Century Network

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This article is about a group of radio stations in England. For the first national commercial radio station in the Republic of Ireland, see Century Radio.

Century Network
Company typeSubsidiary – GMG Radio
IndustryBroadcasting
Founded1994
Defunct2009
HeadquartersUK
ProductsIndependent Local Radio
OwnerGMG Radio
Website[1]

Century Radio was the brand name of a group of

Ocean FM
used the Century format, but not the brand.

The group was initially owned by

Capital Radio Group took over the brand. When the larger GCap Media acquired the group in 2005, they were forced to sell the Nottingham-based "106" station to Chrysalis Group for competition reasons. GMG Radio, with Myers and Simons as senior executives, bought the stations in 2006. They were rebranded Real Radio to conform to the branding and network programming of the other stations in the Real Radio network that Myers had developed since in 2000.[1]

The stations were very successful using their 'radio you just have to sing along to' format, but later RAJAR figures showed a decline in market reach and market share.[2]

The head offices were based at

105.4 Century Radio. In addition, the building also accommodates GMG Radio's sales division, and has completed building work to fit in sister station Smooth Radio and newly launched Rock Radio
.

History

It was established by

Border Television
. The brand was later expanded to two further stations in North West England and the East Midlands.

In 2000, ownership of the stations was transferred to

Granada Media Group
.

Under the ownership of Capital the stations were subtly rebranded from Century Radio to Century FM. There was also a transfer away from the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties music format, which clashed with Capital's

Ocean FM
also took the "Century Format" but did not take the Century brand name.

With the merger of Capital and GWR in 2005, the Century brand became part of

Ocean FM
also began to move away from the Century format dropping Century branding, straplines, and networked programming for a more individual approach.

Finally, on 18 October 2006, it was announced that the two remaining Century stations had been sold to GMG Radio. Perhaps ironically, GMG Radio was run by Myers and Simons who created the original Century brand in 1994.[4]

In December 2006, Century Digital ceased broadcasting on Sky Digital channel 0113 and was replaced with theJazz.

Century Digital was replaced by Real Radio on DAB, a GMG Radio brand, in London on 23 March 2007, leaving Birmingham as the only area with Century Digital available, it finally closed a few days later. In 2008, Century FM changed its name to Century Radio and adopted a new logo, matching that of sister station Real Radio. On 31 March 2009, after over 14 years of using the Century name, Century Radio was renamed Real Radio to fit in with the branding and network programming of the other stations in the Real Radio network.

Century branded stations

  • 100-102 Century Radio
    (North East England)
  • 105.4 Century Radio
    (North West England)
  • 106 Century FM
    (East Midlands)
  • Ocean FM (South Hampshire, West Sussex and Isle of Wight)

References

  1. ^ Century to Real Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, End of an Era, 18 December 2008
  2. ^ Media UK – Century Northwest RAJAR Figures
  3. ^ "Capital agrees Border carve-up". BBC News. 17 April 2000. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  4. ^ "GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP ACQUIRES CENTURY RADIO". 19 October 2006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2006.
    http://media.guardian.co.uk/city/story/0,,1925149,00.html

External links

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