News UK confirms Times Radio launch

News UK is launching a national digital radio station in partnership between The Times, The Sunday Times and audio business Wireless.

The station, named Times Radio, is set to launch later this year on DAB, online and via app and smart speaker.

According to News UK, the station will be ad break free as there will be commercial sponsorship opportunities across the daily schedule of news, analysis and commentary.

Tim Levell – formerly editor of the Emma Barnett Show at Radio 5 Live – has been appointed programme director for Times Radio, working alongside the station’s launch director Stig Abell.

Commenting, News UK CEO Rebekah Brooks said the newsbrand publisher initially acquired Wireless in 2016 “with a clear ambition to bring their audio expertise to our newsbrands”. Wireless already claims a radio portfolio including talkSPORT, talkRADIO and Virgin Radio UK.

“The Times and The Sunday Times deliver world-class journalism to a substantial and highly engaged audience and Times Radio will create a new speech radio outlet to reach an even broader audience who want quality reporting and trusted, expert commentary in real time,” Brooks said.

Last week Wireless announced that it would be launching Stories of Our Times, a new podcast series presented by Manveen Rana.