BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3
Logo used since 2022
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Frequencies
RDSBBC R3
Programming
LanguageEnglish
FormatClassical, opera, jazz, world music, drama, culture and arts
Ownership
OwnerBBC
BBC Radio 3 Unwind
History
First air date
30 September 1967 (1967-09-30)
Former call signs
BBC Third Programme
Former frequencies
648 MW (1967–1978)
1215 MW (1978–1992)
Technical information
Licensing authority
Ofcom
Links
WebsiteBBC Radio 3 via BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The station has described itself as "the world's most significant commissioner of new music".

Through its New Generation Artists scheme, it promotes young musicians of all nationalities. The station broadcasts the BBC Proms concerts, live and in full, each summer in addition to performances by the BBC Orchestras and Singers. There are regular productions of both classic plays and newly commissioned drama.

Radio 3 won the Sony Radio Academy UK Station of the Year Gold Award for 2009 and was nominated again in 2011. According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 1.9 million with a listening share of 1.6% as of March 2024.