All change at Scala Radio as Penny Smith moves to mornings

Scala Radio has new shows from Ayanna Witter-Johnson and YolanDa Brown OBE starting soon as Penny Smith moves to mornings.

Weekday mornings will continue with Charles Nove on Breakfast followed by Penny Smith moving into the 10am to 1pm slot.

Sam Hughes will remain at 1pm while Richard Allinson moves to a new drivetime programme at 4pm, and Mark Forrest leaves mornings for a music-focused evening show from 7pm Monday to Thursday.

The weekend schedule will see composer, singer, songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson hosting a new show between 6-8 on Saturday evenings and on Sundays, saxophonist and composer YolanDa Brown OBE gets Sunday lunchtimes from 12-3pm.

Simon Mayo’s show has a new home on a Sunday morning from 10 whilst composer Jack Pepper doubles up across the weekend with a new show from 3 on Sunday afternoons alongside a new time for his Culture Bunker programme on a Saturday.

“I am seriously chuffed to be moving to the mid-morning show, where I get to indulge in my passion for reading with the Scala Radio Book Club on Thursdays – not to mention the fact that I’ll be getting up close and personal with musicians at the height of their powers on the Scala Sessions. Plus, guests on Mondays and Fridays and interaction with listeners who’ll be choosing some of the music. I can’t wait.” said Penny Smith.

Nick Pitts, Content Director of Scala Radio and Jazz FM says: “This refreshed line-up allows us to better match the requirement of our listener’s lives while it continues to provide content for an on-demand world.

“With the personalities of Charles and now Penny in the morning along with the more curated music approach into the latter part of the day and evening with Richard and Mark means that we really can provide a perfect soundtrack for the listener.”

He added: “With musicians like Ayanna and YolanDa joining to present great programmes alongside Jack, videogame composer Luci Holland and Mark Kermode continuing to bring his two hours of movie music every week, plus our ongoing commitment to series of special programmes, our new schedule shows that we really are delivering Classical Music for Modern Life.”

Scala Radio’s new schedule starts on Monday 22nd May.

Photo: Charles Nove, Penny Smith, Sam Hughes, Richard Allinson, Mark Forrest