View source for BBC Radio Cymru

{{short description|Welsh national radio station}}
{{For|the sister station|BBC Radio Cymru 2}}
{{For|the English language equivalent|BBC Radio Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{primary sources|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name            = BBC Radio Cymru
| logo            = [[File:BBC Radio Cymru 2022.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2022
| city            = [[BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House|Cardiff]], [[Aberystwyth]] and [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]]
| area            = [[Wales]]
| branding        =
| airdate         = {{start date and age|1977|01|03|df=y}}
| frequency       = {{ubl|[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 12D [[MuxCo]] (Mid & West Wales)|DAB: 10D MuxCo (North Wales)|DAB: 12D [[Arqiva|Now Digital]] (SE Wales)| DAB: 12A [[Bauer Radio|Bauer]] (Swansea & SW Wales)|DAB: 10D MuxCo (Wrexham, Chester & Liverpool)|[[FM band|FM]]: 92.4–{{frequency|96.8|MHz}} and 103.5–{{frequency|104.9|MHz}}|[[Freesat]]: 715 {{small|(all of UK)}}|[[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]: 712|[[Sky UK|Sky]]: 0135 |Sky: 0136 {{small|(rest of UK)}}|[[Virgin Media]]: 936 {{small|(all of UK)}}}}
| format          = [[News broadcasting|News]], [[Music radio|music]], [[Sports radio|sport]], [[entertainment]]
| language        = [[Welsh language|Welsh]]
| owner           = [[BBC]]
| licensing_authority = [[Ofcom]]
| operator        = [[BBC Cymru Wales]]
| sister_stations = {{ubl|[[BBC Radio Cymru 2]]|[[BBC Radio Wales]]}}
| coordinates     = 
| webcast         = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_cymru BBC Sounds]
| website         = {{Official website|www.bbc.co.uk/radiocymru}} 
}}

'''BBC Radio Cymru''' is a [[Welsh language]] radio station owned and operated by [[BBC Cymru Wales]], a division of the [[BBC]]. It broadcasts across Wales on [[frequency modulation|FM]], [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]], digital TV and [[BBC Sounds]].

The station broadcasts general factual and entertainment programming for {{frac|18|1|2}} hours a day from 5:30am to midnight with overnight programming simulcast from the [[BBC World Service]] after closedown. 

Its sister station, [[BBC Radio Cymru 2]], providing separate music-led programming at certain hours of the day, broadcasts on digital and online platforms.

The managing editor of BBC Radio Cymru is Dafydd Meredydd, a former presenter and producer.

==Overview==
BBC Radio Cymru began broadcasting on the first Monday morning of year on 3 January 1977. Its first programme was an extended news bulletin presented at 6:45 by Gwyn Llewellyn and Geraint Jones. This was followed at 7 by the first edition of the breakfast magazine show ''{{lang|cy|Helo Bobol!}}'', presented by [[Hywel Gwynfryn]] with contributions from a network of local reporters in studios across Wales. The first record played on Radio Cymru was ''Plas-y-Bryniau'' by Hergest.

The station was the first broadcasting outlet dedicated wholly to programmes in Welsh, allowing much more airtime for such output than had previously been available on the old [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] Wales (or its predecessors the Welsh [[BBC Home Service|Home Service]] and, before that, the BBC Welsh [[BBC Regional Programme|Regional Programme]]).

Initially, the service was part-time and restricted to breakfast shows, extended news bulletins at breakfast, lunchtime & early evening and a number of off-peak opt-outs from a sustaining Radio 4 Wales feed.

In November 1979, Radio Cymru's programming was expanded to 65 hours a week, introducing mid-morning output on weekdays, along with a growing line-up of dramas, light entertainment and documentaries. The network continued to expand over the next two decades before achieving a continuous service of up to 20 hours a day.

Later developments in the 21st century saw Radio Cymru introducing a nightly youth strand, ''[[C2 (radio)|C2]]'', and regional opt-outs for South West Wales, which were axed in 2008 but later reintroduced to provide live commentary of [[Swansea City A.F.C.]] matches. The station has also been streaming online since January 2005.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/01_january/24/player.shtml|title=BBC re-launches internet radio – everything in one place|work=BBC Media Centre |publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2005-01-24 |access-date=2013-05-04}}</ref>

Radio Cymru is similar in format to many "general" radio stations, with news programmes at breakfast (''{{lang|cy|Post Cyntaf}}'', 'First Post'), lunchtime (''{{lang|cy|Taro'r Post}}'' – a debate-centred programme), and [[drive-time]] (''{{lang|cy|Post Prynhawn}}'', 'Afternoon Post'); together with presenter-driven sequences mixing music with guests, calls from listeners and competitions. Radio Cymru also produces drama, features, current affairs and sports programming.

Over the years, it has done much to promote the language, with its sports commentators coining new terms which later became accepted by Welsh [[linguistics|linguists]]. One of its more unusual{{snd}}and longest-running{{snd}}programmes is ''{{lang|cy|Y Talwrn}}'', a poetry competition in which teams must come up with poetry in specific styles on specific topics.

In 2018, following a three-month pilot service, a second station - [[BBC Radio Cymru 2]] - was launched on a permanent basis. Initially providing a music and entertainment alternative to its breakfast news programme, the station gradually expanded its own programming while continuing to simulcast output from the main Radio Cymru service. In March 2024, the station expanded its bespoke output from 15 to 60 hours a week, after receiving approval from the broadcast regulator OFCOM to become a fully-fledged public service radio station.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/01/bbc-radio-cymru-2-officially-approved-by-ofcom-as-a-uk-public-service/ |title=BBC Radio Cymru 2 officially approved by Ofcom as a UK Public Service |date=18 January 2024 |accessdate=18 January 2024 |publisher=Radio Today}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/68453087 Ymestyn oriau Radio Cymru 2 i gyrraedd cynulleidfa newydd], bbc.co.uk, 4 March 2024</ref>

==Listening figures==
According to [[RAJAR]], the station has a weekly audience of 95,000 listeners and a listening share of 2.2%, as of December 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAJAR |url=https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=www.rajar.co.uk}}</ref> The average number of hours per listener is 11.5 hours a week. By February 2025, the audience has increased to 117,000 weekly listeners. The percentage of younger listeners aged between 15 and 25 had also increased from 3% to 11%.<ref>https://golwg.360.cymru/cylchgrawn/2180537-cymry-radio-teledu</ref>

==Presenters==
<!--Any non-notable presenters (those without Wikipedia articles) added here are liable to be removed – if someone is considered notable (red linking is not enough), write a Wikipedia article on them first, or provide multiple reputable independent sources to show they deserve an article and are associated with the station-->

Notable current presenters include:
*[[Shân Cothi]] (''Bore Cothi'')
*[[Caryl Parry Jones]] (Monday-Thursday nights)
*[[Huw Stephens]] (Thursday evenings)

==Transmission==
BBC Radio Cymru is broadcast across Wales [[FM broadcast band|FM]] and [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]. It is also available on [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]] in Wales, throughout the UK on [[Freesat]], [[Sky UK|Sky]], [[Virgin Media]] and internationally online on [[BBC Sounds]]. As Radio Cymru was created from an opt-out of BBC Radio 4, it inherited the FM transmitters previously used by Radio 4 across Wales. At the time of the station's launch, it was the only radio service in the UK broadcasting solely on FM.

===Main transmitters===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*[[Blaenplwyf transmitting station|Blaenplwyf]]: 93.1
*[[Haverfordwest transmitting station|Haverfordwest]]: 93.7
*[[Llanddona transmitting station|Llanddona]]: 94.2
*[[Llangollen transmitting station|Llangollen]]: 104.3
*[[Wenvoe transmitting station|Wenvoe]]: 96.8
}}

===Relays===
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*[[Aberdare]]: 93.6 
*[[Abergavenny]]: 103.5
*[[Abertillery]]: 104.3
*[[Betws-y-Coed]]: 92.6 
*[[Blaenavon]]: 104.1
*[[Brecon]]: 93.3
*[[Carmarthen]]: 93.3
*[[Carmel transmitting station|Carmel]]: 104.6
*[[Clyro]]: 92.4
*[[Conwy]]: 93.5
*[[Croeserw]]: 93.4
*[[Cwmavon, Neath Port Talbot|Cwmavon]]: 104.5
*[[Deiniolen]]: 92.5 
*[[Dolgellau]]: 94.5
*[[Ebbw Vale]]: 104.6
*[[Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff|Ferndale]]: 104.9 
*[[Ffestiniog]]: 92.5
*[[Holywell, Flintshire|Holywell]]: 104.7
*[[Kilvey Hill transmitting station|Kilvey Hill]]: 104.2
*[[Llandrindod Wells transmitting station|Llandrindod Wells]]: 93.5
*Llandecwyn: 93.8
*[[Llandinam]]: 96.1
*Llandyfriog: 94.5
*[[Llanfyllin]]: 95.7
*[[Llangeinor]]: 104.6
*[[Llanidloes]]: 92.5
*[[Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant]]: 103.8
*Llwyn-Onn: 92.7
*[[Llyswen]]: 94.0
*[[Long Mountain transmitting station|Long Mountain]]: 103.6
*[[Machynlleth]]: 93.8 
*[[Mynydd Pencarreg transmitting station|Mynydd Pencarreg]]: 94.1
*[[Ogmore Vale]]: 95.0
*Penmaen Rhos: 92.8
*Pennar: 94.7
*[[Pontypool]]: 93.6
*[[Porth]]: 104.5
*[[Rheola, Wales|Rheola]]: 92.6
*[[Rhymney]]: 104.9
*[[Ton Pentre]]: 93.2
*Varteg Hill: 93.3
}}

==See also==
*[[List of Celtic-language media]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=radiocymru|title=BBC Radio Cymru}}
*{{Facebook}}
*{{Instagram}}
*{{Twitter}}

{{Radio in Wales}}
{{South Wales radio}}
{{Welsh language}}
{{BBC Radio}}
{{Freeview}}
{{Media in Cardiff}}

[[Category:1977 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:BBC Cymru Wales]]
[[Category:BBC regional radio stations]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1977]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Wales]]
[[Category:Indigenous radio]]
[[Category:Welsh-language radio stations]]
[[Category:Welsh-language mass media]]