Hits Radio UK

Last updated

Hits Radio UK
Logo used since 2024
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Frequency DAB:
10C (Liverpool)
10D (Humberside, Herts, Beds & Bucks, West Wiltshire, Teesside)
11B (Cornwall, Ayr, Inverness, Bradford & Huddersfield, Leicester, Tayside, Teesside)
11C (Glasgow, Birmingham, Cambridge, Exeter & Torbay, Kent, Swindon, Manchester, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear)
12A (Lancashire, Swansea)
12C (Manchester)
12D (Edinburgh, Coventry, Essex, Peterborough, Plymouth, Stoke & Stafford, Leeds, Northern Ireland)
BrandingThe Biggest Hits, The Biggest Throwbacks
Programming
Language(s)English
Format CHR/Pop
Network Hits Radio
Ownership
Owner Bauer Media Audio UK
Hits Radio Manchester
Greatest Hits Radio UK
History
First air date
1 April 2003 (2003-04-01)
(as The Hits)
Former names
The Hits Radio
The Hits
Links
Website Hits Radio UK

Hits Radio UK, formerly The Hits, is a British digital radio station based in Manchester and London, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts across the United Kingdom.

Contents

As of September 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 4.6 million listeners according to RAJAR.

The station provides the network feed for all Hits Radio network stations.

Overview

The national station launched on 1 April 2003 as The Hits. The station was rebranded on 4 June 2018 as Hits Radio UK. It relays its programming to the Hits Radio network, opting out with UK wide news & information, traffic bulletins and advertising. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Hits Radio UK broadcasts on DAB in many parts of the UK and online.

Technical

The launch of Hits Radio UK in 2018 saw the station added to DAB multiplex transmissions in a number of local areas - mostly those served by Arqiva's NOWdigital multiplexes, as well as being made available on the CE Birmingham multiplex (replacing 'Magic Soul') and in stereo in London (replacing Kerrang! Radio and Absolute Radio 70s, which were removed on 23 May and replaced with a Hits Radio UK placeholder).

Hits Radio UK replaced The Hits on Bauer's DAB multiplexes and on the Arqiva-operated commercial Freeview multiplex. In addition, the new network was provided over the Sky satellite TV platform, on a channel previously occupied by Absolute Radio 70s.

On 13 December 2023, Hits Radio was removed from Sky, along with every other radio station owned by Bauer Media on the platform, including Absolute Radio, Absolute Radio 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio Classic Rock, Hits Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Kiss, Magic, Jazz FM and Planet Rock. [5]

On 2 April 2024, Hits Radio was removed from Freeview, along with other Bauer Media radio stations on the platform, including Greatest Hits Radio, Kerrang! Radio, Kiss, Kiss Fresh, Kisstory and Magic Radio. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hits Radio</span> UK contemporary radio network

Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.

Kerrang! Radio is a British specialist digital rock music radio station related to Kerrang! magazine. It is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of the Kiss Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic (UK radio station)</span> Adult contemporary radio station in London

Magic Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The station is available on 105.4 FM in London and across the UK on DAB Digital Radio, via Bauer's Rayo platform, and on Smart speakers. It plays "soft adult contemporary classics" such as Elton John, Madonna, Hot Chocolate, Whitney Houston, UB40, Simply Red, and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio Classic Rock</span> Radio station in London

Absolute Classic Rock is a national digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. Its music output is non-stop classic rock hits.

Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. As of March 2010, the multiplex covered more than 90% of the population from 137 transmitters. Coverage was extended to Northern Ireland in July 2013. It contains a list of DAB and DAB+ radio stations operated by Bauer Media Audio UK, Global Media & Entertainment and News Broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bauer Media Audio UK</span> UK-based radio division of the Bauer Media Group

Bauer Media Audio UK is a UK-based radio division of Bauer Media Group owning brands; Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Jazz FM, Hits Radio, KISS, Planet Rock, Magic, Kerrang! Radio and Heat Radio.

Planet Rock is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Kiss Network. The station broadcasts classic rock music.

Heat Radio is a British digital radio station, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Kiss Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio 90s</span> Radio station in London

Absolute Radio 90s is a semi-national digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. Its output is non-stop 1990s hits.

Absolute Radio 70s is a national Digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts locally to parts of the UK on DAB radio multiplexes. It broadcasts nationally via Smart Speaker and online web streaming. Its output is non-stop 1970s hits.

Kisstory is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Kiss Network.

Kiss Fresh is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Kiss Network,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greatest Hits Radio</span> UK classic hits radio network

Greatest Hits Radio is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.

Sound Digital is a semi-national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva, Bauer Media Group and News Broadcasting. The multiplex covers 73% of the population from a total of 45 transmitters.

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 Kiss, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer 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 Bauer Media Audio UK, a British media company established as a division of German company Bauer Media Group in 2008.

This is a list of notable events in the timeline of digital audio broadcasting in the UK.

This is a timeline of notable events relating to Greatest Hits Radio, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio. The timeline also covers the Magic and Big City 2 networks, which were the forerunners to Greatest Hits Radio.

References

  1. ↑ Bauer to launch new national radio station Archived 19 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine , Bauer Media, 18 April 2018
  2. ↑ Key 103 to become Hits Radio as part of major rebrand, Prolific North, 18 April 2018
  3. ↑ Key 103 to rebrand as Hits Radio and go national, Radio Today, 19 April 2018
  4. ↑ Key 2 on AM and DAB rebrands as Key Radio, Radio Today, 4 June 2018
  5. ↑ "Bauer to remove all radio stations from satellite and cable TV platforms". 28 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Bauer radio stations to leave Freeview platform following satellite and cable exit". 12 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.