Imagine FM

Broadcast area	Cheshire & South Manchester
Branding	104.9 Imagine FM
Slogan	The Soundtrack for South Manchester
Format	Popular Music
Audience share	1.9% (December 2010, [1])
Owner	Imagine FM Ltd
Website	www.imaginefm.net

Imagine FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in broadcasting to South Manchester and Cheshire in the North West of England.

The station began its life as KFM, initially as a pirate local radio station based in and broadcasting to the South Manchester/North Cheshire area on 94.2 mHz and then on 1017 kHz.

KFM ran during the 1980s and then relaunched legitimately as one of the first 'incremental' local commercial stations in 1990, set up to provide more localised and specialised programming.

Stoke-on-Trent based Signal Radio assumed control of the station, following difficulties in its latter incarnation, and KFM became memorable almost solely for its 7:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Night-time KFM output. This combined local and global new indie music with innovative DJing.

Presenters on air at this time include Craig Cash, Caroline Aherne [2], Jon Ronson, Terry Christian [3] and Neil Cossar, all of which have all gone on to forge successful careers in the media and performing arts.

KFM was succeeded by Signal Cheshire.

Imagine FM is now trading as an independent radio station since it was bought from UTV Radio in January 2009.

In 1990 a new service was launched, in Cheshire, on 96.4 FM called Echo 96. In 1991, this was renamed Signal Cheshire upon the acquisition of the KFM 104.9 transmitter. Based in Stockport, Signal Cheshire targeted the surrounding area of South Manchester and much of Cheshire, opting into networked programming from the Stoke-on-Trent site by night. There was a further change of identity in 1997 to Signal FM.

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