. Our Format is available on the Ofcom website.
Localness:
We aim that our radio stations belong to the areas they serve through the information services it provides. Any suggestions or thoughts on our output are always much valued.
Awards:
Forth 1 is officially the UK’s Local Radio Station of the Year 2025 as well as Boogie in the Morning which also picked up Gold for Best Music Breakfast Radio Show in 2024 and 2025. You can find out more about our success at the Radio Academy ARIAS Awards.
Contact:
To contact the radio station generally, use our ‘contact us’ page and we’ll make every effort to reply to any emails which raise substantive issues.
How to complain:
Live, entertaining radio always carries some risk. We try to get things right, and not all programmes will be to everyone’s taste. Where we do make mistakes, we’ll try to take appropriate action as quickly as we can. Please do get in touch with any comments – praise or complaints and we’ll consider them carefully.
To speak to us directly, please email our Content Director, Michael MacRae and note the radio station you would like to speak about – michael.macrae@bauermedia.co.uk
If making a complaint, please include your full name, postal address and telephone number so that we can contact you to discuss your comments. We reserve the right not to process complaints that do not include this information.
If you feel we have not taken the right action regarding a broadcast after contacting us, you may refer the matter to our regulator, Ofcom.
Your main contacts at Forth 1:
Content Director: Michael MacRae
News Editor: Max Steele
Sales Director: Lynsey Collins
Sales Manager: David Gallagher
Head of Marketing: Colin Reid
Events Manager: Richie Jeffrey
Chief Engineer: Douglas Paterson
Charity Manager (Cash for Kids): Victoria Hendry
Branded Content Manager (Sponsorship & Promotions, Edinburgh): Oona McGinnis
Executive Assistant to the Directors: Louise Douglas