 | |
| Industry | Commercial radio |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1991 |
| Defunct | February 2019 |
| Fate | Acquired by Bauer Radio |
| Headquarters | Witham Park, Waterside South, Lincoln, LN5 7JN |
Area served | England |
| Products | 7 Independent Local Radio stations |
| Total assets | MuxCo Lincolnshire |
| Parent | Bauer Radio |
| Website | Lincs FM Group |
The Lincs FM Group was the parent company of several Independent Local Radio (ILR) stations. As of Q2 2019 the group had a combined audience of 524,000. [1] It was based in Lincolnshire, in the UK.
The Lincs FM Group was formed in the early 1990s with the winning of the ILR licence for Lincolnshire. Lincs FM started broadcasting in 1992 and since then the Lincs FM Group has won and acquired licences to operate other local radio stations across the UK's Midlands and Yorkshire regions.
The Lincs FM Group also had a 33% share in Ipswich 102 and a 51% share in the digital radio multiplexes operating DAB services in Lincolnshire and Suffolk.
Lincs FM Group was purchased by Bauer Radio in February 2019; Bauer also purchased the stations of Celador Radio at the same time. KCFM was sold to Nation Broadcasting due to overlapping with existing Bauer asset Viking FM; the other Lincs stations remained with Bauer. [2] Due to further potential competition issues with Bauer's existing stations and their new purchases the group began operating in 'hold separate' pending investigation of the sale by the Competition and Markets Authority. Eventually, Bauer was allowed to proceed with its business plans.
After acquisition, most of the group's remaining stations were rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio with Suffolk First closing, and Lincs FM retained as a standalone station. [3]
Each station's logo was green and purple as these were the company colours; these logos featured heavily in each stations merchandise.
The group ran three music formats across its stations. "Hits & Memories" stations were the staple of the group, playing a wide variety of popular music from the 1960s to the present day. "Music You Love" stations leant older, with a greater percentage of songs released pre-1990 played. "Country music and more" was the format of the digital-only station Suffolk First, which played a mixture of country music and pop music.
Until October 2007 the group was unique in the United Kingdom in that it had grown organically through licence awards, rather than by acquisition of existing stations. As FM licences ceased advertising in the late 2000s, the group, with a desire to continue growing, made their first acquisition with Oak 107 FM in October 2007 (previously owned by the CN Group). This station was sold on a few years later to rejoin its former network. This was followed by the acquisition of KCFM in June 2009, previously owned by Planet Broadcasting.
In 2006, the group made a bid to win the Hull licence along with six other groups. [4] The format for the Lincs bid was the same of that of Compass FM; this is thought to be because Lincs FM already overlaps the North East Lincolnshire area. The station went under the working title of "White Rose Radio" to reflect the white rose of Yorkshire. The group did not win the licence and lost out to Kingston upon Hull-based KCFM. [5] However, KCFM became part of the Lincs FM Group in June 2009. [6]
Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.
Lincs FM is an Independent Local Radio station serving Lincolnshire and Newark in Nottinghamshire. The station is owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio Network.
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, Cardiff, Newport and surrounding areas from studios in the Gowerton area of Swansea on DAB.
Peak FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving north Derbyshire. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
Radio Wave was an Independent Local Radio station serving Blackpool, The Fylde and surrounding areas. It broadcast from studios in the Layton area of Blackpool via a specially constructed transmitter atop Blackpool Tower.
Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire is an Independent Local Radio station serving Doncaster in South Yorkshire and the Bassetlaw district of north Nottinghamshire. The station, originally known as Trax FM, was folded into Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
The Beach was an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft areas. It used to broadcast from studios in Norwich and Ipswich. Before that it broadcast from studios at the junction of Hollingsworth Road and Oulton Road, in Lowestoft, Suffolk until 8 January 2017 when it was transferred to central hubs in Norwich and Ipswich along with sister stations.
Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire (Barnsley) is an Independent Local Radio station serving Barnsley. The station, originally known as Dearne FM, was folded into Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
Rutland Radio was an Independent Local Radio station which served the county of Rutland and the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. It broadcast on 107.2 FM in Rutland and 97.4 FM across Stamford and launched on 13 December 1998 from Knights Yard, Gaol Street in Oakham.
Ridings FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving the Wakefield District of West Yorkshire. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
Wish FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving Wigan in Greater Manchester and the St Helens area of Merseyside from studios in the Orrell area of Wigan.
Radio Clyde is a group of two Independent Local Radio stations serving Glasgow and West Central Scotland. Radio Clyde is owned and operated by Bauer, based at studios in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio Network of local stations.
Greatest Hits Radio Norfolk & North Suffolk (Norwich) is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer, broadcasting to Norwich and the surrounding area. The station was merged with North Norfolk Radio and The Beach and became Greatest Hits Radio Norfolk and North Suffolk.
Nation Radio East Yorkshire, formerly GHR Hull & East Yorkshire and KCFM, is an Independent Local Radio station serving Kingston upon Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, which is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting. This new licence was advertised by Ofcom in 2006.
Rother FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving the English town of Rotherham. The station was on air from 2006 until it was closed in 2020 by owners Bauer so that the frequency could be used to broadcast Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire.
Nation Broadcasting is a British media company headquartered in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It currently owns and operates twelve Independent Local Radio stations across the United Kingdom.
Greatest Hits Radio is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer.
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.
Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire is a radio station regional sub-network serving Yorkshire, Lincolnshire & the North Midlands as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network. Whilst all programming is shared either across the region, or nationally, the local areas which were formerly separate stations retain local identities, with local news, travel updates, weather forecasts and advertising. It is not possible therefore to listen to a station branded "Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire".
Greatest Hits Radio Midlands is a regional radio station serving the East & West Midlands as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network.