Changes coming to BBC Radio Jersey

BBC Radio Jersey stalwart Roger Bara will be back in the breakfast show hot seat from Monday 17 January, from 7-10am.

Roger will be taking over from Chris Stone, who is moving to present a new afternoon show from 1.15-4pm.

Radio Jersey Managing Editor, Jon Gripton, said: "Roger Bara is one of Jersey's best-known broadcasters and I am delighted to have him back where he belongs presenting the Radio Jersey breakfast show.Roger Bara At Breakfast will be a lively, hard-hitting, interactive and entertaining start to the day."

Roger, who first presented the Breakfast programme on Radio Jersey in 1993, said: "It will be so good to once again be at the very heart of everything that happens in our island. I have sorely missed holding to account the island's decision makers.

"I'm also looking forward to both talking to and taking comments from our thousands of listeners throughout the parishes."

Roger comes from a colourful and musical background, having been Bonnie Tyler's keyboard player in the late-Seventies and featuring in many TV shows - including several appearances on Top Of The Pops.

He originally came to Jersey to be musical director at the famous Caesar's Palace at Greve de Lecq and at the Opera House - a position he held for 12 years. He also appeared in several episodes of Bergerac during this period.

Since joining Radio Jersey in 1989, Roger has presented some of the most memorable moments in recent island history. The 50th anniversary Liberation Day celebrations in 1995 saw Roger host two days of outside broadcasts.

Two years later Roger led a team covering the Island Games, providing 12 hours a day of live action from venues throughout the island. He has also hosted every election night programme since the mid-Nineties.

He also commentated on Jersey cricket's greatest ever moment - beating USA in the World League Division 5 semi-finals, which guaranteed them promotion. He commentated on the now-famous final against Afghanistan at Grainville, which not only went round the world but became part of the award-winning film Out Of The Ashes.

The day will start at 6am with a new early breakfast show presented by Simon Jupp. Simon will then jump into the car to report from around the island through the Breakfast and morning shows.

Carrie and Sara

In other changes starting on Monday 17 January, Radio Jersey presenters Carrie Cooper and Sara Palmer will host a 10am-1pm programme, which Sara describes as: "Like Loose Women but for a Jersey audience - lively guests and topical talk all with a smile. There's no better place to find out what is going on in Jersey and feeling involved in your community."

There will also be a new daily news programme Jersey At One with Chris Rayner, providing in-depth news and analysis of the day's events across the island at 1pm.

Christina Ghidoni will present a new show between 4-7pm which, on Thursdays, will incorporate the political talk show Talkback - which is moving from its Sunday slot.

On Friday evenings, Roger Bara and Richard Collinson will present a new sports news and chat show from 6-7pm. Richard said: "With Jersey Rugby Club doing so well, and with so much other sport in the island, this show will be a mix of news and discussion on the week's big stories, and a preview of the weekend action."

And straight after Friday Sportscene I will be bringing you the best of the islands music scene with BBC Introducing in Jersey from 7pm.

But that's not all, we will also be playing music from local bands, singers and songwriters throughout the ouput as part of our new BBC Introducing playlist.

Finally Sundays on Radio Jersey will also have a different sound as The Sunday Request Show takes the place of Talkback between 10am-12pm and the popular Sunday Classics show, with Tim Pollard, moves to a new Sunday lunchtime slot.

You can see the latest BBC Radio Jersey schedules online.