Greatest Hits Radio South West

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Greatest Hits Radio South West
Broadcast area
MHz
(Bath)
Classic Hits
Ownership
OwnerBauer Radio
History
First air date
1 September 2020
Links
WebsiteGHR Bristol & The South West
GHR Wiltshire
GHR Somerset
GHR Gloucestershire
GHR Devon
GHR Cornwall
GHR Plymouth
GHR Swindon

Greatest Hits Radio South West is a regional radio station serving the

Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio
network.

Coverage

The ten local stations broadcast across the South West of England to the areas of Bristol, Bath, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.[1]

Stations

On 1 September 2020 nine local radio stations in the South West of England merged:[2]

On 2 November 2020 a tenth local radio station joined the portfolio:[3]

On 17 April 2024 GHR Cornwall was launched on FM as Pirate FM went to Hits Radio Cornwall on DAB only.

History

In the

The Eagle, which is based in Guildford, Surrey
and also owned by UKRD.

In 2000, the station name had changed, and was called Star 107.3. The station played a different variety style of

Original 106.5
.

From 7 September 2010 Celador became the new licence holders and rebranded Star 107.2 as The Breeze 107.2 on 14 February 2011.

In West Somerset, originally first launched as Quay West and was launched in August 1998. It was later relaunched as Total Star Somerset under the ownership of One Gold Radio and breached Ofcom regulations after transmitting new transmitter power at North Hill at 30,000 watts vertically without permission on the 102.4 frequency. OFCOM said they would then terminate and re-advertise their licence by 1 December 2011.[4] The station has since changed their ownership to Celador, and from midday on 7 August 2011 they joined The Breeze Network.

In Bridgewater, a new radio station went on air on 4 July 2001 as BCR FM under the owners of Choice Media and later was sold to Laser Broadcasting in July 2006.

The station was relaunched as 107.4 Quay West to bring it in line with the other Quay West stations in West Somerset. In August 2010 the two Quay West stations merged as one station called Total Star Somerset and was taken over by One Gold Radio Ltd until 2011.

In Bath and North East Somerset, the original station launched as

Total Star Bath in August 2010 after Total Star Gloucestershire company Storm Radio Ltd teamed up with One Gold Radio Ltd, but the two companies soon had separated in 2011 and Total Star Bath along with two other Total Star stations in Swindon and Warminster had changed the name to More Radio in June 2011. More Radio has recently been relaunched in Bath as The Breeze in September 2011 after being bought by Celador.[5]

In Wiltshire, serving

Brunel FM, Bath FM, plus two Quay West stations as a group of stations until 24 March 2010 when the administrators closed down all the stations on the behalf of OFCOM because of multiple refusals. One Gold Radio and Storm Radio Ltd opened an agreement to re-brand all stations as Total Star before the Warminster licence was acquired by Celador in November 2011 and is rebranded as The Breeze 107.5.[6]

Programming

During the week most programming is shared with the Greatest Hits Radio Network in Manchester, London, Birmingham, and Glasgow. A regional three-hour afternoon show is broadcast from the studios of County Gates, Ashton Road in Bristol on weekdays 1pm to 4pm, presented by Tony Wright across the South West except in Cornwall where Scott Temple and Holly Day presents the afternoon show since 17 April 2024.[7] Each localised area in the South West has their own latest local news, weather and travel news updates. Another station, Hits Radio (Bristol & The South West), shares its facilities in the same building and is also owned by Bauer.

Notable presenters

Past presenters

  • Janice Long (died 25 December 2021)
  • Pat Sharp
  • Mark Goodier
  • Tony Wright (Cornwall Only from 17th April 2024), Other stations from 31st October 2024
  • Scott Temple (Cormwall Only from 31st October 2024)
  • Holly Day (Cormwall Only from 31st October 2024)

References

  1. ^ Clarkson, Stuart (27 May 2020). "Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio". RadioToday. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  2. ^ most-of-acquired-bauer-stations-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 27 May 2020
  3. ^ "Bauer buys Radio Plymouth to extend GHR network". Radio Today. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  4. ^ RadioToday - Somerset licence cut and re-advertised
  5. ^ 'The Breeze to arrive in Bath this month', 8 Sep 2011
  6. ^ RadioToday: The Breeze extends to Frome and West Wiltshire
  7. ^ Martin, Roy (27 August 2020). "Greatest Hits Radio Drivetime presenters revealed". RadioToday. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
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