Boom Radio has launched Boom Light across a number of UK towns and cities, including London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle.
The station got an official launch on Monday as 99-year-old broadcaster Pete Murray made an announcement, marking the return of a familiar voice to the airwaves nearly 80 years after his first radio appearance.
Boom Light plays more than 10,000 easy listening and orchestral tracks, many of which are no longer part of mainstream radio schedules.
The presenting line-up includes former Red Rose Radio and Smooth Radio Derek Webster on weekday mornings, lyricist and former Radio 2 presenter Don Black, as well as broadcaster Fran Godfrey.
The schedule is designed to appeal to the over-75s, although Boom also believes there is growing interest in 1950s music among younger listeners.
Boom co-founder David Lloyd said: “Some of our older Boom listeners told us they wanted to hear more ‘50s music – and Boom Light gives us that opportunity. This under-served audience includes many of those who are lonely and who depend on their radio.”
Fellow co-founder Phil Riley added: “There’s a real shift in musical tastes between the early 1950s and the 1960s. That’s the gap we wanted to fill.”
Pete Murray, whose broadcasting career spans the BBC and LBC, reflected on his long career by recalling a moment he feared would end it. But he said a listener in Ireland helped him stay positive, adding: “Almost 80 years later I should be grateful to that nun that I’m still here on national radio.”
The full list of areas is below, and the station says more will be added in due course:
- London
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Birmingham
- Nottingham
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Leeds
- Newcastle
- Glasgow
- Edinburgh
- Poole
More information is available at boomradiouk.com.