 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Redruth, Cornwall, UK |
| Products | Local radio |
| Owner | Bauer Radio |
| Website | www |
The UKRD Group Ltd was a British media company that owned 15 commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The name originates from UK Radio Developments. Since its acquisition in March 2019, it has been run as a subsidiary of Bauer Radio.
Formed on 22 August 1990 as a company to invest in commercial stations following the relaxation of station ownership laws, its first investment was a stake in Cornwall's Pirate FM 102, which was designed and launched by former County Sound boss Mike Powell who, after leaving County Sound, had formed Infinity Radio. Shortly after the launch, Infinity Radio merged with UK Radio Developments and Powell became CEO of the embryonic UKRD Group. Under Powell's leadership, UKRD became one of the fastest growing private radio groups in the UK, rapidly adding Star FM in Slough and winning the Guildford radio franchise which gave birth to 96.4 The Eagle, the new County Sound (a recreation of the original Guildford commercial station of the same name) and Delta Radio. Subsequently, it acquired several more stations, and launched further stations on the issue of new local licences.
UKRD acquired a significant minority share-holding in Faze FM, which ran Kiss 102 in Manchester and Kiss 105 in Yorkshire. The stations had a branding deal with EMAP's Kiss FM, London. UKRD sold its interests in the Kiss stations in 1997 to the Chrysalis Group, who added them to its Galaxy Radio network. It also had a helping hand in the launch of South Hams Radio in December 1999, which was closed in 2009 to make way for Heart.
From 2001, the head of the organisation was William Rogers, one-time leader of Penwith District Council, Cornwall.
UKRD Group's head office was within the Carn Brea Studios of Pirate FM 102 in Redruth, Cornwall. It also had offices in Guildford, Exeter and Bristol.
In 2009, it acquired The Local Radio Company which had 20 local radio stations. [1] UKRD disposed of many non-profitable stations, as well as re-branding Alpha Radio, Minster Northallerton and Durham FM into Star Radio North East.
In 2010, UKRD was ranked 27th in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For (SMEs) and was ranked first in the same category every year between 2011 and 2014.
In July 2018, Global announced it had bought 2BR from UKRD. [2] The station was previously merged with The Bee.
In March 2019, Bauer Radio acquired 10 stations from UKRD as well as three local DAB multiplexes and the interest in First Radio Sales [3]
Prior to their sale to Bauer Radio, UKRD owned the following stations:
As most of the UKRD Group stations were rebranded under the Greatest Hits Radio brand by Bauer Radio, a number of schemes were launched to establish local radio 'replacements' for these services, many of which featured the same staff/presenters as the UKRD stations and many of which were set up through crowdfunding schemes. In Sussex, V2 Radio was set up to fill the gap vacated by Spirit FM, with test transmissions starting in West Sussex in December 2020, and the new service launching fully on 18 January 2021. [5] [6] [7] [8] In York, YorkMix Radio launched with former presenters from Minster FM on air, after a successful crowdfunding scheme to get local radio back on air, [9] [10] whilst in the Aldershot and Woking area, Radio Biscuit could be found with presenters from Eagle Radio. [11] and Your Harrogate Radio is scheduled to launch on 1 March. [12]
Hits Radio Cornwall, formerly Pirate 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 Cornwall on DAB from studios in Redruth.
Greatest Hits Radio West Sussex is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio Network. It broadcasts to West Sussex.
Minster FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving York and the surrounding areas such as Selby, Tadcaster, Thirsk, Northallerton and Goole. The station closed on 31 August 2020 and its frequency is now a relay of Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire. It broadcast on 104.7 FM from the Acklam Wold transmitter, near Leavening, on the Yorkshire Wolds.
Two Boroughs Radio was an Independent Local Radio station serving East and Central Lancashire, England. It was owned and operated by Global and broadcast from studios at Clayton-le-Moors near Accrington.
Yorkshire Coast Radio was an Independent Local Radio station serving Scarborough, Whitby & Bridlington. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
The Local Radio Company was a British media company, based in Redruth, Cornwall, that owned eleven Independent Local Radio stations in the UK. After takeover talks with UTV Media, UKRD Group and Hallwood Financial, UKRD acquired the majority share of the company in June 2009.
The Breeze (Bristol) was an Independent Local Radio station serving Bristol.
Eagle Radio was an Independent Local Radio station in the Surrey and North East Hampshire area of England. Based in Guildford in the Guildford College campus, Eagle Radio was part of the UKRD Group of radio stations.
County Sound Radio was an Independent Local Radio station covering Surrey and north-east Hampshire in the United Kingdom. One of its closing forms in 2012–2014 formed Eagle Extra occupying 1566 MW following an internal split between older and newer music/features into two allied stations in 1988 and an incomplete takeover by Mercury FM then sale leaving a third station, that of Mercury, with enhanced coverage of this area and its successor Heart Sussex and Surrey. The post-1988 branch of the radio which was rooted in recent music, concerts and events in the area including for a younger audience alternated between three FM frequencies ; in 1996 it relaunched as 96.4 Eagle Radio.
The Bee was an Independent Local Radio station serving southern and eastern parts of Lancashire, England. On Friday 27 May 2016, The Bee merged with its sister Lancashire station 2BR.
Bauer Media Audio UK is a UK-based radio division of Bauer Media Group owning brands; Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Jazz FM, Scala Radio, Hits Radio, KISS, Planet Rock, Magic, Kerrang! Radio and Heat Radio.
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 the England.
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.
Stray FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving the western half of North Yorkshire, and sections of West Yorkshire, to the north of Leeds and Bradford, England. The original licence covered the towns of Harrogate and Ripon and the surrounding areas.. From 1 February 2012 the station expanded to cover the Yorkshire Dales.
Greatest Hits Radio is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.
This is a timeline of the development of independent radio in the 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 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.
YorkMix Radio is a British radio station broadcasting to the city of York. It was founded in early 2021, following the sale and re-branding of Minster FM as Greatest Hits Radio, and features a number of the presenters and staff who previously operated Minster FM. It is owned by YorkMix, who operate a local news website for the York area.
V2 Radio is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by VeeToo Trade in the United Kingdom. It broadcasts to West Sussex and South Hampshire, England.
