One of the failed bidders for BRMB and seven other of Global Radio's Midlands radio stations has announced he and his company are hugely disappointed at missing out.
Mike Owen, Chairman of Premier Digital Broadcasting, was in the running for BRMB, Mercia FM, Beacon, Radio Wyvern, Gold in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton and Heart 106, along with Bauer Media.
The deal, which took nine-months to conclude, was [link=https://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4761 ]announced[/link] on Friday. Former Chrysalis boss Phil Riley and Lloyds TSB Development Capital are to take over the running of the stations, but continue to operate Heart 106 under a brand licence from Global.
"Since the announcement of the enforced sale in August, we have received tremendous local support for our proposals that were intended to return the local stations back to the huge successes they had previously experienced," Mike said.
"As a result of this support it is our intention to continue to explore the possibilities of creating a genuinely regional broadcasting base by acquisition and development of the various broadcast platforms in the region."
Mike told RadioToday.co.uk he has identified a number of potential acquisition and development opportunities in the region and shall be pursuing these in the near future: "While we are hugely disappointed at not being able to acquire the stations, we see this as the beginning and not the end. We would wholeheartedly support all efforts on the part of the new company to strengthen the role of commercial radio in the Midlands and we, fully , intend to be a part of that exciting process."
