Tag: real radio
Real & Smooth commercial director leaves
Real and Smooth Limited’s Jonathan Gillespie has left the business after three years as Group Commercial Director.
Amy MacDonald hosts her first radio show
Recording artist Amy MacDonald is to co-host a one off show on Real Radio Scotland tomorrow morning.
Real and Smooth to stream Blackpool event
Real Radio and Smooth Radio will once again host the switch on of the Blackpool Illuminations tonight, but adds a live video stream for the first time.
Real and Smooth wins Team GB for event
Real and Smooth Radio will once again be turning on the Blackpool Illuminations.
Real and Smooth continue to help heroes
Real Radio, Real Radio XS and Smooth Radio are to raise more money for Help for Heroes.
Former GMG Radio chief took £82k bonus
Stuart Taylor, GMG Radio’s former chief executive was just one of two directors to take a bonus payout last year.
Legends sign up to Star Radio Northeast
Real Radio’s former Legends are to re-appear on FM radio in the North-East, via Star Radio.
Around the groups and brands in Q2, 2012
National stations Capital, Absolute Radio and Planet Rock have reason to celebrate this quarter with improved listening figures.
It’s not the same story for all of our national brands though.
Real Radio Legends join internet station
Malcolm McDonald, Bernie Slaven and Micky Horsewill, the former Legends from Real Radio North-east, are joining an online radio station.
They’ll host their sports show live on Morpeth-based Koast Radio weekdays at 6pm.
Real Radio ends all sport phone in shows
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).
Northeast radio stays local for floods
Local and regional radio stations in the North East of England dropped network programmes or provided extra local content this evening in reaction to the floods.
Metro Radio and Capital FM continued their drivetime shows, BBC Newcastle provided local rolling speech and Real Radio, whilst in network programmes, provided local information and travel bulletins.
GMG Radio sale: Look back at group’s history
Following the sale of the radio division by Guardian Media Group, we take a look at Guardian’s involvement in our industry over the last 13 years.
The purchase by Global Radio brings to a close a period of the industry which saw investment in personality-led music commercial radio and documentaries aimed at rivalling the BBC.
GMG Radio sale: How Heart could expand
Today’s news that Global Radio is buying the radio assets of the Guardian Media Group could lead to the end of the decade-old Real Radio brand and the expansion of Heart.
But where did Heart come from and where could it go?
Global Radio purchases GMG Radio
GMG Radio has been sold to Global Radio for an undisclosed sum, thought to be around £70m.
After weeks of speculation, the announcement was made this morning, which is likely to mean Real Radio will become Heart across Wales, Scotland and the north of England, but this as yet is unconfirmed.
GMG Radio sale: The emails to staff
Following this morning’s announcement that Global Radio has bought GMG’s radio division, we bring you the detail sent to staff in both groups.
More than 30 radio stations back WaterAid
Several commercial radio stations – including Kerrang!, Jazz FM, Real Radio, Lincs FM and those from the UTV and Quidem groups – are supporting an appeal from international charity WaterAid to help bring clean water to communities in Malawi.
Launched today, The Big Dig Appeal will see presenters asking listeners to donate by sponsoring them for various challenges such as presenting an all-day show without drinking anything.
Feature: Real to Heart, Smooth to Gold?
With news this week that the Guardian Media Group has had offers for its radio business, there’s speculation a deal could be announced in the not-too-distant future. But what would happen if Global bought the Real and/or Smooth brands? And what does the future hold for the sector with another spurt of consolidation on the cards?
Scores more jobs lost, along with at least one – maybe two – UK radio brands. If the Global takeover of GMG Radio goes ahead it’ll be another sad day for commercial radio. More networking, fewer presenting opportunities and less plurality of news sources. But as we’ve said before, commercial radio is about making money – and by sharing buildings, programmes and production, news and backroom staff there are major costs to be stripped out and profits to be targeted.
Real Radio search for Wets gig support act
Real Radio Scotland has joined Wet Wet Wet to help find a support act to perform at the group’s 25th anniversary gig in Glasgow next month.
A crowd of 15,000 will watch the pop group at Glasgow Green on 20th July – along with an act who will be picked from the entrants via Real Radio’s website.
Three offers for GMG Radio, say reports
Global Radio, UTV Media and a group of venture capitalists are reported to have made offers for Real Radio and Smooth Radio operator GMG Radio.
A report in The Guardian – part of the same group as GMG Radio – suggests Global’s offer, thought to be around £50m, is the largest of the three bids.
Real takes over Tramlines from Hallam FM
Real Radio Yorkshire has announced a deal to partner with Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival after rival station Hallam FM said it was pulling of a similar event.
The Bauer station said last week the Tramlines was getting too big, with attendance at the city centre event up five times last year compared with 2009.
Global leads Arqivas nomination shortlists
Global Radio has 15 nominations for this year’s Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards, including seven for Capital FM which goes up against Absolute Radio and Bauer’s Radio City 96.7 for Station of the Year.
Bauer has 13 nominations and Absolute has 11, while GMG Radio receives seven nominations.
Former Real jock Wiggy runs Bro Radio
Ex Real Radio Wales presenter Steve Wiggins has been appointed Station Manager of community station Bro Radio.
The station – which launched in 2009 – is based in Barry and covers the Vale of Glamorgan area of South Wales.
GMG Radio partners sustainability charity
Real Radio and Smooth Radio are to become media partners of a charity called ‘Start’, a project set up by the Prince of Wales.
The GMG Radio stations will promote the charity’s events, encouraging people to take steps to ‘do more with less’.
TFM Radio puts steel milestone in vision
Bauer Media’s Teesside station TFM Radio has gone multiplatform to cover one of the biggest news stories in the patch so far this year.
The station streamed live video pictures on its website of the first slab of metal to roll off the production line at the newly reopened steelworks in Redcar.
GMG Radio shuts Manchester TV station
Real and Smooth owner GMG Radio has closed down its local television station Channel M.
The station went off the air yesterday, with the radio group blaming the ‘unviable’ new government proposals for local TV.
£100k Easter fundraiser for Real Scotland
Real Radio has raised £100,000 in one evening at its third annual ‘Easter Bash’ in aid of Children’s Hospice Association Scotland.
The event at Glasgow’s Hilton hotel included appearances from singers Amy MacDonald and The Proclaimers.
Radio Academy NW puts on Livesey event
BBC Radio 5 live late show presenter Tony Livesey is to be grilled about radio and his media career as part of a session organised by the Radio Academy.
The North West Branch event takes place at MediaCityUK next week and will see Livesey quizzed by new Real Radio NW breakfast presenter Sam Walker.
GMG Radio to light up Blackpool again
GMG’s Real and Smooth Radio brands have been announced as the media partners for the Blackpool Illuminations switch-on show later this year.
It will be the third year the commercial radio group has run the event, following many years of domination by the BBC.
Winners of IRN News Awards 2012 revealed
Bauer and GMG Radio have won three awards each at this year’s IRN News Awards, with Orion Media’s stations picking up two and Jack FM Oxfordshire taking the other.
Key 103 Head of News John Pickford was honoured with a special IRN Gold Award, recognising more than three decades as a journalist.
Real Radio NW changes breakfast plans
Real Radio in the North West has revealed details of its new breakfast show to launch next week, which is a change from what was previously announced.
The Feel Good Breakfast will be presented by Sam Walker and Lorna Bancroft and replaces the short-lived ’2 Girls and A Guy’ show which only kicked off in January.
