Real Radio ends all sport phone in shows

24/07/2012 - 11:51 | 11 Replies More

Real Radio stations in the north-east, Scotland and Wales are dropping their popular football phone-in programmes after a decade on-air.

The weekday regional shows, broadcast after 6pm, will be replaced by starting the networked evening music show earlier in those regions (except Wales where Drive will continue till 7pm).

Real Radio is now owned by Global Radio, but is being operated in a Hold Separate situation until the Competition Commission investigate the purchase.

Should the takeover be approved, it is thought most Real Radio stations will be rebranded to Heart, which typically doesn’t run any speech programming.

A spokesperson for Real and Smooth Ltd, the new trading name of GMG Radio, said: “The changes weve introduced form part of our on-going strategy to provide consistent music programming which appeals to the majority of our audience throughout the day. The changes bring our stations in Scotland, Wales and the North East into line with Real stations in the North West and Yorkshire.

“We are replacing our evening sports shows with music programming mixed with travel, news, and weather, key to the drivetime audience . Our news service will continue to deliver relevant sports news throughout the day.

The programmes affected are The Real Radio Legends in the north-east, The Real Football Phone-In in Scotland and The Real Radio Sports Phone-In across Wales.

Three years ago Real Radio (Century Radio) in the north-west and Yorkshire dropped their football programmes in favour of a later drive-time or earlier evening show.


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Category: Industry News

  • http://www.facebook.com/simon.grundy Simon Grundy

    What is the speach to music percentage of these licenses now I wonder?

  • Al

    That is wonderful news, I’am from Glasgow, and am sick to death with all these darned football phone in shows. During the football season, there were three of them going on at the same time. Radio Clyde, Real Radio and Radio Scotland all had football phone in programs on usually between 7 and 10pm. Now there will ONLY be two, still, two too many in my opinion.

  • RANTING MANIAC

    Bad news…. this was Real’s USP in Wales.
    You can’t even get a LOCAL show on Saturday afternoon anymore – except for Real and Bauer of course, and the football phone-in.
    If anything Heart should become Real – far superior programming. Maybe even have Heart Thames Valley become Real Radio Thames Valley; same for the other Heart stations.
    Then just get Mancunian networking on in London – a winner.
    Just had Real Yorkshire on – sounds a lot better than Heart – which Yorkshire got for a bit anyway when Heart 106 East Midlands was in existence, you could get it in the city centre of Rotherham and Sheffield with ease!

  • Fanny Bhatta

    Total disgrace. The 3 Legends along with the Gary and Lisa breakfast show was the only decent thing on Real Radio North East. Might as well re-name it ‘Housewife FM’ and be done with it. If they think dull Sarah Graham and the awful new Justin Lockwood and Kelly Scott drivetime show are going to be a draw for listeners, they must be mad!

  • Dave Wiggy Wiggins

    This Is A Shame I Just Now Hope Wright Now That The
    Competition Commission Do Not Let Global Radio Group To Own Real Radio And Smooth And Let Utv Or Bauer Media To Own Real Radio And Smooth Radio And That Will Be Good Then

  • dan dean

    As for Wales ..it was never relevant…in North and Mid Wales Cardiff city and Swansea City mean nothing ..people there support North West England , and Midlands Clubs….and all that Rugby talk was a total turn off…when are the Media going to realise that we are no diffrent to England..Soccer is our national game…dozens more clubs..thousands more play….the only time there is mass interest is during the 5 Nations….i dont mean it direspectful to the oval ball game…most people would not be able to name five players from any one team…
    As for the phone ins…same people rabbiting on about the same issues…i believe the audiance figures are dreadful for them too…and they dont come cheap…regardless of how you see it..the are expensive for what you get out of them.

    • Jim

      nonsense

  • RadioGuru

    Thank god !! too much football on ALL media . . . good decision.

  • GordonTheGopher

    Real Radio see you around il be heading to other radio stations that offer better coverage of sports like you really listen to the people who switch on and listen like all we wanted was constant music rammed down our throats you wont be around for long im sure of that

  • wendy parker

    Total disgrace cutting real radio footie phone in. I will no longer be listening to real radio

  • clive

    terrible news, the banter on some of these shows was brilliant, no more real radio, capitol fm here i come

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