Smooth Radio (2014)

Last updated

Smooth Radio
Broadcast area United Kingdom
Frequency FM: 97.2 MHz–107.7 MHz
AM: 1260 kHz (North Wales and Cheshire only)
DAB: 10B–12D
Sky (UK only): 0124
Virgin Media: 916
Freeview: 718
Freesat: 732
RDS Smooth
BrandingAlways The Best Music
Programming
Format Soft Adult Contemporary
Ownership
Owner Global
Smooth Chill • Smooth Country • Smooth Relax • Smooth 70s • Smooth 80s • Smooth Soul [1]
History
First air date
4 March 1990 (As Jazz FM)
4 October 2010 (As Smooth Radio)
Links
Website www.smoothradio.com

Smooth Radio is a network of local radio stations broadcasting on FM and DAB in the United Kingdom. It retains one outlet on AM. Smooth Radio previously featured a soft adult contemporary radio format but has introduced more upbeat music since 2023. Launched in March 2014, it replaced the national Smooth Radio that had launched in 2010 on FM and DAB, and most outlets of Gold on AM.

Contents

Each FM station broadcasts localised breakfast with networked shows simulcast from London at all other times. Four of the seven FM stations, and the one surviving AM frequency, are owned and operated by Global, with the remaining three FM licences owned by Communicorp UK and run as a franchise.

According to RAJAR, the network broadcasts to a combined weekly audience of 6.6 million with a listening share of 4.1% as of September 2024.

In January 2023, Smooth introduced a new logo and slogan, "Always the best music". [2]

Background and History

Having previously operated under a number of regional licences, Smooth Radio's owners, GMG Radio, merged its five English stations into one quasi-national station, launching the brand on the Digital One national DAB network on 4 October 2010. Most of the output was broadcast from Salford Quays in Manchester, with other programming coming from Castlereagh Street in London. [3]

On 25 June 2012, GMG Radio's owners, Guardian Media Group, sold its radio division to Global at an estimated price of between £50 million and £70 million. [4] [5] [a] Global renamed GMG Radio "Real and Smooth Radio Ltd." [7] Several rival radio groups expressed their concerns over the takeover and the effect it could have on commercial radio in the UK. [8] Ofcom launched a review of the sale, and it was announced that GMG Radio and Global would continue to operate as separate entities while the review was conducted. [9] On 3 August the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt instructed Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to examine Global's purchase of GMG, which gave Global over 50% of the UK radio market because of concerns the takeover may not be in the public interest. [10] On 11 October, the OFT concluded that the merger could lead to a rise in local advertising costs because of the decrease in competitors, and forwarded the matter to the Competition Commission, which oversees business mergers and takeovers. [11] On the same day the Competition Commission announced it would publish its findings into the takeover by 27 March 2013. [12]

The Competition Commission published its final report into the acquisition on 21 May 2013, requiring Global to sell radio stations in seven locations. [13] [b] Global appealed the decision, but this was rejected by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in November. [14] Global announced in December that it would not contest the decision, and would instead begin the process of selling the assets as directed by the commission. [15] On 4 February 2014, the Radio Today website reported that Ofcom had given Global permission to remove Smooth from the Digital One platform, and to replace it with a service playing music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. [16] Under this agreement, Smooth would continue to broadcast on its regional frequencies, but would be required to provide seven hours of local output per day. [16] On 6 February, Global confirmed the sale of eight of its regional stationsincluding those with the Smooth Radio brand in the North West, North East and East Midlandsto the Irish media holdings company Communicorp. [17] [18] [c] Under a franchising agreement between the two firms, these stations would retain the Smooth Radio name, but relaunch airing a mixture of both regional content and networked programming from London. Smooth would also take over Gold's medium wave frequencies, except in London, Manchester and the East Midlands. [18] [19] [20] Global announced later that month that Smooth would be relaunched on 3 March, [21] and subsequently confirmed the Gold changes would take effect from 24 March, when the stations would begin simulcasting with Smooth Radio London. [22] This also coincided with the return of local programming at breakfast and drivetime. [23]

On 5 March 2018, Global added the former Lakeland Radio station to the network as Smooth Lake District following its purchase from the CN Group for an undisclosed fee. [24]

Local weekend afternoon programming ended on 25 August 2019. Angie Greaves was announced as the new host of the national Smooth Drive Home, which began broadcasting on 2 September. [25]

In October 2020, the AM frequencies which carried Smooth Radio in Cardiff and Newport were switched off because the site from which they are transmitted was being redeveloped, [26] and the following month, Smooth Radio switched off its mediumwave frequencies in Luton and Bedford. [27]

On 30 June 2023, Global switched off the AM frequencies which carried Smooth in Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth, with Sussex following suit three months later. All these localised versions of Smooth are continuing on DAB. [28] In late April 2024, the Hampshire and Kent medium wave frequencies were also switched off [29] and the North Wales and Cheshire relay will follow later in 2024. [30]

Current notable presenters

List of Smooth Radio stations

The Smooth network comprises 24 stations: [32]

Stations across the UK

FM stations produce and broadcast local programming from local studios from 6-10am weekdays. The one surviving AM station in Wales carries networked programming content as broadcast from London, with the exception of a local opt-out programme from noon to 4pm on weekdays, as it had done under Gold. Many of the analogue stations, but not all, are also on DAB where this is provided in their coverage area. Digital TV platforms carry the Smooth UK version of Smooth, also now transmitted nationwide on Digital One in DAB+ – this carries the network programming output of Smooth London at all times, with national news and advertising.

FM radio stations

FM stations
StationFM DAB
Smooth East Midlands (franchise)97.2, 101.4, 106.6, 106.8 & 107.410B (Derby)
11B (Leicester)
12C (Notts)
Smooth Lake District 100.1, 100.8 & 101.411B (North Lancs and South Cumbria)
Smooth London 102.212C (London)
Smooth North East (franchise)97.5, 101.2, 107.5 & 107.711B (Teesside)
11C (Tyne & Wear)
Smooth North West (franchise)100.410C (Liverpool)
12A (Lancashire)
12C (Manchester)
Smooth Scotland 105.2 (Glasgow)11C Glasgow
12D Edinburgh
Smooth West Midlands 105.711B (Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Telford)
11C (Birmingham)
12D (Coventry)

AM radio stations

AM stations
StationAM DAB
Smooth North Wales and Cheshire 1260 AM (Wrexham, Chester and Shropshire)10D: North West Wales/12D: North West Wales

The Smooth AM frequencies in Peterborough and Northampton, which had switched from Gold to Smooth as part of the 2014 reallocation, reverted to carrying Gold programming in 2019 as a result of Communicorp's relaunch of Connect FM as part of Smooth East Midlands. [33]

The AM transmitters serving Wiltshire, Dorset, Plymouth, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex ceased broadcasting on 30 June 2023, alongside the Gold network transmitters in the Midlands and East, and Smooth's AM transmissions in Sussex ceased three months later. Medium wave transmissions in Hampshire and Kent ceased in late April 2024, and those in North Wales and Cheshire will end later in 2024. In most of the affected areas, transmission of Smooth via alternate means, such as DAB, has continued. [34]

DAB (former AM areas)

In several areas, local Smooth services have ceased transmitting on AM (usually due to the closure of transmitter sites) but continued to be provided on digital radio. These variants, being the siblings of Heart/Capital stations which remain available on FM, continue to follow the AM model of localised advertising and information alongside networked programming content, rather than taking Smooth UK as heard in other areas served only via digital radio.

  • Smooth Berkshire and North Hampshire – was on 1431 and 1485 AM (switched off 15 May 2015) [35]
  • Smooth Bristol and Bath – was on 1260 AM (switched off 10 February 2016)
  • Smooth Herts, Beds and Bucks – was on 792 on 828 AM (switched off 2 November 2020)
  • Smooth South Wales – was on 1305 and 1359 AM (switched off 12 October 2020)
  • Smooth Dorset - was on 828 AM (switched off 29 June 2023)
  • Smooth Essex - was on 1359/1431 AM (switched off 28 June 2023)
  • Smooth Gloucester - was on 774 AM (switched off 28 June 2023)
  • Smooth Hampshire - was on 1170 / 1557 AM (switched off late April 2024)
  • Smooth Kent - was on 603 and 1242 AM (switched off late April 2024)
  • Smooth Norfolk - was on 1152 AM (switched off 28 June 2023)
  • Smooth Suffolk - was on 1170 and 1251 AM (switched off 27 June 2023)
  • Smooth Sussex - was on 945 and 1323 AM (switched off 30 September 2023)
  • Smooth Plymouth - was on 1152 AM (switched off 29 June 2023)
  • Smooth Wiltshire - was on 936 and 1161 AM (switched off 30 June 2023)

In addition, the former Gold in Exeter/Torbay, which continued to operate on DAB after the closure of its AM transmission, transitioned to Smooth with the rest of the AM network in 2014.

Smooth UK

Sister stations

Smooth Country

A country music radio station which, having launched as an online stream through Global Player and the Smooth website in March 2019, was established as a broadcast radio service [36] on 3 September 2019. It has a presented weekday daytime show (hosted at launch by Eamonn Kelly, who also presents on Smooth Radio) and the service was added to a number of local DAB multiplexes, replacing The Arrow in London, Chill in the East Midlands, and Gold elsewhere.

Smooth Chill

This mellow and chillout music service launched on 3 September 2019, [37] replacing Chill in the Global portfolio. The station is available in the DAB+ format in London, and was made available online through Global Player (which had not carried the prior Chill service) and the Smooth Radio website, with the Chill URL redirected to point to the Smooth site. The station re-launched nationally on 8 April 2020 on Digital One, broadcasting in 32kbps DAB+. [38]

Smooth Relax

Following the conversion of Classic FM to DAB+ the prior week, capacity became available for the addition to Digital One on 8 January 2024 of a new soft adult contemporary service under the Smooth network. [39] Smooth Relax reuses the format and slogan of "Your relaxing music mix", previously used by the main Smooth Radio network before its transition into playing a broader range of classic hits in the "Always the best music" era.

Smooth 70s

Launched on 12 September 2024 alongside Smooth 80s and Smooth Soul, Smooth 70s follows the same soft adult-contemporary format as Smooth Radio, but instead exclusively music from the 1970s era. The station has no presenters and broadcasts a 24/7, automated output.

Smooth 80s

Launched on 12 September 2024 alongside Smooth 70s and Smooth Soul, Smooth 80s follows the same soft adult-contemporary format as Smooth Radio, but instead exclusively plays music from the 1980s era. The station broadcasts a mostly automated output, with a weekday breakfast show being hosted by a presenter. [40]

Smooth Soul

Launched on 12 September 2024 alongside Smooth 70s and Smooth 80s, Smooth Soul is a station dedicated to Soul music. The station has no presenters and broadcasts a 24/7, automated output.

Smooth Extra

Smooth Radio also operated Smooth Extra, with the slogan Your Refreshing Music Mix. The station transmitted its own non-stop music output from 10am to 6pm every day, and relayed Smooth London at other times.

Smooth Extra launched in December 2014 as a result of the removal of the prior network Smooth service from Digital One (during November and December the slot had been used for Smooth Christmas). Originally broadcast in mono in the traditional DAB format, Smooth Extra and Heart Extra switched to stereo DAB+ transmission in summer 2019, enabling the addition of Gold and Heart Dance to the Digital One multiplex in the released capacity.

Smooth Extra was also broadcast on the Sky satellite TV system (channel 0146) from 1 October 2015, taking over the slot from The Arrow (which had itself replaced Real Radio there the year before, due to Real Radio stations becoming Heart). Smooth Extra was replaced by Heart Dance on 7 October 2019.

Smooth Extra and Heart Extra closed at midnight on Thursday 12 March 2020 and was replaced with a national feed of Smooth on Digital One. [41]

Smooth Christmas

Originally launched on DAB during the weeks preceding Christmas 2011, Smooth Christmas was a pop-up sister station launched by GMG, [42] and was replaced by Smooth 70s at the end of December. [43] Smooth Christmas returned to the Digital One multiplex as a stablemate of Smooth Radio and Smooth 70s in the lead up to Christmas 2012. [44]

On 25 September 2024, Smooth Christmas was relaunched by Global, and made available on Global Player. It was launched alongside Heart Xmas, also a Global station dedicated to playing Christmas music. On the day of their launch, the Radio Today website described the difference between the stations: "Heart Xmas is more Mariah Carey and Michael Buble whilst Smooth Radio, playing 'Always the Best Christmas Music', is more Elton John and Slade." [45]

See also

Notes

  1. A financial report released by Global Radio in December 2013 indicates the company paid £69m for its purchase of GMG. [6]
  2. The stations involved were: Smooth or Capital (East Midlands); Real or Capital (South Wales); Real or Heart (North Wales); Capital or Real XS with either Real or Smooth (North West); Real or Smooth or Capital (North East); Real or Capital (Yorkshire); and Real or Capital (Scotland) [13]
  3. The eight stations were Smooth Radio North West, Smooth Radio North East, Smooth Radio East Midlands, Capital South Wales, Real Radio North Wales, Capital Scotland, Real Radio Yorkshire and Real XS Manchester. [18]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Radio XS</span> Radio station

Real Radio XS was a radio station brand operated by Real and Smooth Ltd based in Salford, Greater Manchester, broadcasting a variety of peak-time news, rock music and talk output. The Manchester-based version of the service was broadcast to Greater Manchester on FM, and to a number of areas on DAB: the closure of the MXR regional multiplexes ended most digital carriage of the service, with the last remaining digital transmission, to Yorkshire, ending in 2014. The other Real Radio XS service, covering Paisley and Renfrewshire on FM and central belt Scotland digitally, became Xfm Scotland in 2014 following Global's purchase of the franchise, before closing entirely in 2015. The Manchester frequency now transmits as XS Manchester under the control of Communicorp UK, whilst the Scottish license was re-advertised by Ofcom and now carries Nation Broadcasting-owned Nation Radio Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth 70s</span> Radio station in London

Smooth 70s is a British radio station dedicated to music from the 1970s. Launched by GMG Radio as a sister station to Smooth Radio, it first aired on 27 December 2011, replacing a temporary station GMG had launched for the Christmas period. The station was broadcast through DAB on the Digital One multiplex and was also available online, where it could be accessed using Radioplayer. The station operated largely on an automated basis, but there was also some presenter input. Although Smooth 70s was not the first UK radio station to be dedicated solely to music from the decade, it was the first to be broadcast nationally. Audience data released by Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR) in October 2012 indicated 749,000 listeners were tuning into the station on a regular basis. Global Radio–which bought GMG in June 2012–announced on 3 October 2013 that Smooth 70s would cease broadcasting from the early hours of 6 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth Wales</span> Radio station in Wrexham

Smooth Wales is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the Cardiff area of South Wales and to the Wrexham area of North Wales, as well as parts of Cheshire in England. All programming content is now shared to both areas. It is the only AM station in the Smooth radio network to have its own content, a local four-hour weekday show, as all other Smooth AM stations, as added to the network in 2014, carry the London network FM content, opting out only for local news and advertising breaks. The local show on Smooth Wales was carried over from the station's previous incarnation as Gold.

This is a timeline of the development of independent radio in the UK.

A timeline of notable events relating to Smooth Radio, a British radio station that first launched in 2004. Note that this article also includes information about the national version of Smooth Radio that existed between 2010 and 2014.

A timeline of notable events relating to Global Radio, a British media company founded in 2007.

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

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