GCap Media
Encyclopedia
GCap Media was a British
commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in 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.
On November 1, 2008, Global Radio discontinued using the name GCap Media.
-based British
radio group. The company was originally set up to operate a General Entertainment Independent Local Radio
service in October 1973. Capital Radio
was the second legal commercial radio station to launch in the UK, a few days after London news station LBC
. In the 1980s the station was allowed to operate separate services on AM and FM.
Changes to media ownership laws meant that Capital Radio Group was able to acquire other stations throughout the UK, becoming a powerful player in the UK's commercial radio industry; before the merger with GWR. In 1993, Capital bought BRMB
, and in 1994 the Southern Radio Group
which owned (Southern FM, Invicta FM and Power FM). Fox FM in Oxfordshire
and Red Dragon FM
in Wales
were also purchased in the 90s. Capital also acquired the Century FM
stations in 2000 as well as Border Television
in order to acquire its radio stations (subsequently selling the station to Granada plc a year later). All in all, Capital Radio Group controlled 22 analogue and 59 digital radio licences. In July 1998 Capital Radio Group bought the financially troubled "alternative" radio station, XFM
.
In the early 21st century, Capital Radio Group expanded its range of FM stations, and also started broadcasting digital-only stations such as Capital Disney
and Capital Life
.
radio
company with major assets including the nationwide station Classic FM
and an extensive network of independent local radio
stations in the UK.
Between 1996 and 1999 GWR was a major shareholder in London News Radio, which owned and operated London's LBC
and News Direct radio stations. These stations were sold to Chrysalis Radio in 2002.
GWR was owned by Daily Mail and General Trust plc (majority share), various asset management firms, Sir Peter Michael and other small shareholders. Until the merger, the group was chaired by Ralph Bernard
and its head office was in Passage Street, Bristol
.
During its existence, GWR acquired the Marcher Radio Group
, Mid Anglia Radio Group, Chiltern Radio Group and East Anglian Radio Group to name but a few.
1982: Wiltshire Radio begins broadcasting.
1985: Wiltshire Radio merges with Radio West to form GWR.
1987: GWR Group goes public.
1988: GWR joins Classic FM partnership.
1992: Classic FM begins broadcasting.
1996: GWR acquires full control of Classic FM.
1998: GWR wins Digital One license.
1999: Digital One begins broadcasting; launches Internet radio broadcasts.
2000: GWR acquires DMG Radio.
(Friday 10pm to 1am) and Hairbrush Divas (Saturday 7pm to 10pm). All stations then take a Non-Stop Party show (Saturday 10pm to 1am).
capitalisation of the two combined entities by the time merger was sealed. Many market commentators felt that the savings brought about by cost cutting and elimination of duplicated departments across the company were far outweighed by large drops in audience and advertising revenue across the newly formed group. Over the following months, amid rumours of a GWR putsch and continuing dissatisfaction from the City
, a stream of executives from the former Capital Radio Group side of the business left the company, including David Mansfield himself.
and Orchard FM
in the West Country
, came with a price tag of £75m.
Eventually, after bids as low as £25m were placed and interest waned, GCap Media called off the sale.
(made possible by the low value of the shares), Hazlitt laid out her plans for the company's recovery to financial health on 11 February 2008. Cost-cutting lay at the heart of Hazlitt's statement, including divesting GCap of its costly involvement in DAB
- directly turning her back on the 'digital future' policy of her predecessor. It was announced that GCap had sold its interest in Digital One
to Arqiva
and that "non-core" DAB stations Planet Rock and theJazz
would be closing by the end of March 2008. theJazz ceased broadcasting as announced, but Planet Rock remained on air while negotiations took place with potential buyers, which were successfully concluded in June 2008. In addition, the non-London xfm
stations would also be closed if they could not be sold, as the stations were forecast to make a combined loss of £800,000 in 2008 http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=20080211070000P9AF4. An improved offer from Global was finally accepted by GCap shareholders, resulting in the departure of the group's senior management. Fru Hazlitt resigned in May 2008.
conducted an investigation into the takeover of GCap by Global and cleared it in August 2008, on the condition that BRMB
, Beacon Radio, Mercia FM
, Wyvern FM
and Heart East Midlands
were sold to satisfy competition concerns.
On September 23, 2008, it was announced that Fun Radio
had been sold to Folder Media, leaving Chill
as GCap's only digital station.
Birmingham (AM & DAB), Black Country (AM & DAB), Bournemouth (AM & DAB), Bristol & Bath (AM & DAB), Cambridge (DAB), Cardiff & Newport (AM & DAB), Coventry (AM & DAB), Derby (AM), Essex (AM & DAB), Exeter & Torbay (DAB), Gloucester & Cheltenham (AM), Greater London (AM & DAB), Humberside (DAB), Kent (AM & DAB), Lancashire (DAB), Leeds (DAB), Luton & Bedford (AM), Manchester (AM & DAB), Norfolk & North Suffolk (AM & DAB), Northamptonshire (AM), Nottingham (AM & DAB), Peterborough (AM & DAB), Plymouth (AM & DAB), Reading (AM & DAB), Reigate & Crawley (AM), Shropshire (AM), South Hampshire (AM & DAB), South Yorkshire (DAB), Suffolk (AM), Sussex (AM & DAB), Swindon & Wiltshire (AM), Teeside (DAB), Tyne & Wear (DAB), Wrexham & Chester (AM).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in May 2005. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
. On 31 March 2008 the company agreed a takeover by Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
for £375 million. This was completed on 6 June 2008, and the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Radio.
On November 1, 2008, Global Radio discontinued using the name GCap Media.
Capital Radio Group
Capital Radio Group was, until May 2005, a LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio group. The company was originally set up to operate a General Entertainment Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
service in October 1973. Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
was the second legal commercial radio station to launch in the UK, a few days after London news station LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
. In the 1980s the station was allowed to operate separate services on AM and FM.
Changes to media ownership laws meant that Capital Radio Group was able to acquire other stations throughout the UK, becoming a powerful player in the UK's commercial radio industry; before the merger with GWR. In 1993, Capital bought BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
, and in 1994 the Southern Radio Group
Southern Radio Group
The Southern Radio Group was a company which owned and operated radio stations on the south coast of England.-History:Southern Radio group was formed when Ocean Sound merged with Southern FM...
which owned (Southern FM, Invicta FM and Power FM). Fox FM in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and Red Dragon FM
Red Dragon FM
Capital South Wales is a British independent local radio station broadcasting from Cardiff Bay . The station serves Cardiff, Newport and the surrounding areas, broadcasting to a potential audience of around 1 million people...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
were also purchased in the 90s. Capital also acquired the Century FM
Century FM
Century Radio was the brand name of a group of independent local radio stations in England. The brand was developed with the launch of 100-102 Century Radio in North East England in 1994, with John Myers as managing director and John Simons as programme director...
stations in 2000 as well as Border Television
Border Television
Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
in order to acquire its radio stations (subsequently selling the station to Granada plc a year later). All in all, Capital Radio Group controlled 22 analogue and 59 digital radio licences. In July 1998 Capital Radio Group bought the financially troubled "alternative" radio station, XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
.
In the early 21st century, Capital Radio Group expanded its range of FM stations, and also started broadcasting digital-only stations such as Capital Disney
Capital Disney
Capital Disney was a British digital radio station aimed at 8 to 16 year olds which used to broadcast across the UK on DAB Digital Radio . It was also broadcast on Sky Digital, Tiscali TV, Virgin Media, and streaming online. The station announced on 14 May 2007 that it would close down on 29 June...
and Capital Life
Capital Life
Capital Life, also known as Life, was a digital radio station broadcasting across the UK on the Digital One network and streamed online.-About:...
.
GWR Group
GWR Group was a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
company with major assets including the nationwide station Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
and an extensive network of independent local radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
stations in the UK.
Between 1996 and 1999 GWR was a major shareholder in London News Radio, which owned and operated London's LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
and News Direct radio stations. These stations were sold to Chrysalis Radio in 2002.
GWR was owned by Daily Mail and General Trust plc (majority share), various asset management firms, Sir Peter Michael and other small shareholders. Until the merger, the group was chaired by Ralph Bernard
Ralph Bernard
Ralph Bernard CBE was the chief executive of commercial radio group GCap Media. He started his career as a journalist at Sheffield's Radio Hallam in 1975, before moving to Hereward Radio in Peterborough....
and its head office was in Passage Street, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
During its existence, GWR acquired the Marcher Radio Group
Marcher Radio Group
Marcher Radio Group Ltd, previously Marcher Sound Ltd, was a former British media organisation which operated several radio stations in north Wales and north west England...
, Mid Anglia Radio Group, Chiltern Radio Group and East Anglian Radio Group to name but a few.
Key Dates
1981: Wiltshire Radio is founded.1982: Wiltshire Radio begins broadcasting.
1985: Wiltshire Radio merges with Radio West to form GWR.
1987: GWR Group goes public.
1988: GWR joins Classic FM partnership.
1992: Classic FM begins broadcasting.
1996: GWR acquires full control of Classic FM.
1998: GWR wins Digital One license.
1999: Digital One begins broadcasting; launches Internet radio broadcasts.
2000: GWR acquires DMG Radio.
Programming
GWR attempted to revolutionise local radio with its policy of branding its stations with similar phrases, initially "today's better music mix", later "today's best mix" and "the best mix of the 80s, 90s and today." This allowed it to syndicate a number of programmes across its network of radio stations. It had four main syndicated programmes: a weekday mid-morning programme hosted by Phillippa Collins(this show was only carried on a few stations, when taken over by Global radio the show was rolled out to all stations)a weeknightly music and showbiz based programme (formerly called 'Core Control' and then 'Music Control') (weekdays 7pm to 10pm) presented by Kam and Sally, Kam was replaced by Kevin Hughes, 'Late Night Love' (Sunday to Thursday 10pm to 1am) presented by Graham Torrington (later the show was replaced by 'the wind down' presented by Cat James) and Music On Demand (1am till Breakfast, 7 days a week) presented by Dan Wood or Andy Henley. On Friday and Saturday evenings the network splits, with most stations taking Non-Stop Party (Friday 10pm to 1am) and Party Anthems (Saturday 7pm to 10pm) while the other stations take School DazeSchool Daze
School Daze is a 1988 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell-Martin...
(Friday 10pm to 1am) and Hairbrush Divas (Saturday 7pm to 10pm). All stations then take a Non-Stop Party show (Saturday 10pm to 1am).
GCap - The merged company
The two groups officially "tied the knot" in 26 May 2005, with GCap employees being given branded 'GCap' digital radios to commemorate the launch. For the first five months the group was run by Ralph Bernard (ex-GWR) as Executive Chairman, and David Mansfield (ex-Capital Radio Group) as CEO. David Mansfield stepped down on the afternoon of 19 September 2005 with Ralph Bernard taking over both roles. Within weeks of the merger rumours had abounded about disagreements between Bernard and Mansfield about the future direction of the company and this was compounded by a £184 m loss in the stock marketStock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
capitalisation of the two combined entities by the time merger was sealed. Many market commentators felt that the savings brought about by cost cutting and elimination of duplicated departments across the company were far outweighed by large drops in audience and advertising revenue across the newly formed group. Over the following months, amid rumours of a GWR putsch and continuing dissatisfaction from the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, a stream of executives from the former Capital Radio Group side of the business left the company, including David Mansfield himself.
Restructure and the 'failed sale'
In October 2005 GCap Media announced around 100 job losses and the sale of nine non-core radio stations as part of a restructuring initiative. By this time, over £300m had been wiped off the market capitalisation of GCap Media and the group was frequently touted as a take over target by City commentators. The nine stations, which included the Marcher Group stations in North WalesNorth Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and Orchard FM
Orchard FM
Heart Somerset was an Independent Local Radio station serving Somerset, England. Originally owned by Orchard Media Ltd, the company was purchased by GWR Group in 1999, and who subsequently became GCap Media in 2005...
in the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
, came with a price tag of £75m.
Eventually, after bids as low as £25m were placed and interest waned, GCap Media called off the sale.
Classic Gold acquisition
In April 2007 GCap Media announced that it was acquiring 18 AM and DAB 'Classic Gold' radio stations from Unique Broadcasting Company Media Group. Many of these licences had formerly been operated by GWR Group before being sold to Unique. It was announced that the stations would be merged with existing Capital Gold AM licences to form a new station Gold, which launched on 3 August 2007.Ralph Bernard leaves
In November 2007 it was announced that Ralph Bernard was leaving as CEO of the company. This was unusual as neither he nor the company named a successor, but announced that they would start to look for one. This uncertainty caused a massive drop in the share price of the company and it never recovered from that, leaving the new CEO with a difficult task to rebuild share value for the shareholders.Withdrawal from DAB and disposal of "non-core" stations
In late December 2007 Fru Hazlitt was appointed CEO. Under pressure from a £313m share offer to the board from Global RadioGlobal Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
(made possible by the low value of the shares), Hazlitt laid out her plans for the company's recovery to financial health on 11 February 2008. Cost-cutting lay at the heart of Hazlitt's statement, including divesting GCap of its costly involvement in DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
- directly turning her back on the 'digital future' policy of her predecessor. It was announced that GCap had sold its interest in Digital One
Digital One
Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters...
to Arqiva
Arqiva
Arqiva is a telecommunications company which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The present company, with headquarters located at Crawley Court in the village of Crawley, Hampshire, was formed by National Grid Wireless...
and that "non-core" DAB stations Planet Rock and theJazz
TheJazz
theJazz was a British commercial jazz digital radio station. The station was run by GCap Media and launched on Christmas Day 2006. originally as a non-stop jazz station on the Digital One DAB ensemble, Sky Digital, Virgin Media and the Internet....
would be closing by the end of March 2008. theJazz ceased broadcasting as announced, but Planet Rock remained on air while negotiations took place with potential buyers, which were successfully concluded in June 2008. In addition, the non-London xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
stations would also be closed if they could not be sold, as the stations were forecast to make a combined loss of £800,000 in 2008 http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=20080211070000P9AF4. An improved offer from Global was finally accepted by GCap shareholders, resulting in the departure of the group's senior management. Fru Hazlitt resigned in May 2008.
Takeover by Global Radio
The Office of Fair TradingOffice of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
conducted an investigation into the takeover of GCap by Global and cleared it in August 2008, on the condition that BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
, Beacon Radio, Mercia FM
Mercia FM
Mercia is an Independent Local Radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire. The station, owned and operated by Orion Media broadcasts from studios shared with BRMB at Broad Street in Birmingham.-History:...
, Wyvern FM
Wyvern FM
Wyvern is a radio station broadcasting to Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. Wyvern is predominantly music-based, playing pop from the 1980s through to the present day...
and Heart East Midlands
Heart Network
Heart is a radio network of 17 adult contemporary independent local radio stations in central & southern England and north Wales. Each station broadcasts local breakfast and drive time shows and simulcasts network programming at all other times...
were sold to satisfy competition concerns.
On September 23, 2008, it was announced that Fun Radio
Fun Radio
Fun Kids is a British children's digital radio station in the United Kingdom and children's website, currently the Sony and Arqiva Digital Radio Station of the year. It is operated by Children's Radio UK Ltd which is owned by Folder Media...
had been sold to Folder Media, leaving Chill
Chill (radio station)
Chill is a British digital radio station dedicated to chill out, ambient and trip-hop music.-The station:Chill is broadcast on DAB in London and Birmingham, across the UK on Sky channel 0177 and also online. The station's aim is to help listeners relax. It is owned by Global Radio...
as GCap's only digital station.
The One Network
This was a network of local radio stations in various towns and cities around the UK. It compromised of the local stations previously part of GWR's Mix Network and Capital Radio Groups local stations.- 2CR FM
- 2-Ten FM2-Ten FMHeart Berkshire was an Independent Local Radio station, serving Berkshire and North Hampshire from studios in Reading.-About:...
- Beacon Radio
- BRMB FM
- Radio BroadlandRadio BroadlandHeart Norwich was an Independent Local Radio station for Norfolk and North Suffolk, including Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, until early 2009...
- Buzz 97.1Buzz 97.1Heart Wirral was an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the Wirral Peninsula, sharing its facilities with Heart Wrexham and Gold, in Gwersyllt, Wrexham.-History:...
- 95.8 Capital FM (London)
- Champion 103
- Chiltern RadioChiltern RadioHeart Dunstable was an Independent Local Radio station based in Chiltern Road in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.-History:...
- Coast 96.3Coast 96.3Heart North Wales Coast was an independent local radio station broadcast along the North Wales coast, and owned & operated by Global Radio....
- Essex FM
- Fox FMFox FMFox FM may refer to:*Fox FM , a radio station in Melbourne, Australia*Heart Thames Valley, a radio station in the United Kingdom formerly known as Fox FM*Port FM, a radio station in New Zealand...
- Gemini FM
- GWR FM BathGWR FM BathHeart 103 was an independent radio station serving Bath in Somerset, England, broadcasting on 103 MHz FM, on DAB Digital radio and online.-History:In 1986, a Bath ILR licence was awarded by the IBA...
- GWR FM Bristol
- GWR FM Wiltshire
- Hereward FMHereward FM102.7 Heart Peterborough was an Independent Local Radio station for Peterborough, Boston, King's Lynn, Cambridgeshire, south Lincolnshire and west Norfolk...
- Horizon RadioHorizon RadioHorizon Radio or Хоризонт in Bulgarian is a state-owned Bulgarian Radio Station, specializing in news coverage from Bulgaria. It is the most popular radio station in Bulgaria and it is part of The Bulgarian National Radio Network. Horizon Radio is considered the most independent media in Bulgaria...
- Invicta FMInvicta FMHeart Kent is an Independent Local Radio Station broadcasting to the county of Kent, England. It was rebranded in June 2009 and is now part of Global Radio's Heart Network....
- Lantern FMLantern FMHeart North Devon was an Independent Local Radio station in North Devon.-Technical:...
- Leicester SoundLeicester SoundLeicester Sound was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Leicestershire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Trent FM and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-Background:Leicester Sound was launched by the owners of Radio Trent on...
(Leicester) - Marcher Sound
- Mercia FMMercia FMMercia is an Independent Local Radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire. The station, owned and operated by Orion Media broadcasts from studios shared with BRMB at Broad Street in Birmingham.-History:...
- Mercury FM (Crawley)
- Northants 96Northants 96Heart Northants was a local commercial radio station serving Northamptonshire.The station broadcasted on 96.6 FM from studios in Northampton town centre, via the transmitter located in the Kingsthorpe area...
- Ocean FMOcean FMHeart Hampshire was a British independent local radio station serving South Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight primarily for Portsmouth and Southampton. The station served an area of England with a high proportion of commuters to London and a higher-than-average disposable income from...
- did not fully form part of the Mix Network as it is a shared license with Power FM - Orchard FMOrchard FMHeart Somerset was an Independent Local Radio station serving Somerset, England. Originally owned by Orchard Media Ltd, the company was purchased by GWR Group in 1999, and who subsequently became GCap Media in 2005...
- Plymouth Sound FMPlymouth Sound FMHeart Plymouth was an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Plymouth in Devon, England.-History:The name heritage name Plymouth Sound was a pun on the popular meaning of sound and the bay of Plymouth Sound between Penlee Point and Wembury Point in Devon.In November 2005 it was announced...
- Power FM Power FMPower FM redirects here and refers to the former UK radio station. For the Australian radio station network of the same name, see Power FM Network. For the English language broadcaster based in the Canary Islands see Power FM Canary Islands...
- Q103
- RAM FMRAM FMRam FM was an Independent Local Radio station, which broadcast to central and southern parts of Derbyshire on 102.8 FM. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Trent FM and Leicester Sound to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-History:The station began life...
(Derby) - Red Dragon FMRed Dragon FMCapital South Wales is a British independent local radio station broadcasting from Cardiff Bay . The station serves Cardiff, Newport and the surrounding areas, broadcasting to a potential audience of around 1 million people...
(Cardiff) - Severn SoundSevern SoundHeart Gloucestershire is an Independent Local Radio station that broadcasts to Gloucestershire, England. The station now has just two programmes a day broadcasting live from Gloucestershire with the majority of its output being the same as most other stations in the Heart network, owned by Global...
- SGR ColchesterSGR ColchesterHeart Colchester was a radio station broadcasting to Colchester and the surrounding areas. The station was launched in 1993 by the East Anglian Radio group, which also operated the Ipswich-based SGR fm, Radio Broadland in Norwich, and Amber Radio across Suffolk and Norfolk.-History:The station,...
- SGR Ipswich
- South Hams RadioSouth Hams RadioHeart South Devon was an Independent Local Radio station serving the South Hams area of Devon, England. The station began broadcasting on 1 December 1999 and until its closure, was run as a joint venture between UKRD Group and Global Radio.-History:On Monday 23 March 2009, South Hams Radio became...
- part owned with UKRD - Southern FMSouthern FMHeart Sussex is an Independent Local Radio station which is owned by Global Radio and plays commercial, chart-oriented popular music...
- Ten 17Ten 17Ten-17 was an Independent Local Radio station, broadcast from studios at the Latton Bush Centre in Harlow. The station launched in May 1993 and served East Hertfordshire and West Essex until its closure on 25 July 2010.-1993 to 1999 - The Essex Radio Group:...
(Harlow, Essex) - Trent FMTrent FMTrent FM was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Nottinghamshire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Leicester Sound and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-History:Launched on 3 July 1975 as Radio Trent and based in a...
(Nottingham) - Wyvern FMWyvern FMWyvern is a radio station broadcasting to Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. Wyvern is predominantly music-based, playing pop from the 1980s through to the present day...
AM Local Radio Stations
- Gold — quasi-national network, broadcasting in the following areas:
Birmingham (AM & DAB), Black Country (AM & DAB), Bournemouth (AM & DAB), Bristol & Bath (AM & DAB), Cambridge (DAB), Cardiff & Newport (AM & DAB), Coventry (AM & DAB), Derby (AM), Essex (AM & DAB), Exeter & Torbay (DAB), Gloucester & Cheltenham (AM), Greater London (AM & DAB), Humberside (DAB), Kent (AM & DAB), Lancashire (DAB), Leeds (DAB), Luton & Bedford (AM), Manchester (AM & DAB), Norfolk & North Suffolk (AM & DAB), Northamptonshire (AM), Nottingham (AM & DAB), Peterborough (AM & DAB), Plymouth (AM & DAB), Reading (AM & DAB), Reigate & Crawley (AM), Shropshire (AM), South Hampshire (AM & DAB), South Yorkshire (DAB), Suffolk (AM), Sussex (AM & DAB), Swindon & Wiltshire (AM), Teeside (DAB), Tyne & Wear (DAB), Wrexham & Chester (AM).
Digital-only stations
- ChillChill (radio station)Chill is a British digital radio station dedicated to chill out, ambient and trip-hop music.-The station:Chill is broadcast on DAB in London and Birmingham, across the UK on Sky channel 0177 and also online. The station's aim is to help listeners relax. It is owned by Global Radio...
— National Digital Station also on Sky and Virgin Media.
Former stations
- KMFM MedwayKMFM MedwayKMFM Medway is an Independent Local Radio serving the Medway Towns and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is part of the KMFM group of radio stations in the county, which are part of the KM Group.-History:...
- sold to the KM GroupKM GroupThe KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
in 2002 - KMFM West KentKMFM West KentKMFM West Kent is an Independent Local Radio serving the towns of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England...
- sold to the KM GroupKM GroupThe KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
in 2002 - The StormThe Storm (radio station)The Storm was a digital-only, modern rock music radio station broadcasting in parts of Central and Southern UK, and owned by GCap Media. It played music from bands such as Green Day, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, The Libertines, Garbage and Franz Ferdinand....
- closed 20 January 2006 - Capital DisneyCapital DisneyCapital Disney was a British digital radio station aimed at 8 to 16 year olds which used to broadcast across the UK on DAB Digital Radio . It was also broadcast on Sky Digital, Tiscali TV, Virgin Media, and streaming online. The station announced on 14 May 2007 that it would close down on 29 June...
- closed 29 June 2007 - CoreCore (radio station)Core was a digital radio station broadcasting across the UK on the Digital One and streamed online. It was aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds with a focus on new music.-Station history:Core was originally owned by GWR Group, now GCap Media...
- closed 11 January 2008 - Capital LifeCapital LifeCapital Life, also known as Life, was a digital radio station broadcasting across the UK on the Digital One network and streamed online.-About:...
- closed 31 March 2008 - theJazzTheJazztheJazz was a British commercial jazz digital radio station. The station was run by GCap Media and launched on Christmas Day 2006. originally as a non-stop jazz station on the Digital One DAB ensemble, Sky Digital, Virgin Media and the Internet....
- Xfm South Wales - Sold to Town and Country BroadcastingTown and Country BroadcastingTown and Country Broadcasting Limited is a media company registered in Wales. It currently owns and operates seven radio stations across Wales...
on 31 May 2008 - Planet Rock
- Fun RadioFun RadioFun Kids is a British children's digital radio station in the United Kingdom and children's website, currently the Sony and Arqiva Digital Radio Station of the year. It is operated by Children's Radio UK Ltd which is owned by Folder Media...
(with HIT EntertainmentHIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) - Xfm Scotland - previously Beat 106