Smooth Radio (2014)
Smooth Chill • Smooth Country • Smooth Relax [1] | |
History | |
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First air date | 4 March 1990 (As Jazz FM) 4 October 2010 (As Smooth Radio) |
Links | |
Website | www |
Smooth Radio is a network of
Each FM station broadcasts localised breakfast with networked shows simulcast from London at all other times. Four of the six FM stations, and all three surviving AM frequencies, are owned and operated by Global, with the remaining three FM licences owned by Communicorp UK and run as a franchise.
According to RAJAR, the network broadcasts to a combined weekly audience of 5.4 million with a listening share of 3.6% as of December 2023.
In January 2023, Smooth introduced a new logo and slogan, "Always the best music".[2]
Background and History
Having previously operated under a number of regional licences, Smooth Radio's owners, GMG Radio, merged its five English stations into one quasi-national station, launching the brand on the Digital One national DAB network on 4 October 2010. Most of the output was broadcast from Salford Quays in Manchester, with other programming coming from Castlereagh Street in London.[3]
On 25 June 2012, GMG Radio's owners,
The Competition Commission published its final report into the acquisition on 21 May 2013, requiring Global to sell radio stations in seven locations.
On 5 March 2018, Global added the former Lakeland Radio station to the network as Smooth Lake District following its purchase from the CN Group for an undisclosed fee.[24]
Local weekend afternoon programming ended on 25 August 2019. Angie Greaves was announced as the new host of the national Smooth Drive Home, which began broadcasting on 2 September.[25]
In October 2020, the AM frequencies which carried Smooth Radio in Cardiff and Newport were switched off because the site from which they are transmitted was being redeveloped,[26] and the following month, Smooth Radio switched off its mediumwave frequencies in Luton and Bedford.[27]
On 30 June 2023, Global switched off the AM frequencies which carried Smooth in Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth, with Sussex following suit three months later. It is also likely that the frequencies in North Wales and Cheshire, Hampshire and Kent will also switch off in the near future. All these localised versions of Smooth are continuing on DAB.[28]
Current notable presenters
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List of Smooth Radio stations
The Smooth network comprises 24 stations:[29]
Stations across the UK
FM stations produce and broadcast local programming from local studios from 6-10am weekdays. All AM stations carry networked programming content as broadcast from London, with the exception that the two stations in Wales carry a local opt-out programme from noon to 4pm on weekdays, as they had done under Gold. Many of the FM/AM stations, but not all, are also on DAB where this is provided in their coverage area. Digital TV platforms carry the Smooth UK version of Smooth, also now transmitted nationwide on Digital One in DAB+ – this carries the network programming output of Smooth London at all times, with national news and advertising.
FM radio stations
Station | FM | DAB |
---|---|---|
Smooth East Midlands (franchise) | 97.2, 101.4, 106.6, 106.8 & 107.4 | 10B (Derby) 11B (Leicester) 12C (Notts) |
Smooth Lake District | 100.1, 100.8 & 101.4 | 11B (North Lancs and South Cumbria) |
Smooth London | 102.2 | 12C (London) |
Smooth North East (franchise) | 97.5, 101.2, 107.5 & 107.7 | 11B ( Teesside) )
11C (Tyne & Wear |
Smooth North West (franchise) | 100.4 | 10C (Liverpool) 12A (Lancashire) 12C (Manchester) |
Smooth Scotland | 105.2 (Glasgow) | 11C Glasgow 12D Edinburgh |
Smooth West Midlands | 105.7 | 11B (Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Telford) 11C (Birmingham) 12D (Coventry) |
AM radio stations
Station | AM | DAB |
---|---|---|
Smooth Hampshire | 1170/1557 AM (Portsmouth/Southampton) | 11C: South Hampshire |
Smooth Kent | 1242/603 AM (Kent/Maidstone) | 11C: Kent |
Smooth North Wales and Cheshire | 1260 AM (Wrexham, Chester and Shropshire) | 10D: North West Wales/12D: North West Wales |
The Smooth AM frequencies in Peterborough and Northampton, which had switched from Gold to Smooth as part of the 2014 reallocation, reverted to carrying Gold programming in 2019 as a result of Communicorp's relaunch of Connect FM as part of Smooth East Midlands.[30]
The AM transmitters serving Wiltshire, Dorset, Plymouth, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex ceased broadcasting on 30 June 2023, alongside the Gold network transmitters in the Midlands and East, and Smooth's AM transmissions in Sussex ceased three months later. The remaining Smooth AM broadcasts are likely to follow suit at an unconfirmed later date; in most of the affected areas, transmission of Smooth via alternate means, such as DAB, will continue.[31]
DAB (former AM areas)
In several areas, local Smooth services have ceased transmitting on AM (usually due to the closure of transmitter sites) but continued to be provided on digital radio. These variants, being the siblings of Heart/Capital stations which remain available on FM, continue to follow the AM model of localised advertising and information alongside networked programming content, rather than taking Smooth UK as heard in other areas served only via digital.
- Smooth Berkshire and North Hampshire – was 1431/1485 AM (switched off 15 May 2015)[32]
- Smooth Bristol and Bath – was 1260 AM (switched off 10 Feb 2016)
- Smooth Herts, Beds and Bucks – was 792/828 AM (switched off 2 Nov 2020)
- Smooth South Wales – was 1305/1359 AM (switched off 12 Oct 2020)
- Smooth Dorset - was 828 AM (switched off 29 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Essex - was 1359/1431 AM (switched off 28 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Gloucester - was 774 AM (switched off 28 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Norfolk - was 1152 AM (switched off 28 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Suffolk - was 1170/1251 AM (switched off 27 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Sussex - was 945/1323 AM (switched off 30 Sep 2023)
- Smooth Plymouth - was 1152 AM (switched off 29 Jun 2023)
- Smooth Wiltshire - was 936/1161 AM (switched off 30 Jun 2023)
In addition, the former Gold in Exeter/Torbay, which continued to operate on DAB after the closure of its AM transmission, transitioned to Smooth with the rest of the AM network in 2014.
Smooth UK
- DAB+ via Digital One
- Digital TV– Sky 0128, Virgin Media 916, Freeview 718, Freesat 732
Sister stations
Smooth Country
A
Smooth Chill
This mellow and chillout music service launched on 3 September 2019,[34] replacing Chill in the Global portfolio. The station is available in the DAB+ format in London, and was made available online through Global Player (which had not carried the prior Chill service) and the Smooth Radio website, with the Chill URL redirected to point to the Smooth site. The station re-launched nationally on 8 April 2020 on Digital One, broadcasting in 32kbs DAB+.[35]
Smooth Relax
Following the conversion of Classic FM to DAB+ the prior week, capacity became available for the addition to Digital One on 8 January 2024 of a new soft adult contemporary service under the Smooth network.[36] Smooth Relax reuses the format and slogan of "Your relaxing music mix", previously used by the main Smooth Radio network before its transition into playing a broader range of classic hits in the "Always the best music" era.
Smooth Extra
Smooth Radio also operated Smooth Extra, with the slogan Your Refreshing Music Mix. The station transmitted its own non-stop music output from 10am to 6pm every day, and relayed Smooth London at other times.
Smooth Extra launched in December 2014 as a result of the removal of the prior network Smooth service from
Smooth Extra was also broadcast on the Sky satellite TV system (channel 0146) from 1 October 2015, taking over the slot from
Smooth Extra and
See also
Notes
- ^ A financial report released by Global Radio in December 2013 indicates the company paid £69m for its purchase of GMG.[6]
- ^ The eight stations were Smooth Radio North West, Smooth Radio North East, Smooth Radio East Midlands, Capital South Wales, Real Radio North Wales, Capital Scotland, Real Radio Yorkshire and Real XS Manchester.[18]
References
- ^ "Smooth Christmas: Here's how to listen live". Smooth. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ "Global introduces new logo and strapline for Smooth Radio". RadioToday. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ^ "Smooth goes national on D1". Radio Today. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ Sweeney, Mark (25 June 2012). "GMG Radio sold to Global for £70m". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ McCabe, Maisie (25 June 2012). "Global Radio seals £50m purchase of GMG Radio". Media Week. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Global's GMG Radio takeover cost revealed". Radio Today. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- ^ "Real and Smooth continue to help heroes". Radio Today. 17 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ "Radio groups oppose Global domination". Radio Today. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ "Global Radio purchases GMG Radio". Radio Today. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- ^ Rushton, Katherine (3 August 2012). "Jeremy Hunt calls on Ofcom and OFT to probe Guardian's radio deal". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ "The OFT grants fast-track to Global Radio". Radio Today. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ "Date set for Global Radio's CC results". Radio Today. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Global/GMG Final report". Competition Commission. 21 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Global's GMG competition appeal rejected". Radio Today. 15 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ "Global Radio decides not to appeal CAT". Radio Today. 15 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Smooth Radio to be removed from Digital 1". Radio Today. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (6 February 2014). "Denis O'Brien to buy eight Global Radio stations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c Martin, Roy (6 February 2014). "Communicorp buys 8 Global Radio stations". Radio Today. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "Global Radio sale – What we don't know". Radio Today. 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ Begum, Shelina (6 February 2014). "Regional radio stations sold". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "Bates and Parsons out as Smooth relaunches". Radio Today. 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Global Radio confirms local Gold changes". Radio Today. 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Smooth Radio returns to regional output". Radio Today. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ Lakeland Radio Sold To Global Entertainment Group, Lakeland Radio, 20 November 2017
- ^ Smooth Radio poaches Angie Greaves for national Drive Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 29 May 2019
- ^ "Smooth Radio transmitters turned off in Wales". 16 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ "Smooth ends AM transmission in Luton and Bedford". 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Global to turn off Smooth Radio's medium wave transmitters". RadioToday. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Listen Via FM or AM Frequency". Smooth Radio. Global Radio. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ "Gold returns to AM in Peterborough and Northampton". 26 July 2019.
- ^ RadioToday.co.uk, 2023-06-26
- ^ "Radio 210". localradioarchive.co.uk.
- ^ "Smooth Country". Global. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Tune in to Smooth Chill now!". Smooth.
- ^ @smoothchill (8 April 2020). "Fantastic news: Even more listeners across the UK can relax to the soothing sounds of Smooth Chill. We're now avail..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ WorldDAB, 2024-01-08
- ^ "Smooth Extra and Heart extra replaced on Digital One". 12 March 2020.