For Cambridge Radio an hour is typically only 56 mins and 30 seconds long. This is because we include the latest two-minute bulletin Sky News and a 90-second pre-roll into the next hour.
This page lists the timings you need for producing your show and the technical requirements to ensure they play correctly.
All shows should start with a station-produced Cambridge Radio ident.
Broadcast Format
- .mp3 256k CBR (Constant Bit Rate)
- 48kHz
- Stereo
Podcast Format
- .mp3 128k CBR (Constant Bit Rate)
- 48kHz
- Stereo
One-Hour Show (60 mins)
- Start with 2.00 silence;
- Fade to silence at 0.58:30
Two-Hour Show (120 mins)
- Start with 2.00 silence;
- Fade to silence at 1.58:30
Two-Hour Show with Sky News (120 mins)
- Start with 2.00 silence;
- Fade to silence at 0.58:30. Restart your show at 01.01.59
- Fade to silence at 1.58:30
We do not usually break two-hour specialist music shows for news, but you may be asked to include commercials/promos.
Half-Hour Show (30 mins)
- Maximum length of programme 28 minutes
Daytime Recorded Shows
One of our challenges is that the local news and advert breaks we add to daytime programmes are all variable length. Therefore, to allow maximum flexibility, each hour of your programme should be pre-recorded in three segments as follows:
- Part One, between 16m30s and 17m30s (aim for 17m00s)
- Part Two, between 16m30s and 17m30s (aim for 17m00s)
- Part Three, not less than 18m30 and with no voice links after the 11m00s mark (this is probably easiest to achieve by ending with two back-to-back songs. Please do not announce the second of these songs as it may not be played.)
The only exception to this should be the first half-hour of a mid-morning programme, which should be in two parts, one about 8 minutes long (to take you to the 09:40 ad break) and the other not less than 19m00 long, with no voice after the 15m00 mark.
This way, your recording will work regardless of how long the advert breaks or local news are. In the event of a major travel news incident, we can even add a travel bulletin before an advert break without risking cutting off one of your final links at the end of the hour.
You should not include any time-sensitive features in your recording, so only use tracks from the Core playlist, not the Current list. You should also not feature What’s Ons or other features that could become out-of-date.
