Talksport - Programming Highlights

Programming Highlights

• May 2001: Talksport secured rights to broadcast Premier League games for the first time. The Radio Authority grant the station permission to broadcast games involving Chelsea, Fulham, and Tottenham Hotspur on their London transmitters only. Later, Talksport also secured similar deals with Everton, Blackburn Rovers, and Manchester City for their transmitters in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Lancashire following approval from the Radio Authority. The station also had the ability to split their transmitters in the West Midlands for games involving Aston Villa but this never came to fruition
• December 2002: Talksport announced plans for the station's first ever music show. An easy listening music show entitled Champagne & Roses with Gerald Harper, was broadcast each Saturday evening. The show was axed after less than six months
• June 2004: Talksport broadcast their first international football tournament officially. Euro 2004 from Portugal was broadcast live on Talksport with commentary of various matches, including the final, from Jim Proudfoot and Alvin Martin. Talksport teamed up with Northamptonshire band 4-4-2 to release a single Come on England. The track reached number 2 in the Official UK Singles Chart
• June 2006: the station broadcast the 2006 World Cup, with live match commentary of all 64 matches in Germany. Commentary was provided by Jim Proudfoot, Chris Cooper, Nigel Pearson, Ian Danter, Tim White, and Geoff Peters with punditry from Alvin Martin, Rodney Marsh, Gary Stevens, Jason Cundy, and Micky Quinn. To coincide with the event, Talksport presenters using the collective name "Talksport Allstars", released the novelty song "We're England" to the tune from "Tom Hark" by Elias and the Zig Zag Jive Flutes
• August 2006: Former Sky Sports presenter Kelly Dalglish became the first female sports presenter on Talksport, hosting Monday's edition of Kick-Off alongside Gabriele Marcotti and Jason Cundy
• October 2006: Talksport secured national radio broadcast rights to 32 live Premier League matches each Saturday afternoon at 15:00 for the next three years from August 2007. BBC Radio 5 Live won six of the seven available broadcast rights packages of 32 games each from the Premier League; however, Talksport becomes the first national commercial radio station to broadcast live top flight football since the BBC first aired live football commentary of Arsenal v Sheffield United on 22 January 1927 in the Division One Championship. Talksport's first live commentary match was Bolton 1-3 Newcastle on 11 August from the Reebok Stadium. Nigel Pearson and Alvin Martin were Talksport's commentary team with Adrian Durham and Alan Brazil presenting Matchday Live
• April 2007: Talksport were awarded "official broadcaster" status for the first time by the International Rugby Board for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. The tournament took place in September and October 2007, however, Talksport did not broadcast full, live commentary of matches but it allowed the station to provide updates and news access live from each of the stadia during the competition
• April 2009: Russell Brand and Noel Gallagher were signed by Talksport to present a one-off football talk show on 19 April 2009. It was only a few months after Brand resigned from BBC Radio 2 in the wake of the uproar over the Sachsgate affair
• February 2010: Talksport gained more Premier League football in the latest radio bidding wars. Whilst relinquishing their 15:00 package to football newcomers Absolute Radio, they won two packages from BBC Radio 5 Live, considered to be the home of football broadcasting on radio. They took over the national radio rights to broadcast the late kick-off every Saturday evening from the Premier League (usually kicking off at 17:30), and the early Sunday games (before 15:00). This agreement covers the 2010/11 to 2012/2013 Premier League seasons
• June 2010: Talksport secured exclusive broadcast rights to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand
• June 2010: Talksport broadcast the 2010 World Cup, with live match commentary of all 64 matches in South Africa. Commentary was provided by Jim Proudfoot, Ian Danter, Nigel Pearson, John Rawling, and Graham Beecroft with punditry from Alvin Martin, Stan Collymore, Ray Parlour, Bobby Gould, Tony Cascarino, Lawrie Sanchez, and Micky Quinn
• September 2011: Talksport broadcast the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with exclusive commentary of all 48 matches in New Zealand. Commentary was provided by John Taylor, Rupert Bell, John Anderson, Russell Hargreaves and Andrew McKenna with punditry from Brian Moore, Jeff Probyn, David Campese, Chris Sheasby, Michael Owen, Scott Quinnell, Gavin Hastings, and Paul Wallace, with presenting from Mark Saggers and Mike Bovill. Additional reporting from Roger Hughes, David Brady, and Stuart Cameron
• June 2012: Talksport broadcast Euro 2012, with live commentary of all 31 matches in Poland and Ukraine. Commentary was provided by Sam Matterface, John Roder, Nigel Pearson and Ian Danter, with punditry from Stan Collymore, Alvin Martin, Ray Parlour, Matt Holland and Andy Gray with presenting from Adrian Durham, Mark Saggers and Richard Keys.
• July 2012: Talksport secure a joint 6 year deal with BBC Radio 5 Live to broadcast live commentaries from the FA Cup, Community Shield and England friendly internationals.
• August 2012: Talksport secure a deal to become an official broadcaster of the Aviva Premiership. The deal enables Talksport to broadcast live commentary of selected matches throughout the season either on-air or online.