| |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Central Lancashire |
Frequency | |
RDS | GRT_HITS |
Branding | The Good Times Sound Like This Across Lancashire & The North West |
Programming | |
Format | Classic Hits |
Network | Greatest Hits Radio |
Ownership | |
Owner | Bauer Media Audio UK |
Hits Radio Lancashire Hits Radio Liverpool Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West | |
History | |
First air date | 5 October 1982 |
Former names |
|
Former frequencies | AM: 999kHz |
Links | |
Webcast | Online |
Website | planetradio |
Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire is an Independent Local Radio station based in Manchester, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Lancashire and North West England.
As of June 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 171,000 listeners according to RAJAR. [1]
The radio station launched as Red Rose Radio on 5 October 1982 at 6:00am on 301 metres medium wave (999 kHz) and 97.3 VHF stereo, broadcasting from a converted church (St Paul's) at St. Pauls Square in Preston, Lancashire. The station's first presenter on air was Dave Lincoln - the first record played was "Evergreen" by Barbra Streisand. Other early presenters on the station included Dave Lincoln, Allan Beswick, Sally Moon, Derek Webster, Keith Macklin, Russell Harty and Steve Collins. At this point it was owned by Trans World Communications.
On 1 June 1990, Red Rose Radio split into two stations - the FM service became Red Rose Rock FM (now known as Rock FM, while the AM service became Red Rose Gold playing music from the 1960s to the 1980s, as well as airing other specialist shows. Programming director John Myers hired Colin Lamont, under his on-air pseudonym Scottie McClue, to present the late-night phone-in. [2]
In 1994, Red Rose Gold and Red Rose Rock FM were bought by the Emap group. Towards the mid to late 1990s, Red Rose Gold became Red Rose 999, before morphing into Magic 999 to fall in line with all other Emap-owned AM stations which had all been renamed Magic. Networking at the station was introduced in late 2001 when mid-morning, evening and overnight shows from Magic 105.4 in London begun simulcasting. Towards the end of 2002, listeners were told to contact a special hotline to voice their views about what they think of the station. Around the same time, forthcoming changes to the station were announced such as new programming, a broader music policy and introducing dedicated newsreaders (rather than the local presenters having to be newsreaders, as was the case for a few months). These changes came into effect on Monday 6 January 2003. More locally produced programming was introduced although output from Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool continued to feature in the station's schedule.
From July 2006, more networking was introduced across the Northern Magic AM network which meant only 4 hours a day was to be presented from the local studios, between 06:00 and 10:00am. In April 2012 Magic 999, inline with the majority of other Magic North stations, dropped local weekend breakfast shows.
Between March 2013 and December 2014, weekday breakfast was syndicated from Piccadilly Magic 1152 in Manchester. No programming originates from local studios in Preston, apart from local news and traffic bulletins. [3]
On 5 January 2015, Magic 999 was rebranded as Rock FM 2 as part of a revamp of the Bauer network and all programming is networked with the other Bauer AM stations in the North although local news, weather and travel continue to be broadcast as opt-outs during the day. Despite the station's new name, it does not broadcast on FM.
On 7 January 2019, Rock FM 2 was rebranded again as Greatest Hits Radio. [4]
In February 2021, Bauer announced it would close GHR's medium-wave service on 999 kHz by the end of April 2021, marking the end of 47 years of broadcasting on the former AM frequency for Red Rose Radio. [5]
Greatest Hits Radio South Wales is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. The station broadcasts to Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Llanelli and South East Wales from studios in the Llansamlet area of Swansea on DAB.
Forth 1 is an Independent Local Radio station based in Edinburgh, Scotland, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Edinburgh, Lothian, Fife and Falkirk.
Greatest Hits Radio Edinburgh, Lothians & Fife is an Independent Local Radio station based in Edinburgh, Scotland, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Edinburgh, The Lothians, Fife and Falkirk.
Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West is an Independent Local Radio station based in Liverpool, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Merseyside, North West England, Cheshire and parts of North Wales. The station forms part of Greatest Hits Radio North West.
Greatest Hits Radio Manchester & The North West is an Independent Local Radio station based in Manchester, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio Network. It broadcasts to Greater Manchester and North West England.
Greatest Hits Radio North East is an Independent Local Radio station, based in Newcastle, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to North East England.
Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire is an Independent Local Radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands, which broadcasts as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network.
Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire is an Independent Local Radio station serving West Yorkshire on 96.3 and 106.8 FM, DAB, online and via the app.
Greatest Hits Radio Teesside is an Independent Local Radio station serving Teesside, as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network.
Red Rose Radio was an Independent Local Radio station serving Preston, Blackpool and surrounding areas in Lancashire, England. Launched in 1982 from studios in Preston, it evolved into two stations on FM and AM, underwent several rebrandings, and now operates as Rock FM and Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire. Rock FM’s programming now originates from Bauer’s Liverpool studios at the Radio City Tower.
Hits Radio Manchester, formerly Key 103, is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Greater Manchester.
Radio Aire was an Independent Local Radio station, serving Leeds and West Yorkshire.
Hits Radio East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, formerly Viking FM, is an Independent Local Radio station based in Leeds, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
Hits Radio Liverpool, formerly Radio City, is an Independent Local Radio station based in Liverpool, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Merseyside, Cheshire and parts of north Wales.
Hits Radio Lancashire, formerly Rock FM, is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Lancashire, North West England.
Hits Radio Teesside, formerly TFM, is an Independent Local Radio station for Teesside, England, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to areas of County Durham and North Yorkshire.
Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands is an Independent Local Radio station based in Birmingham, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the West Midlands. The station forms part of Greatest Hits Radio Midlands.
Greatest Hits Radio is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.
A timeline of notable events relating to Hits Radio, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.
Greatest Hits Radio North West is a regional radio network serving North West England and North Wales, as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network.