The Breeze (radio network)

Last updated

The Breeze
Broadcast area Bristol, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset, North Dorset, North Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Devon, South West Surrey, West Berkshire and West Wiltshire, plus East Anglia
Frequency
All Frequencies
  • FM:
    Andover
    106.4 MHz

    Basingstoke & North Hampshire
    107.6 MHz

    Bath
    107.9 MHz

    Bridgwater & West Somerset
    100.8, 102.4 & 107.4 MHz

    Bristol
    107.2 MHz

    Cheltenham & Gloucester
    107.5 MHz

    East Hampshire & South West Surrey
    97.1, 101.6, 101.8 & 102.0 MHz

    Frome & West Wiltshire
    107.5 MHz

    Isle of Wight
    107.4 & 107.8 MHz

    Newbury
    105.6 & 107.4 MHz

    North Dorset
    96.6 & 97.4 MHz

    North Somerset
    107.7 MHz

    Portsmouth
    107.4 MHz

    Reading
    107.0 MHz

    South Devon
    105.5 MHz

    Southampton
    107.8 MHz

    Winchester
    107.2 MHz

    Yeovil & South Somerset
    105.6 & 106.6 MHz

Norwich
99.9 MHz

Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft
103.4 & 97.4 MHz

Colchester
100.2 MHz
Programming
Format Easy listening
Ownership
Owner Bauer Radio (exc. Solent)
Nation Broadcasting (Solent)
History
First air date
1995–1999 (as individual stations)
4 July 2010 (stations in West become The Breeze)
9 January 2017 (stations in the East of England join, programming becomes generic)
Last air date
1 September 2020
Links
Website http://www.thebreeze.com

The Breeze was a network of Independent Local Radio stations broadcasting to Bristol, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset, North Dorset, North Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Devon, South West Surrey, West Berkshire and West Wiltshire, as well as in East Anglia as Radio Norwich 99.9, The Beach, North Norfolk Radio, Town 102 and Dream 100. The stations broadcast a 'contemporary easy listening' format, playing classic and recent melodic popular music aimed principally at listeners over the age of 40.

Contents

The Breeze network operated on various FM frequencies and was also online at thebreeze.com,[ citation needed ] and other relevant links for the East Anglian stations. All frequencies branded The Breeze were previously separate stations centred on each of the broadcast areas, which had been acquired and combined into one network, carrying separate breakfast and drivetime programming for the south and the west of England, and a separate breakfast show hosted by Rob Chandler for East Anglia.

Following the purchase of owners Celador Radio in early 2019 by Bauer Radio, [1] the network was closed on 1 September 2020 and replaced by Greatest Hits Radio. [2]

History

The network launched when Play Radio (a combination of two stations in Hampshire) was acquired by Celador along with an additional station in Portsmouth and rebranded as The Breeze on 4 July 2010. The individual stations have all operated under various owners, formats and identities, with the stations having launched between 1998 and 1999 as a series of local stations focused on a specified broadcast area.

In 2011, Celador acquired two Total Star stations in Bristol & Bridgwater, and successfully applied for an FM licence serving the Bath area, [3] and relaunched all stations as The Breeze.

All local programming later became identical across all licence areas, and The Breeze was based in Torbay, Southampton, Bristol and Basingstoke.

In February 2019, Bauer Radio acquired Celador Radio stations, including The Breeze. The licences for Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester were sold on to Nation Broadcasting, along with Sam FM (South Coast) which also broadcast from the Southampton studios, due to the overlap with existing Bauer-owned regional adult-contemporary service Wave 105. The other Breeze stations remained with Bauer.

As of July 13, 2020, The Breeze network closed, ahead of Bauer's decision to relaunch the stations as part of its Greatest Hits Radio network. They retained their branding but shared the same playlist as Greatest Hits Radio until GHR was fully launched on the former Breeze stations on September 1.

Stations

These stations comprised The Breeze network.

These stations joined the network in January 2017, but did not rebrand. These stations are all in East Anglia.

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.

The Breeze Basingstoke & North Hampshire was an Independent Local Radio station serving Basingstoke and the surrounding area of North Hampshire until it was purchased in 2019 by Bauer Radio and became part of Greatest Hits Radio South in 2020.

Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire (Newbury) is an Independent Local Radio station serving Newbury and West Berkshire. The station is owned & operated by Bauer Radio and was previously part of The Breeze network of stations, and broadcast from studios at Eastgate House in Andover.

Greatest Hits Radio Somerset (Yeovil) is an Independent Local Radio station serving Yeovil, South Somerset and West Dorset in England.

The Breeze (North Somerset) was an Independent Local Radio station serving North Somerset, England.

The Breeze (Bristol) was an Independent Local Radio station serving Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celador</span> British production company and broadcaster

CPL Productions is an independent television and radio production company run by Danielle Lux, Murray Boland and Janet Oakes. It was formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as an independent television production company. It created and produced a number of popular light entertainment shows and is best known for the TV format Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the film Slumdog Millionaire which, in 2009, collected seven BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tindle Radio</span> Radio group in the British Isles

Tindle Radio is a media company which owns commercial radio stations and a DAB multiplex business in the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland. It has its head office in Farnham, Surrey, shared with Tindle Newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easy Radio South Coast</span> Radio station in Southampton

Easy Radio South Coast is an Independent Local Radio station based in Southampton, England, owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting. It broadcasts to the South Coast of England.

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

Radio Victory was the Independent Local Radio (ILR) station for Portsmouth in southern England. It was launched on 14 October 1975 and served south Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight initially until 1986, with various later reincarnations. It took its name from the famous historic ship HMS Victory which is preserved at Portsmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nation Broadcasting</span> British media company

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nation Radio South Coast</span> Radio station

Nation Radio South is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting on 106 MHz & 106.6 MHz FM, on DAB on the South Hampshire and Bournemouth multiplexes across the South Coast of England and on DAB+ across a limited area on the Portsmouth small scale trial multiplex. The station is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting.

Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire (Andover) is an Independent Local Radio station in England, serving Andover and northwest Hampshire, and parts of east Wiltshire, previously from studios at Eastgate House in Andover. Beginning as Andover Sound in 2008, from 2011 the station was owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of The Breeze network. From September 2020, the station was replaced by Greatest Hits Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam FM (Bristol)</span> Radio station in Bristol

Sam FM was an adult hits format radio station that broadcast on 106.5 MHz FM in Bristol, United Kingdom and owned by Bauer Radio. The station formed part of the Hits Radio network, although its entire output and playlist was locally produced and took no network programming. It ceased broadcasting on 6 September 2021 when it rebranded to Hits Radio Bristol & The South West.

Greatest Hits Radio Dorset (North Dorset) is an Independent Local Radio station serving North Dorset.

The Breeze (Bath) was an Independent Local Radio station serving Bath, Somerset.

Greatest Hits Radio South West is a regional radio station serving the South West of England, as part of Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam FM Radio (Swindon)</span> Radio station

Sam FM Swindon was an Independent Local Radio station based in Swindon, England, broadcasting on the 107.7 FM frequency between 2006 and 2020.

Greatest Hits Radio Somerset (West Somerset) is an Independent Local Radio station serving Warminster, Westbury / Trowbridge in West Wiltshire / Frome in East Somerset.

The Breeze formerly Quay West and Total Star Somerset was an Independent Local Radio station serving the Sedgemoor District, Bridgwater and West Somerset.

References

  1. ↑ "Bauer Media continues to grow with two acquisitions". 5 February 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio". 27 May 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Breeze heads to Bristol". Radio Today. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  4. ↑ RadioToday: The Breeze to replace Total Star Somerset
  5. ↑ "Celador to Launch The Breeze 107". Radio Today. 21 June 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
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