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Broadcast area | United Kingdom: London (DAB) Freesat (Ch. 726) Sky Digital (Ch. 0200) Virgin Media (Ch. 951) Worldwide (Internet) |
---|---|
Frequency | Digital |
Branding | Absolute |
Programming | |
Format | New Music |
Ownership | |
Owner | TIML Radio Limited |
Absolute Radio Absolute Classic Rock Absolute Radio 60s Absolute Radio 70s Absolute Radio 80s Absolute Radio 90s Absolute Radio 00s Absolute Radio Extra | |
History | |
First air date | 5 September 2005 |
Last air date | 1 October 2009 |
Former names | Virgin Radio Xtreme |
Absolute Xtreme was a digital radio station broadcasting in the United Kingdom, which played new alternative music.
Virgin Radio Xtreme, as it was initially branded, launched at 12.15am on 5 September 2005 by then Virgin Radio DJ, Steve Harris. Its music policy aimed at playing modern rock for a youth audience.
Since the departure (to rival station Xfm London) of Steve Harris at the end of 2006, the channel played non-stop music 24 hours a day. The station had carried shows which included The Edge with Steve Harris, "Hippies for an Hour" (an acoustic music show), and The Xtreme Mix with "Silent" Dave Lambert.
Originally part of the Virgin Radio network of stations, it was wholly owned by STV Group plc, until 30 May 2008 when Virgin Radio was purchased by the TIML Golden Square Ltd, a subsidiary of the Times of India group, for £53.2 million. [1]
As a result of the sale of the Virgin Radio stations and the rebranding of Virgin Radio to Absolute Radio, on 1 September 2008, it was announced that Virgin Radio Xtreme would be rebranded as Absolute Xtreme on 29 September 2008. [2]
In October 2009, it was announced that Absolute Xtreme would be replaced on DAB and digital TV by an all-1980s music station, Absolute Radio 80s, with listeners seeking alternative music redirected to new user-controlled station dabbl, which itself closed in 2010.
Absolute Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via digital audio broadcasting.
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Absolute Radio 80s is a national digital radio station, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. Its main output is non-stop 1980s hits.
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A timeline of notable events relating to Absolute Radio and its spin-off stations, and its predecessor Virgin 1215/Virgin Radio.
A timeline of notable events relating to Hits Radio, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.
A timeline of notable events relating to Magic 105.4, a commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio, and the former Magic Network broadcast on AM stations in the north of England.
This is a list of notable events in the timeline of digital audio broadcasting in the UK.
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A sister station to Virgin Radio, Virgin Radio Groove is a former radio station that broadcast worldwide on the internet and in London on DAB digital radio. The station was launched as The Groove on 26 June 2000, and was renamed Virgin Radio Groove in 2004. It officially closed on 31 December 2007; however, it continued to broadcast until 4 April 2008.