Playing BBC Radio on Home Hub

[Block]

I have always been able to play BBC radio stations on my Home Hub by asking 'play radio 4', but today it just responds 'i can't do that on here'. What has changed?

[Sharp1cat]

This is shocking service. I paid alot to Google for my speaker set up and now it won't do this simple task! 

[SM56]

My Google mini can't or won't stream BBC Radio when asked to 'Hey Google, play BBC Radio 2' and have realised that this is am existing issue since last year. It just happened to me last week. I have a friend in Norway and he can still issue the command and his Google speaker will play BBC Radio 2. Have raised this with Google Support and they are looking at it. Something has changed between Google and BBC

[LouN1]

Same here this morning- has always worked until today 

[Chak]

This is also happening here in Leicester. What's going on Google? 

[listairee]

Hello all,

Thanks for reaching out. I believe this is a BBC issue and it is currently under investigation. 

Hope that helps! 🙂

[SM56]

This is the problem......

https://twitter.com/BBCSounds/status/1640705971851804672?t=v-TI2aZfpPTxBz53tINrjA&s=19

[Stevenoliver]

Except that that doesn't work either.

[SM56]

YOU ARE RIGHT! It doesn't. Just tried it

[SM56]

Thanks for your response. For me it just happened. For some other people this has happened sometime ago. My friend in Norway can issue the command 'Hey Google play BBC Radio 2' and his Google mini plays it. Needless to say the 'other' dot is OK. So this is strange

[Stevenoliver]

Hi, it's a recent issue, probably something to do with BBC Sounds, anyway the BBC are looking into it apparently.

[SM56]

Alexa dot launches BBC Sounds and plays BBC Radio when you issue the command 'Alexa play BBC Radio 2' the same WAS with Google mini, but now it doesn't. At the moment you have to use BBC Sounds from your phone and cast the Radio program

[LovelyM]

Hey folks, 

@listairee, thanks for the help here.

We appreciate you flagging this. Our team is already working on a fix, so please bear with us. I'll duplicate this post in the main thread, where all the updates will be posted, so stay tuned.

Many thanks, 
Lovely

[Meason1]

Hi - I’m unable to play BBC radio stations on any of my three Google speakers. It’s so frustrating!

[Juberoo]

The help in Google nest keeps directing to the radio button in media on the home app, but radio has disappeared and despite restarts it hasn't come back, I have only just bought an additional nest to have radio in another room, and this is a frustrating waste of money

[pjwhite123]

Hi Princess, if they are aware of it why is still an issue after more than a week? Coupled with fact you cannot access greatest hits radio prime we are all being pushed to default to Echos now? 

[Poplear]

If you are desperate for BBC then I found that I was able to cast it.tot the same speaker from my phone.   It did take a couple of tries mind

[GreenTeaDeb]

It’s so annoying 

[emcow]

Is there an update????

[Brock1]

My BBC Radio still doesn’t work after a week 

[Chispee]

Hi out there. My nest was OK till this week. Suddenly when I ask for a radio station, starts telling me that 'I can't do that here, ask me to play it on one of your other devices'. Works with Spotify.

I have no other devices. have deleted the Home app, nothing changes. Help, please!

[misterbrettd]

I’m having the same issue. Nest Hub. I try to play something that used to work on the Radio App a few weeks back now says “Sorry, I don’t know but here’s what I found in search” then redirects to a Google search page. IHeart, Global Player are working fine. So I’ve narrowed the issue to RadioApp not working. 

[_LK_]

I'm having this exact issue too - since about a week or so ago.  Today I've factory reset the Nest, deleted & re-added it in the Home app, but still getting the same "I can't do that here" message.

It's connected to wifi ok, and can give me the (BBC radio) news, Spotify etc, but just not play any radio.

Uninstalled & reinstalled Home app .... and yet the same.

I can't test the RadioApp direct from my phone as it seems to need a headphone jack ...so I've installed "Radio UK - My Radio FM AM App" ... but Nest doesn't seem to be able to access that either.

Sorry - I know this is of no help, but it does indicate that the problem isn't particular to one user.

UPDATE:

I can get a few stations (Heart, Capital, LBC, Capital XTRA, Classic FM, Smooth, Radio X and Gold) by asking it to play on Global Player ... and it automatically plays some stations via TuneIn, and some other commercial stations via Planet Radio.
But I can't get any BBC radio stations - other than playing on the MyRadio app on my phone and then casting it.

There's a known issue with BBC stations...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/issues/smart-speaker/google-live-issue

It says:

"*** Wednesday 5 April ***

We're aware of reports that live BBC streams aren't working on some Google Home, Nest and Mini devices. 

We are investigating and will update this page when we know more. 

In the meantime, affected users may wish to cast to their speaker from the BBC Sounds mobile app."

[Princesss]

Hey folks,

Thanks for bringing this up.

We're sorry to hear about this experience. There's an ongoing conversation referring to this issue. We'll go ahead and move this conversation to the main thread for updates. 

Best,

Princess

[Oapbythesea]

Any updates on the BBC block?

[Muddi]

Hey CT3,

Please note that this thread is dedicated for users having issues with BBC stations. I suggest that you follow this thread for your specific concern.

Cheers,

Muddi

[CT3]

Hi muddi. 

No problem. Strangely the exact same problem just started occurring with one of our local radio stations. It seems a bit coincidental so I'm wondering if it's not related. 

[MaisieGrace]

Me too! It'll listen to my husband and put the radio on just not me. 

I thought it was personal, I do tend to argue with her at times 🤣

[iRzapper]

Hey MaisieGrace,

Update on my end, the problem started on April 11th, here it is now early in the morning of April 13th, and all my Google Assistant requests/commands have been restored to where I can easily connect to Sirius XM, Spotify, and iHeart Radio once again with no problems and without having to hear that ridiculous response of: "I looked for (insert your music or channel name) and it either isn't available or can't be played right now". 

All's back to somewhat normal.

Maybe a short time before you are up and running again if not already.

[Princesss]

Hey folks, 

Apologies for the late response. This issue has been sorted out. Could someone here confirm if they are still experiencing the same thing after rebooting their devices?

Best,

Princess

[Stevieleedd]

There are several people saying it is fixed...........it isn't for me!

[Cheverells]

Nor for me!

[Filler]

Oh no, exactly the same problem is happening again today. I was hoping there had been a permanent fix. Anyone else having the same issue again?

[Stennerz]

Me too, I think it broke sometime yesterday.

I would be great if either google or bbc could tell us what is the issue, understand it wont help a fix but human nature has me wanting to know.

Back to jazz fm 

[Filler]

I'm getting quite attached to greatest hits radio!

[Cheverells]

And me together with Boom Radio as well!

[Bevrid]

Same issue for me, starting today, Fri April 7. To make it even worse, if I try getting round the problem by opening BBC Sounds to play a channel, it cuts out after a couple of minutes, so no way to listen to the radio on any of my 4 devices. Somebody sort this out!!!

[MikeWiggins]

I have a google smart max hub and if I open bbc sounds it makes me log in my username and password every single time I try to use it - so frustrating. 

[JC43]

Ditto. 

[Ageldridge]

Same issue. All Bbc radio stations will no longer play on Google Home devices. Do I need to do anything?

[MikeWiggins]

Change to a different brand of smart speakers.