Smooth North West

Smooth North West is a Independent Local Radio station based in Salford, Greater Manchester. It is part of the Smooth radio network of stations from 1 March 2004, and changed its name from "Smooth FM" in March 2007. Along with other stations in the network, it was subsumed into a national Smooth Radio service from 4 October 2010. The station was based at studios in Laser House, Salford, until 2010.

The signal was relayed from the Winter Hill transmitter, near Bolton, and was designed to cover Manchester, Merseyside and North Wales and to reach as far north as Carnforth although it can be heard across much of south Cumbria and the Furness Peninsula. The station was also available on DAB and online. It was also available on the Sky platform from 14 February 2005 on channel 0128, but was replaced by Smooth London in mid-2007.

History

GMG Radio ownership

It was launched by Radio Investments Ltd on 1 September 1994 as Jazz FM, but was also known as JFM in an attempt to appeal to listeners who could be put off by the use of the word "jazz". Jazz FM originally played a wide variety of jazz, pandering to more smooth jazz during the daytime in order to attract the 25- to 45-year-old target market which was required to make the station a success. However, the focus of the music later changed, and by the early 2000s, it was focusing more on soul and softer R&B alongside jazz.

Smooth Glasgow

Smooth Glasgow is a Scottish independent local radio station broadcasting to Glasgow and the surrounding area, owned and operated by Global Radio and broadcasting from studios at Baillieston in the East End of Glasgow. The station replaced Saga 105.2 FM in 2007 and competes with BBC Radio 2, aiming its music at listeners aged 35 and over. Smooth Glasgow is part of the Smooth radio network.

As well as being carried on FM in the Glasgow area, the station is also broadcast on DAB radio to the East of Scotland and online via a streaming service. It is also carried on FM in Wester Ross during non-local broadcast hours of Two Lochs Radio for which it forms a sustaining service.

Overview

GMG Radio ownership

The station came into being following GMG Radio's purchase of the Saga Radio Group in December 2006, and the granting of permission from the regulator Ofcom to change the format of its Smooth FM stations in London and the North West of England. The decision was made to change both the Smooth FM and Saga stations to Smooth Radio and Saga 105.2 FM was closed at 6pm on Friday 23 March 2007. This was then followed by a preview weekend for the new Smooth Radio giving listeners the opportunity to hear the presenters and music which would be featured on the new station.

Smooth London

Coordinates: 51°31′02″N 0°09′48″W / 51.517107°N 0.163374°W / 51.517107; -0.163374

Smooth London is a regional radio station owned by operated by Global Radio as part of the Smooth radio network. It broadcasts to the Greater London area from studios in Leicester Square, London. It replaced 102.2 Smooth FM on 26 March 2007.

History

GMG Radio ownership

The station launched on 4 March 1990 as Jazz FM, playing mainly soul and jazz music. It was relaunched in June 2005 as 102.2 Smooth FM, playing middle of the road music, soul and R&B during the day and, as part of its licence requirements, focused on jazz music at night. On 20 October 2006, GMG Radio announced that it was requesting a change of format for 102.2 Smooth FM from Ofcom, moving the station away from its daytime soul and R&B remit which had, until that point, formed an integral part of the licence. GMG proposed an easy listening music service mixed with speech for the over 50s, coupled with an improved local news service. Ofcom approved the changes on 8 December 2006, with the condition that GMG retained the 45 hours of jazz per week that constituted part of the former licence requirement.

Smooth East Midlands

Smooth East Midlands is a Independent Local Radio station for the East Midlands, which replaced Saga 106.6 FM at 6am on Monday 26 March 2007. It is part of the Smooth radio network of stations.

As well as being carried on FM in the East Midlands, the station could also be found on DAB digital radio and online. It was also broadcast on the NOW Derbyshire DAB Multiplex.

History

The station came into existence following GMG Radio's purchase of the Saga Radio Group in December 2006, and the granting of permission from the regulator Ofcom to change the format of its Smooth FM stations. The decision was made to change both the Smooth FM and Saga stations to Smooth Radio. Saga 106.6 FM closed at 6pm on Friday 23 March 2007, and was followed by a preview weekend for the new Smooth Radio.

Smooth East Midlands played middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary music, aimed at listeners aged 45 and over. It had very few similarities to its predecessor. Though many of the presenters who worked on Saga 106.6 FM initially hosted shows on 106.6 Smooth Radio, many later departed and by the time of its closure none of the specialist shows from the Saga days had survived. Moreover, Smooth's initial slogan Your Life, Your music, which was used on Saga stations, was modified to Love Life, Love Music, which continues to be used by the station's successor. The station gradually networked many of its programmes since 2007, and from 28 June 2010 Tony Lyman was the only remaining original presenter from the Saga line up.