Greatest Hits Radio will have nine regional Drivetime shows across its network of over 50 local radio stations in England and Wales when it expands on September 1st.
There will be nine ‘super stations’ made up of all the current services operating as GHR by Bauer, and those previously owned by UKRD, Celador, Wireless and Lincs FM Group.
The new enlarged regional areas are the North West, North East, Yorkshire, Midlands, East, South West, South and Wales. Each area, except for the existing North East region which takes the national feed, and Wales which has its own dedicated daytime schedule, will have a regional drivetime show.
A new station, GHR Lincolnshire, will also launch in November this year on DAB and form part of the Yorkshire network.
The entire network will share programmes for 20 hours a day, but will continue to broadcast local news and information, including traffic and travel. Scotland continues unaffected.
Here’s our list of who’s hosting the regional Drivetime shows:
GHR East – Rob Chandler (broadcast from Norwich)
Rob currently hosts the Breakfast Show on former Celador stations Radio Norwich, North Norfolk Radio, Town 102, The Beach and Dream 100. His new drivetime show will be broadcast across GHR Suffolk – formerly Town 102, GHR Essex – formerly Dream 100, GHR Norfolk & North Suffolk – formerly Radio Norwich, The Beach, North Norfolk Radio, GHR West Norfolk – formerly KLFM.
GHR Midlands – Andy Goulding (broadcast from Birmingham)
Andy currently hosts the drivetime programme in the West Midlands, and this area now expands to take in the following; GHR Staffordshire & Cheshire – formerly Signal 2, GHR Herefordshire & Worcestershire – Signal 107 Kidderminster added to existing station, GHR Shropshire & The Black Country – formerly Signal 107 Telford, Shrewsbury & Wolverhampton, GHR Stamford & Rutland – formerly Rutland Radio, GHR East Midlands – new station.
GHR North West – Darren Proctor (broadcast from Manchester)
The existing host for drivetime for Greatest Hits Radio in Manchester, the region expands to take in the following; GHR Lancashire – Radio Wave joins existing station, GHR Greater Manchester –Tower FM joins existing station, GHR Wigan & St Helens – formerly Wish FM, GHR Liverpool and the North West – Wire FM joins existing Liverpool station. Darren also remains on Greatest Hits North East, Greatest Hits Radio London, and Greatest Hits Radio UK.
GHR South – Martin Starke (broadcast from Southampton)
Martin is currently the Breakfast host on ex-UKRD station Spire FM and was previously Content Director for the station and UKRD Deputy Group Content Director. His regional drivetime programme will be broadcast across the South group of GHR stations, including; GHR Surrey & East Hampshire – formerly The Breeze – East Hants and Eagle Radio, GHR Berkshire & North Hampshire – formerly The Breeze – Thames Valley, GHR Dorset – formerly Wessex FM and The Breeze Shaftesbury, GHR Salisbury – formerly Spire FM, GHR Bucks, Beds and Herts – formerly Mix 96, GHR West Sussex – formerly Spirit FM.
GHR South West – Tony Wright (broadcast from Bristol)
Currently a breakfast and network host on The Breeze, Tony will present a new regional drivetime show for the following stations; GHR Swindon – formerly Sam FM Swindon, GHR Bath & The South West – formerly The Breeze West Wilts, GHR Somerset – formerly The Breeze Somerset, GHR Gloucestershire – formerly The Breeze Cheltenham, GHR Bristol & The South West- formerly The Breeze Bristol, GHR Devon – formerly The Breeze S Devon, and GHR Cornwall (a new station), launching In November.
GHR Yorkshire – Steve Priestley (broadcast from Leeds)
Steve is a Breakfast show presenter & main network presenter across the existing Breeze network of 22 stations. York native Steve will be found on the following: GHR Yorkshire Coast – formerly Yorkshire Coast Radio, GHR – North Yorkshire – New station (brings together all of North Yorkshire on DAB), GHR York And North Yorkshire – formerly Minster FM, GHR Harrogate and the Yorkshire Dales – formerly Stray FM, GHR West Yorkshire – Radio Aire, Pulse 2, and Ridings FM join existing station (Leeds & West Yorkshire removed) GHR South Yorkshire – Rother FM, Trax FM & Dearne FM join existing station, GHR Grimsby – formerly Compass FM, GHR North Derbyshire – formerly Peak FM and GHR Lincolnshire – a new station, launching In November.
GHR South Wales – Dave Brooks (broadcast from Wales)
Dave is a Swansea Sound presenter and has previously worked with INRIX, Nation Broadcasting and Real Radio Wales. He’ll be heard on AM/DAB in Swansea plus DAB in Cardiff.
In addition, the following stations owned by Nation Broadcasting that are set to be rebranded to Greatest Hits Radio as part of a licensing deal, have appointed the following hosts:
GHR South Coast – Chris Wright (broadcast location unknown)
Chris is a presenter on Spire FM and his new show will be broadcast on GHR South Coast – formerly Sam FM South Coast.
GHR Hull & East Yorkshire – Matt Hutchinson (broadcast location unknown)
Matt is currently found on KCFM in Hull which will be rebranded to Greatest Hits Radio Hull & East Yorkshire.
Graham Bryce, Group Managing Director – Hits Radio Brand Network, said, “We are thrilled about the line-up of talent hosting regional drivetime shows across Greatest Hits Radio. This is a very important part of the radio experience we are offering, alongside the local news and content we know listeners value, and shows from some of the best-loved broadcasters in the UK.”
The network is currently:
Compass FM (North East Lincolnshire)
Dearne FM (Barnsley, Penistone and the Dearne Valley)
Dream 100 FM (Colchester)
Eagle Radio (Surrey and North East Hampshire)
Greatest Hits Radio East Yorkshire (was Viking)
Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire (was Red Rose)
Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool, North West & North Wales (was City)
Greatest Hits Radio Manchester (was Piccadilly)
Greatest Hits Radio North East (was Metro)
Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire (was Hallam)
Greatest Hits Radio Teesside (was Tees)
Greatest Hits Radio West Midlands (was Kerrang!)
Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire (was Aire)
KCFM (Hull)
KL.FM 96.7 (King’s Lynn)
Minster FM (York and North Yorkshire)
Mix 96 (Aylesbury)
North Norfolk Radio
Peak FM (Derbyshire)
Pulse 2 (Bradford)
Radio Aire (Leeds and West Yorkshire)
Radio Norwich 99.9
Radio Wave 96.5 (Blackpool)
Ridings FM (Wakefield)
Rother FM (Rotherham)
Rutland Radio (Stamford & Rutland)
Sam FM (South Coast)
Sam FM (Swindon)
Signal 107 (Wolverhampton)
Signal 2 (Staffordshire)
Spire FM (Salisbury)
Spirit FM (West Sussex)
Stray FM (Harrogate / Ripon, Yorkshire Dales)
Swansea Sound
The Beach (Great Yarmouth)
The Breeze (Basingstoke & North Hampshire)
The Breeze (Bridgwater & West Somerset)
The Breeze (Newbury)
The Breeze (North Dorset)
The Breeze (South West)
The Breeze (Yeovil & South Somerset)
The Breeze 105.5 (South Devon)
Tower FM 107.4
Town 102
Trax FM (Doncaster & Bassetlaw)
Wessex FM
Wire FM 107.2
Wish FM 102.4
Yorkshire Coast Radio
Posted on Thursday, August 27th, 2020 at 10:30 am by Roy Martin