Free Radio 80s has replaced Gold in the West Midlands with a test broadcast, ahead of its full launch on Tuesday.
The station will broadcast on DAB, AM and online with all eighties all day, plus live Midlands football commentary with a localised news, weather and travel service.
Dave Sherwood will host the breakfast show whilst non-stop music fills the rest of the schedule with Free Radio (FM) presenters hosting occasional shows.
Group Programme and Marketing Director, David Lloyd told RadioToday.co.uk: “We know the appeal of this decade, so we know that the station will be a much-loved new little sister for Free Radio. It’ll be simple and music-intensive; complementing ‘Today’s best music mix’ on our ‘characterful’ FM Free Radio brand which already attracts over 700,000 *listeners”.
The station has replaced the 60s and 70s Gold oldies service on 1152, 1017, 1359 and 990 AM, which Orion Media has operated under licence in the West Midlands from Global Radio. Removing Gold from terrestrial radio in the West Midlands area would leave Global Radio free to put Gold on FM in place of Smooth Radio, should they have plans to once their purchase of Real and Smooth Radio completes. It’s not known at this point if Global Radio plan to offer Gold on DAB in the West Midlands as a replacement.
Gold continues in the East Midlands and around the UK on DAB and AM.