Radio stations | 97.6 Chiltern FM 96.9 Chiltern FM Northants 96 Horizon Radio Oasis Radio Severn Sound Galaxy Radio |
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Headquarters | Dunstable |
Area | Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucester Bristol |
Chiltern Radio Network was the parent group of several Independent Local Radio stations in the 1980s and 1990s. These were divided across two networks: The Hot FM and SuperGold. [1]
Chiltern Radio launched on 15 October 1981 from studios located on Chiltern Road in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. On 1 June 1982, Chiltern expanded into Bedford with studios on Goldington Road. [2] This was joined 30 November 1986 with Northants Radio from Northampton, and 15 October 1989 with Horizon Radio from Milton Keynes. The Hot FM network transmitted on the FM services of 97.6 Chiltern FM, 96.9 Chiltern FM, Northants 96, [3] Horizon Radio, followed later by Oasis Radio, Severn Sound, and Galaxy Radio. For a while Galaxy Radio and Horizon Radio operated a slightly more edgy "Hotter Mix" format, although they switched back again to the "Hot FM" for networked programming. Supergold transmitted on the AM services of Chiltern Radio, Northants Radio, followed later by Severn Sound and Invicta Radio.
Stations would broadcast from their studios until 7pm, then share programmes from Dunstable overnight.
In May 1995, the GWR Group launched a hostile takeover bid for Chiltern. This completed in July, and GWR began re-branding the stations in September - the FM stations as part of their Mix Network and gold stations as Classic Gold Digital Network. Shared programming on FM moved to Bristol whilst shared AM programming remained in Dunstable. In May 2005, the GWR Group merged with Capital Radio to form GCap Media, which Global Radio bought out in 2008 and eventually became the Heart Radio network.
Original DJs and presenters included Paul McKenna, Paul 'Mad Dog' O'Reilly, Martin Collins, Tony West, NJ Williams, Tony Lloyd, and Louie Martin. Networked presenters included Graham Torrington, Chris Moyles, Emma Scott, Steve Power, Chris Brooks, Tim Allen, Tom Stewart, Simon Clarke, Neale James, Treva Ellis, and Laura Penn. Other presenters included Paul Garner who did a comedy and unsigned music show, David Francis on the late show and Dave Sanders who hosted a Sunday show consisting of mostly album tracks.
Chiltern Radio Network ran the satellite news service Network News between 5 July 1991 and 1 April 1996 as a competitor to Independent Radio News. The service provided hourly national news bulletins to not only Chiltern stations, but other broadcasters including Virgin Radio, Radio Luxembourg, Choice FM, and Radio Maldwyn. Network News was joint led by Paul Chantler (then Group Programme Director of the Chiltern Radio Network) and Jon Davies, journalist who had been a key part of ITN Radio News. The service closed with the acquisition of Chiltern Radio by the GWR Group, which was a shareholder in IRN.
Heart Northants was an Independent Local Radio station serving Northamptonshire.
Heart Gloucestershire was an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. It broadcast to Gloucestershire from studios in Gloucester.
Heart Hertfordshire is an Independent Local Radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts across Hertfordshire from studios in Watford.
Heart 96.3 was an Independent Local Radio station serving Bristol and surrounding areas and broadcasting on 96.3 MHz in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. Launched in 1981 as Radio West, it was merged with neighbouring Wiltshire Radio and relaunched under the name GWR in 1985, retaining the name through several changes of ownership until rebranding in March 2009. Heart Bristol merged with sister stations in Somerset and Bath to form Heart West Country.
Capital South Coast was a regional radio station owned by operated by Global Radio as part of the Capital radio network. It broadcast to Hampshire from studios in Segensworth, Fareham. In 2019, Capital South Coast was replaced by Capital South following a merger with Capital Brighton.
Heart Kent was an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. It broadcast to Kent from studios at John Wilson Business Park in Whitstable.
GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed on 9 May 2005. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. On 31 March 2008 the company agreed a takeover by Global Radio for £375 million. This was completed on 6 June 2008, and the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Radio.
The One Network was the collective name for thirty-eight regional Independent Local Radio licences operated by GCap Media in the United Kingdom. It was formed from the combination of GWR Group's 'The Mix Network' and Capital Radio Group's 'The Capital Radio Network' when the companies merged in 2005. Its main regional radio network rival was the Big City Network, owned by Bauer Group.
Heart Dunstable was an Independent Local Radio station based in Chiltern Road in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
Heart Milton Keynes was an Independent Local Radio station for Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire. Broadcasting on 103.3FM from the Bow Brickhill transmitter, the station was part of Global Radio's Heart Network. The station's flagship shows were Heart Breakfast with Wes Venn and Heart Drivetime with Lucy Ellis.
Heart Bedford was an Independent Local Radio station based in the Priory Business Park in Bedford, Bedfordshire in England.
Supergold (Europe) was an oldies radio sustaining service originally operated by the Telstar Satellite Music Network (TSMN) and later by Chiltern Radio Network in the United Kingdom. Originally devised by entrepreneur and DJ Graham Kentsley, it was one of Europe's first satellite delivered radio stations, receiving a Satellite Television Technology International (STTI) award for satellite communication innovation.
Heart Four Counties was a local radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. It broadcast to Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.
Kiss 101 was a radio station in Bristol, England that broadcast to South Wales and the West of England, playing pop, dance, hip hop, urban, R&B and electronic music.
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.
Allied Radio plc was a publicly listed radio company that operated, or held an interest in, several Independent Local Radio contractors in the UK during the 1990s.
This is a timeline of the development of independent radio in the UK.
A timeline of notable events relating to Heart, a 22-strong network of hot adult contemporary commercial radio stations operated by Global.
Heart East is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts to the East of England from studios in Milton Keynes.
Heart West is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts in South West England and South Wales from studios in Bristol.