Timeline of Greatest Hits Radio

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.

1990s[]

• 1990
  • 9 July – Melody Radio launches as an easy listening music service in London.
  • 17 July – Magic 828 launches as a MW oldies station in Leeds.

• 1997
  • February – Emap launches a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across the north of England. Playing soft adult contemporary music, they replace regional oldies stations Great North Radio and Great Yorkshire Gold. Magic 1161 and Magic 990, 1305 & 1548 launch on the 12th, followed one week later by the north east stations Magic 1152 and Magic 1170
  • 17 March – The Magic brand is rolled out across the north west.

• 1998
  • June – Emap purchases Melody 105.4 FM.
  • December – Melody Radio is renamed Magic 105.4 FM.

• 1999
  • No events.

2000s[]

• 2000
  • No events.

• 2001
  • December – EMAP decides that it is more economical for north of England Magic stations to share off-peak programmes and begins networking with the London station Magic 105.4 between 10am-2pm, and 7pm-6am, although there are local commercial breaks, and local news on the hour. During these hours the station is simply known as Magic.

• 2002
  • No events.

• 2003
  • January – Due to a sharp decline in listening, Emap ends the networking of London station Magic 105.4 on the north of England Magic stations and a regional northern network is created with programmes broadcast from Magic 1152 in Newcastle. During networked hours, local adverts are aired, as well as local news on the hour.
  • September – Live evening programmes on Magic 105.4 are replaced by automated output.

• 2004
  • No events.

• 2005
  • 12 September –

• 2006
  • July – The Magic AM network is revamped to appeal to an older audience. The changes see the introduction of more networking with only the 4 hour breakfast show remaining local.^[1]

• 2007
  • No events.

• 2008
  • 29 January – Bauer completes the purchase of EMAPs radio, television and consumer media businesses, purchasing the assets for £1.14bn.^[2]

• 2009
  • 4 June – Local programming on AM stations in Scotland is dropped outside of weekday breakfast and specialist shows was introduced.

2010s[]

• 2010
  • No events.

• 2011
  • No events.

• 2012
  • April – The weekend breakfast show on the north of England Magic Network stations stops being a local show and is replaced by a networked programme. Consequently, only the weekday breakfast show remains locally produced.

• 2013
  • 15 April – Bauer increases networking on its Yorkshire Magic stations with a networked breakfast show coming from Magic 828 in Leeds.^[3] The other local Magic breakfast shows become regional programmes at around the same time.^[4]
  • 1 July – The remaining Scottish local output ceased, leading to a fully networked schedule known as 'Greatest Hits Network.^[5]

• 2014
  • September – Bauer Radio announces it would rebrand the Magic stations under localised identities, based on the main FM station names (e.g. Magic 1152 in Manchester becomes Key 2, based on Key 103).^[6] Magic's AM network closed with the London equivalent, Magic 105.4 FM, launched nationwide on DAB.

• 2015
  • 5 January – The north of England Magic Network stations relaunch with the local identities and collectively form the Bauer City 2 network.^[7] The Scottish MW stations continue as The Greatest Hits Network but network the Big City Network schedule apart from some with some peak time opt-outs.
  • 7 December – Following permission from the regulator, Bauer swaps Radio City 2's format and frequencies with that of Radio City Talk. This gives City Network 2 its first berth on FM in England.^[8][9]

• 2016
  • Additional split programming for Scotland and England is re-introduced.

• 2017
  • No events.

• 2018
  • 3 April – Northsound 2 stops broadcasting on 1035 AM and becomes a digital-only station on DAB and online.^[10][11] It is the first commercial radio station in Scotland - and the first of Bauer's local stations - to cease analogue broadcasting in favour of a digital switchover.^[12]
  • 4 June – Following the renaming of Manchester station Key 103 to Hits Radio, Key 2 is renamed Key Radio.

• 2019
  • 7 January –
    • Greatest Hits Radio replaces the Bauer City 2 branding. Individual station identities in Northern England are dropped and are rebranded to GHR with Scotland unaffected. The new network extends to the West Midlands although GHR West Midlands continues to air a weekday three-hour local show.^[13][14]
  • Mark Goodier and Janice Long join.

2020s[]

• 2020
  • 27 May – Bauer announces that the majority of the stations it acquired from UKRD, Lincs, Wireless and Celador will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio network from September, clustered to provide regional programming outside of network hours. Four of the acquired stations will join the Hits Radio network, retaining local names and a daily breakfast show, and three stations – Lincs FM, Pirate FM and SAM FM Bristol – will continue as largely standalone stations.^[15]
  • June – Greatest Hits Radio UK replaces Heat Radio on Freeview 716.^[16]
  • 13 July – The former Wireless Group and Celador-owned stations join the Greatest Hits Radio network. The nineteen stations carry local breakfast shows and voicetracked programming whilst retaining separate branding until the full relaunch on 1 September 2020.^[17]
  • 31 August – Bauer closes Leeds station Radio Aire after 39 years on air. Its frequency is, from the following day, used to carry Greatest Hits Radio.^[18]
  • 1 September – The majority of the stations that Bauer Media acquired the previous year from UKRD,^[19] Lincs FM Group,^[20] Wireless Group^{[citation needed]} and Celador Radio.^[21] join Greatest Hits Radio, clustered to provide regional programming outside of network hours, consisting of three hours each weekday teatime.^[22] All of the affected stations loose their individual station names.
  • 1 November – Following its purchase of Radio Plymouth, Bauer closes the station and uses the frequency to relay Greatest Hits Radio South West.^[23]
  • 16 November – Following Bauer's purchase of The Revolution, the east Manchester station is closed and its frequency transferred to Greatest Hits Radio, thereby giving Greatest Hits Radio Manchester its first berth on FM.^[24]
  • Paul Gambaccini and Alex Lester join.
• 2021
  • 15 March – The weekday three-hour regional programme is moved from Drivetime to early afternoon to allow the station to network a new Drivetime programme hosted by Simon Mayo, and it features the return of Matt Williams.^[25]
  • 26 April – Bauer switches off its mediumwave frequencies in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds and Humberside. They are switched off following the launch of Greatest Hits Radio on FM in those areas.^[26]
  • 17 May – Greatest Hits Radio launches on FM in London. It is able to do so by broadcasting on the frequency that carried Absolute Radio. Bauer is able to make the change following permission from Ofcom to swap Absolute Radio with Greatest Hits Radio.^[27]
  • 17 June – Bauer purchases Stockport-based Imagine FM and announces it will add the three licenses it purchases to the Greatest Hits Radio network,^[28] further expanding GHR's coverage of both the Greater Manchester environs and into north Derbyshire (where GHR already occupies the former Peak FM).
  • 1 September – Imagine FM rebrands as Greatest Hits Radio.
  • 11 December – Janice Long presents her final show, and leaves the station before her death.
  • 23 December – Darren Proctor hosts his final show as he leaves the station.
• 2022
  • 4 January – Jackie Brambles joins, and returns to radio broadcasting after 27 years away.
  • 8 January – Alex Lester replaces Janice Long on Saturday afternoons, and Jo Russell replaces Darren Proctor on Saturday nights.

References[]