Essex to launch Smooth NE

Seventies pop icon David Essex will join breakfast presenter Tom Davies at 8am on Tuesday 8th January to launch Smooth Radio across the North East of England.

The station began test transmissions from a new studio complex at Team Valley in Gateshead last month.
Tom Davis will present breakfast from Tuesday, having previously hosted the same show at TFM. Tom has also worked at Century and more recently BBC Radio Newcastle. Paul Wappat makes the move with Tom from the BBC to host drivetime.
Mark Goodier's networked mid-morning show will also be part of the launch schedule and Dave Johnson, currently Signal Radio’s head of presentation will be taking on the same role at Smooth as well as presenting the afternoon show between 1 and 4pm. Based at the Stoke station for 20 years, Dave will be working alongside programme director Kevin Howard who has also recently moved from Signal to the north east.
Smooth Radio North East will join a five-strong network of Smooth stations in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow. It will broadcast on four frequencies of 97.5 in Northumberland, Tyneside and North Durham, 101.2 in Tyne Valley and Hexham, 107.5 in West Tyneside and 107.7 for Teesside.