Allied Radio plc

Allied Radio plc was a publicly listed radio company that operated, or held an interest in, several Independent Local Radio contractors in the UK during the 1990s.

Allied Radio plc was created when the Crawley-based Independent Local Radio station, Radio Mercury plc merged with the Guildford-based ILR contractors, County Sound plc in August 1991. The new company initially broadcast six stations to an area covering Guildford and Haslemere, (Ex-County Sound) Crawley and Horsham (Ex-Radio Mercury) and Gatwick and Heathrow Airports (Airport Information Radio). Live presentation on Airport Information Radio was stopped in favour of a pre-recorded service, on 18 November 1991, and the station was closed by Allied Radio in February 1992. The remaining stations were consolidated into an FM station, Radio Mercury FM, with County Sound Radio AM being the name for the combined AM service (although this became Mercury Extra within a year).

Allied Radio held a stake in Midlands Radio plc, who owned BRMB, Mercia FM, Trent FM, Leicester Sound, GEM AM and Xtra AM. Midlands Radio plc was taken over by Capital Radio plc in 1993.

Birmingham Country Radio, who applied for the Birmingham incremental station license (held at that time by Buzz FM) in February 1994, were backed by Allied Radio plc. Birmingham Country Radio were unsuccessful and the license was awarded to Choice FM who went on air on 1 January 1995.

In April 1994, Allied Radio announced plans for a capital reconstruction and a rights issue. Shares were suspended at 10 ½ p, at the company's request, pending the publication of accounts and clarification of the company's financial position.

Fortune 1458 AM went on-air on 20 June 1994 with Allied Radio increasing their stake in the company at the end of October 1994.

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