Smooth Radio
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| Broadcast area | North West, London, West Midlands, North East, Scotland, East Midlands |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Your Relaxing Music Mix |
| Frequency |
FM 97 MHz-108 MHz AM 603 kHz-1557 kHz DAB Sky: 0128 Virgin Media: 916 Freeview: 718 Freesat: 732 |
| First air date | As Jazz FM 4 March 1990 As Smooth Radio 4 October 2010 |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Audience share | 2.6% (June 2013, RAJAR) |
| Owner | Global |
| Sister stations |
Capital FM Heart Classic FM Capital Xtra Radio X LBC Gold |
| Website | www |
Smooth Radio is a network of adult contemporary local radio stations broadcasting on FM and AM stations in the United Kingdom. Launched in March 2014, they replaced the national Smooth Radio that had launched in 2010 on FM, and most outlets of Gold on AM. Each FM station broadcasts localised breakfast and drivetime programming on weekdays, with networked shows simulcast from London at all other times. Three of the six FM stations, and all eighteen AM frequencies, are owned and operated by Global, with the remaining three FM licences owned by Communicorp and run as a franchise.
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.
On 25 June 2012, GMG Radio's owners, Guardian Media Group sold its radio division to Global at an estimated price of between £50 million and £70 million. Global renamed GMG Radio "Real and Smooth Radio Ltd." Several rival radio groups expressed their concerns over the takeover and the effect it could have on commercial radio in the UK. Ofcom launched a review of the sale, and it was announced that GMG Radio and Global would continue to operate as separate entities while the review was conducted. On 3 August the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt instructed Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to examine Global's purchase of GMG, which gave Global over 50% of the UK radio market because of concerns the takeover may not be in the public interest. On 11 October, the OFT concluded that the merger could lead to a rise in local advertising costs because of the decrease in competitors, and forwarded the matter to the Competition Commission, which oversees business mergers and takeovers. On the same day the Competition Commission announced it would publish its findings into the takeover by 27 March 2013.
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