Timeline of independent radio in the United Kingdom facts for kids

This is a timeline showing how independent radio stations grew and changed in the UK.

The Start of Independent Radio (1960s)

• 1969
  • 30 April – University Radio York (URY) began broadcasting. It was the first independent radio station in the UK to get a license.

Growing Up: The 1970s

• 1970
  • Before the 1970 United Kingdom general election, the government wanted radio to stay with the BBC. But after Edward Heath's government was elected, this changed. A new law was announced to allow commercial radio stations. These stations would be planned and regulated. They would also compete with BBC Local Radio.
  • 1 September – United Biscuits started its own radio station, United Biscuits Network. It broadcast all day to the company's four factories.

• 1972
  • 12 July – The Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 was passed. This led to the creation of The Independent Broadcasting Authority. This group helped launch Independent Local Radio stations.

• 1973
  • 8 October – LBC became the first legal Independent Local Radio station in the United Kingdom. It started broadcasting talk radio to London.
    • At 6 am, the very first Independent Radio News bulletin was broadcast.
  • 16 October – Capital Radio began playing music and entertainment for London.
  • 31 December – Radio Clyde started broadcasting to Glasgow. It was the first independent local radio station outside London and the first in Scotland.

• 1974
  • Independent local radio stations continued to launch across the UK:
    • 19 February – BRMB in Birmingham.
    • 2 April – Piccadilly Radio in Manchester.
    • 15 July – Metro Radio in Newcastle upon Tyne.
    • 30 September – Swansea Sound in Swansea, the first in Wales.
    • 1 October – Radio Hallam in Sheffield.
    • 21 October – Radio City in Liverpool.

• 1975
  • More independent local radio stations started:
    • 22 January – Radio Forth in Edinburgh.
    • 19 May – Plymouth Sound in Plymouth.
    • 24 June – Radio Tees in Teesside.
    • 3 July – Radio Trent in Nottingham.
    • 16 September – Pennine Radio in Bradford.
    • 14 October – Radio Victory in Portsmouth.
    • 28 October – Radio Orwell in Ipswich.

• 1976
  • 8 March – Radio 210 began broadcasting to Reading.
  • 16 March – Downtown Radio started broadcasting in Northern Ireland.
  • 12 April – Beacon Radio in Wolverhampton was the last station in this first group of Independent Local Radio stations to begin broadcasting.
  • December – Capital Radio launched its Helpline and the Flying Eye. The Flying Eye was a small aircraft that reported on traffic in Central London.

• 1979
  • 16 December – United Biscuits Network closed after nine years on air.

New Waves: The 1980s

• 1980
  • 11 April – CBC in Cardiff became the first new Independent Local Radio station since 1976.
  • More stations launched:
    • 23 May – Mercia Sound in Coventry.
    • 10 July – Hereward Radio in Peterborough.
    • 15 September – 2CR (Two Counties Radio) in Bournemouth and New Forest.
    • 17 October – Radio Tay in Dundee and Perth.
    • 23 October – Severn Sound in Gloucestershire.
    • 7 November – DevonAir Radio in Exeter and Torbay.

• 1981
  • More stations joined the airwaves:
    • 7 July – Northsound Radio in Aberdeen.
    • 1 September – Radio Aire in Leeds and Wakefield.
    • 7 September – Centre Radio in Leicester.
    • 12 September – Essex Radio in Southend-on-Sea.
    • 15 October – Chiltern Radio in Luton.
    • 16 October – West Sound Radio in Ayr.
    • 27 October – Radio West in Bristol.
  • 10 December – Essex Radio expanded its broadcast area to Chelmsford.

• 1982
  • 23 February – Moray Firth Radio began broadcasting to Inverness.
  • 1 March – Chiltern Radio expanded its area to Bedford.
  • 4 October – Radio Wyvern began broadcasting across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
  • 5 October – Red Rose Radio began broadcasting to Preston and Blackpool.
  • 12 October – Wiltshire Radio began broadcasting to Swindon and West Wiltshire.
  • 6 November – Saxon Radio began broadcasting to Bury St. Edmunds. This was one of the first stations to share most of its programs with another, Radio Orwell.

• 1983
  • 4 April – County Sound began broadcasting to Guildford.
  • 13 June – Gwent Broadcasting was the first UK station to use new frequencies (102.2 to 104.5Mhz).
  • 29 August – Southern Sound began broadcasting to Brighton.
  • 5 September – Signal Radio began broadcasting to Stoke-on-Trent. Marcher Sound also started broadcasting to Wrexham.
  • 6 October – Centre Radio stopped broadcasting due to financial problems.

• 1984
  • 17 April – Viking Radio began broadcasting across Humberside.
  • August – Radio Forth became the first Independent Local Radio station to offer a split service. It created Festival City Radio for the Edinburgh Festival.
  • 7 September – Commercial radio returned to Leicester with Leicester Sound.
  • 30 September – The first The Network Chart Show was broadcast. It was played on almost all UK Independent Local Radio stations.
  • 1 October – Three new stations launched: Invicta Sound in Kent, Radio Broadland in Norwich, and Hereward Radio in Northampton.
  • 20 October – Radio Mercury began broadcasting to Crawley.
  • 4 December – Pennine Radio expanded its broadcast area to Huddersfield and Halifax.

• 1985
  • 13 February – Gwent Broadcasting closed due to financial difficulties.
  • 1 May – Invicta Sound changed its name to Invicta Radio.
  • 9 September – Radio West closed. It merged with Wiltshire Radio to form GWR.
  • 1 October – Radio Hallam expanded its broadcast area across all of South Yorkshire.
  • 14 October – CBC was relaunched as Red Dragon Radio. It also covered the Newport area.

• 1986
  • The government allowed six experiments for split programming on Independent Local Radio. This meant stations could broadcast different programs on different frequencies for up to ten hours a week.
  • Many local stations changed their VHF/FM frequencies to prepare for a European-wide re-organisation.
  • 28 June – Portsmouth station Radio Victory went off air. It was the first commercial radio station to lose its license.
  • 12 October – Ocean Sound began broadcasting, replacing Radio Victory. It covered Southampton, Winchester, and the Isle of Wight.
  • 30 November – Chiltern Radio launched a networked service called The Hot FM.

• 1987
  • 1 January – A new transmitter for Radio 210 allowed it to broadcast across Berkshire and north Hampshire.
  • 3 March – Radio Trent expanded its broadcast area to Derby.
  • 18 May – The Yorkshire Radio Network launched. It provided shared evening and overnight programming for three stations in Yorkshire.
  • 22 May – GWR expanded its broadcast area to Bath.
  • 14 July – Beacon Radio expanded its broadcast area to Shropshire.
  • 6 December – Ocean Sound launched a third station, Ocean Sound North, for Winchester.

• 1988
  • January – Radio Tees was relaunched as TFM.
  • 1 June – County Sound became the first station to have full-time split programming on FM and AM.
  • 1 July – The Superstation launched an overnight service for many ILR stations.
  • 2 July – Capital Gold began broadcasting on AM, initially only on weekends.
  • 12 August – Radio Clyde split its FM and AM services on weekends.
  • 3 September – Key 103 and Piccadilly Gold launched in Manchester, replacing Piccadilly Radio.
  • 20 September – The Radio Data System (RDS) launched. This allowed car radios to automatically find stations and show their names.
  • 4 October – GEM-AM launched, splitting from Radio Trent and Leicester Sound's frequencies.
  • 31 October – Viking Radio was replaced by Viking FM on FM and Viking Gold on MW.
  • 1 November – Capital Gold began broadcasting full-time on MW in London. The FM service was renamed 95.8 Capital FM.
  • 4 December – Ocean Sound created three new stations: Power FM (24-hour music), The Light FM, and The Gold AM.

• 1989
  • 15 January – Beacon Radio was replaced by Beacon FM on FM and WABC on MW.
  • 12 February – CNFM began broadcasting to Cambridge and Newmarket.
  • 27 March – Invicta Radio was replaced by Invicta FM on FM and Coast AM on MW.
  • 31 March – MFM 97.1 began broadcasting to the Wirral area. Marcher Gold also launched.
  • 4 April – Xtra AM began broadcasting on the MW frequencies of BRMB and Mercia Sound.
  • 8 April – Great North Radio began broadcasting on MW in north east England.
  • 1 May – Classic Gold began broadcasting on MW across Yorkshire.
  • 15 September – Fox FM started broadcasting to Oxford and Banbury. It was the first UK commercial station licensed to broadcast on a single waveband.
  • 2 October – LBC was replaced on FM by LBC Crown FM.
  • 15 October – Horizon Radio started broadcasting to Milton Keynes.
  • 22 October – Sunset 102 began broadcasting to Manchester. This was one of the first "incremental radio" stations, allowing new stations in areas already served by independent local radio.
  • 5 November – Sunrise Radio began broadcasting to west London's Asian community on MW.
  • 13 November – London Greek Radio and WNK began broadcasting, sharing a frequency.
  • 26 November – Orchard FM began broadcasting to Yeovil and Taunton.
  • 9 December – Sunrise Radio Yorkshire began broadcasting in Bradford.
  • Unknown – City Talk 1548 AM in Liverpool became the UK's first all-talk radio station outside London.

The Nineties and Beyond: 1990s

• 1990
  • 1 January – Delta Radio launched.
  • 3 January – Radio Clyde was replaced by Clyde 1 on FM and Clyde 2 on MW in Glasgow.
  • 22 January – Radio Borders began broadcasting across the Scottish Border region.
  • 7 February – Cool FM began broadcasting to Belfast on FM.
  • 4 March – London's Jazz FM launched, playing mainly soul and jazz music.
  • 31 March – Choice FM began broadcasting to the Brixton area of London.
  • 15 April – Isle of Wight Radio began broadcasting.
  • 1 June – Red Rose Radio split into two stations: Red Rose Rock FM on FM and Red Rose Gold on MW.
  • 25 June – Airport Information Radio began broadcasting travel news to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Spectrum Radio also launched, providing airtime for different communities in London.
  • 9 July – Melody 105.4 FM began broadcasting easy listening music across London.
  • 1 September – Kiss FM officially launched. It had previously been a "pirate" broadcaster but was now legal.
  • 6 October – The Superstation closed.
  • 8 October – Severn Sound split into two services, with Severn Sound on FM and 3 Counties Radio on MW.
  • 5 November – Wear FM began broadcasting to Sunderland.

• 1991
  • 1 January – The Radio Authority was formed, replacing the Independent Broadcasting Authority as the UK's radio regulator.
  • 27 January – Galaxy Radio replaced FTP in Bristol.
  • July – The Radio Authority awarded the first Independent National Radio licence to Showtime Radio. However, Showtime couldn't get enough money.
  • August – The licence was re-awarded to Classic FM.
  • 31 August – The Pulse of West Yorkshire replaced Pennine FM.
  • 16 September – Signal bought KFM and merged it with Echo 96 to launch Signal Cheshire.

• 1992
  • 15 February – Radio Orwell changed its name to SGR FM.
  • 1 March – Lincs FM began broadcasting to Lincolnshire.
  • 3 April – Pirate FM began broadcasting across Cornwall.
  • 14 April – Hereward Radio was replaced by Hereward FM on FM and The Worlds Greatest Music Station on MW.
  • 4 May – Mercury 96.4 began broadcasting to Guildford.
  • 25 May – Radio Wave 96.5 began broadcasting to Blackpool.
  • 1 July – KL.FM 96.7 began broadcasting to King’s Lynn.
  • 4 July – Minster FM began broadcasting to York.
  • 7 September – Britain's first national commercial radio station, Classic FM, launched.
  • 15 October – Island FM began broadcasting to Guernsey and Alderney.
  • 19 October – Lantern FM started broadcasting to Barnstaple.
  • 25 October – Channel 103 began broadcasting to Jersey.
  • 22 November – Delta Radio closed and its transmitter became a relay of Radio Mercury.
  • 14 December – Radio Ceredigion began broadcasting to Aberystwyth.

• 1993
  • 18 January – Signal Gold launched as a full-time station on Signal Radio's MW frequency.
  • 1 March – The Bay began broadcasting to southern Cumbria and north Lancashire.
  • 14 April – CFM began broadcasting to Carlisle.
  • 30 April – Virgin 1215, Britain's second national commercial radio station, launched.
  • 1 May – Ten 17 began broadcasting to Harlow.
  • 25 July – The last Network Chart Show was broadcast.
  • 1 August – 'Doctor' Neil Fox introduced the first Pepsi Chart.
  • 3 September – The Radio Authority decided not to renew LBC's licence.
  • 4 September – Wessex FM began broadcasting across central and western Dorset.
  • 7 October – Yorkshire Coast Radio began broadcasting to Scarborough and Whitby.
  • 17 October – SGR Colchester began broadcasting to Colchester.
  • 21 October – Q102.9 began broadcasting to Derry.
  • 30 October – Radio Rovers launched, becoming the UK's first dedicated football club radio station.
  • Unknown – WNK closed, allowing London Greek Radio to broadcast full-time.
  • Unknown – Sunrise Radio started broadcasting across London on MW.

• 1994
  • 5 March – Radio Trent's Derbyshire service was renamed Ram FM.
  • 7 March – Manchester United launched its own radio station, Manchester United Radio.
  • 15 April – Mix 96 began broadcasting to Aylesbury.
  • 1–16 September – The UK's first five regional commercial stations started broadcasting: 100.4 Jazz FM (north west England), 100–102 Century Radio (north east England), Galaxy 101 (Severn estuary), 100.7 Heart FM (West Midlands), and Scot FM (Scottish central belt).
  • 1 September – Country 1035 began broadcasting country music to London.
  • 5 October – News Direct 97.3FM and London News Talk 1152AM began broadcasting, replacing LBC stations.
  • 16 October – Kiss 102 began broadcasting dance music to Manchester.
  • 31 December – DevonAir and Buzz FM closed.

• 1995
  • 1 January – Gemini Radio and Choice FM began broadcasting.
  • 14 February – Talk Radio UK became the last of three national commercial radio stations to go on air.
  • 10 April – Virgin Radio started broadcasting on FM in London.
  • 30 May – Radio XL began broadcasting to the Asian community of the West Midlands.
  • 10 June – Premier Christian Radio became the UK's first Christian radio station.
  • 3 July – Viva 963 became the UK's first female-focused radio station.
  • 5 September – Heart 106.2 began broadcasting adult contemporary music across London.
  • 30 September – CFM West Cumbria began broadcasting to Workington and Whitehaven. Sound Wave began broadcasting on FM in Swansea.

• 1996
  • 5 February – Radio Wyvern was the last commercial station in England to stop broadcasting the same programs on FM and AM.
  • 1 April – Network News closed.
  • 4 April – Guildford station 96.4 The Eagle replaced Mercury 96.4.
  • 21 April – Spirit FM began broadcasting to Chichester, Bognor Regis, and Littlehampton.
  • 1 July – The LBC name returned to London's airwaves.
  • 2 September – Supergold closed, replaced by Classic Gold.
  • 9 September – Fortune 1458 in Manchester was renamed Lite AM.
  • 29 September – 103.4 The Beach began broadcasting to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

• 1997
  • January – Leicester Sound moved frequency and increased power to cover Leicestershire.
  • February – Emap launched a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across northern England.
  • 14 February – Kiss 105 began broadcasting dance music across Yorkshire.
  • 17 March – The Magic brand launched in the north west.
  • 1 April – Wish FM began broadcasting to Wigan.
  • 31 August – Regular programming across UK radio was interrupted to provide news coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • 1 September – XFM London began broadcasting indie music across London. It was the final London-wide station on FM.
  • 29 September – Kiss 102 and Kiss 105 were renamed Galaxy 102 and Galaxy 105.
  • 7 October – 107.7 The Wolf began broadcasting to Wolverhampton.
  • 12 October – Dune FM began broadcasting to Southport.
  • 17 November – Sovereign FM began broadcasting to Eastbourne.
  • 22 November – Vibe 105–108 began broadcasting dance music across East Anglia.
  • 9 December – Chris Evans's company, Ginger Media Group, bought Virgin Radio from Richard Branson.

• 1998
  • 1 March – Huddersfield FM began broadcasting to Huddersfield. Isles FM began broadcasting from Stornoway.
  • 27 March – 107 Crash FM began broadcasting new music to Liverpool.
  • April – Radio 106 was rebranded as Century 106.
  • 31 May – Xtra AM closed, replaced by a relay of Capital Gold.
  • 6 June – Centre FM began broadcasting to Burton, Lichfield, and Tamworth.
  • 14 June – Wave 105 began broadcasting across the Solent area.
  • 1 September – Wire FM began broadcasting to Warrington.
  • 5 October – Virgin Radio's breakfast show started being shown on Sky One. Kingdom FM began broadcasting across Fife.
  • 7 October – Peak FM began broadcasting to Chesterfield.
  • 18 October – Chelmer FM began broadcasting to Chelmsford.
  • 19 November – Mellow 1557 closed and relaunched on FM as Dream 100.
  • 11 December – Champion 103 began broadcasting to Caernarfon and Anglesey.
  • 13 December – Rutland Radio began broadcasting to the Rutland area.
  • December – Melody Radio was renamed Magic 105.4 FM.

• 1999
  • January – Choice FM was taken over by the Chrysalis Group. Kiss 100 introduced more mainstream pop music.
  • 1 February – Mansfield 103.2 began broadcasting.
  • 8 February – FLR 107.3 began broadcasting to Lewisham.
  • 20 March – Tower FM began broadcasting to Bolton and Bury.
  • 3 May – Telford FM began broadcasting.
  • 26 June – Fire 107.6 began broadcasting to Bournemouth and Poole.
  • 24 July – 106.8 Lite FM began broadcasting to Peterborough.
  • 30 August – Wave 102 began broadcasting to Dundee. The Revolution began broadcasting to Oldham and Rochdale.
  • 19 September – 107.4 The Quay began broadcasting to Portsmouth.
  • 3 October – Fen Radio 107.5 began broadcasting to the Fenlands. Ridings FM began broadcasting to Wakefield.
  • 23 October – Star 107.7 began broadcasting to Weston-super-Mare.
  • 15 November – Britain's first national commercial DAB digital radio system, Digital One, went on air. It carried Classic FM, Virgin Radio, Talk Radio UK, and new digital-only stations like Core and Planet Rock.
  • 19 November – Beat 106 began broadcasting across the Scottish central belt. 107 The Edge began broadcasting across Lanarkshire.
  • 1 December – South Hams Radio began broadcasting to the South Hams area of Devon.

The New Millennium: 2000s

• 2000
  • 26 January – Q97.2 began broadcasting to the Coleraine area of Northern Ireland.
  • 17 February – Talk Radio UK was rebranded as talkSPORT.
  • 14 March – Chris Evans sold his Ginger Media Group for £225m.
  • 1 May – 106.3 Bridge FM began broadcasting to the Bridgend area of South Wales.
  • 2 May – Oneword began broadcasting on Digital One.
  • 3 May – Choice 107.1 began broadcasting to north London.
  • 29 May – Kick FM began broadcasting to the Newbury area.
  • 26 June – The Groove began broadcasting.
  • 10 July – Argyll FM began broadcasting across Kintyre and wider Argyll.
  • 25 July – 2BR began broadcasting to the Burnley area.
  • 3 October – South Wales regional station Real Radio Wales began broadcasting.
  • 16 October – PrimeTime Radio began broadcasting on Digital One, aimed at listeners over 50.
  • 4 December – FLR 107.3 changed its name to Fusion 107.3FM.

• 2001
  • 1 March – 107.8 Radio Jackie began broadcasting to Kingston-upon-Thames.
  • 3 March – Hertbeat FM began broadcasting to Hertford.
  • 31 March – Bright 106.4 began broadcasting to Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.
  • 3 June – Compass FM began broadcasting to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
  • 11 September – Following the terrorist attack in the United States, most broadcasters stopped regular programming to provide news coverage.
  • 16 October – Saga 105.7 FM, the UK's first radio station for over-50s, began broadcasting in Birmingham.
  • 23 October – Lakeland Radio began broadcasting to Keswick, Windermere, and Kendal.
  • 31 October – Mix 107 began broadcasting to Aylesbury.
  • 5 November – 3TR FM began broadcasting to Warminster.
  • December – The eight medium wave Magic stations in northern England began sharing programs with Magic 105.4 in London.

• 2002
  • 8 January – Scot FM was bought by GMG Radio and renamed Real Radio Scotland.
  • 28 February–1 March – The first three community radio stations – Bradford Community Broadcasting, Cross Rhythms in Stoke, and Angel Community Radio (Havant) – started broadcasting as part of a trial.
  • 11 March – TEAMtalk 252 launched as a rival to talkSPORT.
  • 19 March – Q101.2 began broadcasting to Omagh and Enniskillen.
  • 25 March – Real Radio Yorkshire began broadcasting to West and South Yorkshire.
  • 14 July – 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire began broadcasting.
  • 31 July – TeamTalk 252 closed.
  • 31 August – Rugby FM began broadcasting.
  • 22 October – Reading 107 began broadcasting.
  • 8 November – The Radio Authority took away London station Liberty Radio's licence due to very low listenership. The licence was given to Club Asia.

• 2003
  • 3 January – Galaxy 101 was renamed Vibe 101.
  • 6 January – The LBC services swapped frequencies. News Direct 97.3 moved to AM and was renamed LBC News 1152. LBC News 1152 moved to FM and was renamed LBC 97.3.
  • January – The Magic stations in northern England stopped sharing programs with London and started a regional northern network.
  • 1 February – Mid 106 FM began broadcasting across mid Ulster.
  • 11 February – John Peters presented the first breakfast show on Saga 106.6 FM in Nottingham.
  • 1 March – Dee 106.3 began broadcasting to Chester.
  • 5 May – 107 Splash FM began broadcasting to Worthing.
  • 3 July – Liberty Radio closed and was immediately replaced by Club Asia.
  • 5 October – Dearne FM began broadcasting to Barnsley.
  • 18 October – CTR 105.6 began broadcasting to Maidstone.
  • 26 October – Ivel FM began broadcasting to Yeovil.
  • 10 November – North Norfolk Radio began broadcasting.

• 2004
  • 1 January – Ofcom replaced The Radio Authority as the UK's radio regulator.
  • 13 February – 100.4 Jazz FM closed. It was replaced on 1 March by 100.4 Smooth FM.
  • 4 April – High Peak Radio began broadcasting to the High Peak area of Derbyshire.
  • 1 May – KMFM Extra began broadcasting across Kent.
  • 10 June – Kerrang! 105.2 began broadcasting indie-rock across the West Midlands.
  • 13 June – 97.1 Radio Carmarthenshire began broadcasting.
  • 4 September – The Superstation Orkney began broadcasting as a community radio station.
  • 7 September – Saga 105.2 FM began broadcasting to Scotland's central belt.

• 2005
  • 17 January – Almost all UK commercial stations broadcast UK Radio Aid, a twelve-hour event to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami.
  • 7 June – London's 102.2 Jazz FM was relaunched as 102.2 Smooth FM.
  • 29 August – 106 Century FM was rebranded as Heart 106.
  • 3 October – KMFM Ashford began broadcasting.
  • 1 November – Birmingham-based community station Aston FM began broadcasting.
  • 19 November – L107 launched in Lanarkshire, replacing 107 The Edge.
  • 25 November – Islam Radio, the UK's first Islamic radio station, was established in Bradford.
  • 5 December – 102.6 & 106.8 Durham FM began broadcasting.

• 2006
  • 14 February – Talk 107 began broadcasting a speech-based service across Edinburgh.
  • 2 June – Primetime Radio closed.
  • 29 June – 99.9 Radio Norwich began broadcasting.
  • 10 July – Yorkshire Radio began broadcasting.
  • 15 August – Gaydio became the UK's first analogue radio station for the LGBT community.
  • 6 September – Kiss 100 was relaunched. Vibe 101 and Vibe 105-108 were also rebranded to Kiss.
  • 29 September – Cambridge station Star 107.9 closed.
  • 16 October – 107.3 Abbey FM began broadcasting to Barrow-in-Furness.
  • 25 December – theJazz began broadcasting on Digital One.

• 2007
  • January – 96.3 Rock Radio launched.
  • 29 January – Livingston station River FM closed.
  • 5 March – Coventry University student radio station Source Radio began broadcasting to Coventry on 1431AM.
  • 26 March – All Smooth Radio and Saga Radio stations were relaunched as the Smooth Network.
  • 27 March – Country music station 3C closed.
  • 20 May – Original 106.5 (Bristol) began broadcasting.
  • 25 June – It was announced that the Heart Network and its sister stations would be sold to Global Radio.
  • 3 August – All stations in the Classic Gold and Capital Gold networks were replaced by a new network called Gold.
  • 3 September – Radio Scilly began broadcasting to the Isles of Scilly.
  • 5 October – Community station Seaside FM began broadcasting to Withernsea.
  • 8 October – Radio Cardiff began broadcasting.
  • 28 October – Original 106 (Aberdeen) began broadcasting.
  • 10 December – Phoenix Radio began broadcasting to Halifax.

• 2008
  • 8 January – 97.5 Smooth Radio began broadcasting in north east England.
  • 11 January – Birdsong Radio launched on Digital One.
  • 12 January – The Forces Station BFBS began a trial of broadcasting nationwide on DAB.
  • 16 January – Celtic Music Radio began broadcasting Celtic music in Glasgow.
  • 28 January – City Talk 105.9 began broadcasting, bringing speech radio back to Liverpool.
  • 29 January – Bauer completed its purchase of Emap's radio businesses.
  • 18 February – Exeter FM began broadcasting.
  • 15 March – Swindon 105.5 began broadcasting.
  • 31 March – GCap closed theJazz and Capital Life.
  • 1 April – Rock Radio (North East) began broadcasting.
  • 28 April – The Heart Network began sharing some programs from Heart 106.2 in London.
  • 5 May – 106.1 Rock Radio began broadcasting to Manchester.
  • 26 May – Andover Sound began broadcasting.
  • 16 June – Nation Radio began broadcasting across South Wales.
  • 29 September – Virgin Radio changed its name to Absolute Radio.
  • 8 October – Jazz FM returned to the airwaves.
  • 30 October – Original 106 was renamed The Coast.
  • 23 December – Edinburgh station Talk 107 closed.

• 2009
  • 5 January – Many stations, including Chiltern Radio and Hereward FM, were rebranded as Heart after being bought by Global Radio.
  • 30 January – 107.3 Abbey FM closed.
  • 23 March – More stations, including Fox FM and GWR Bristol, were rebranded as Heart.
  • 1 April – Mersey 106.7 closed.
  • 3 April – London stations Time 107.3 and Time 106.8 closed.
  • 30 April – Welsh station Valleys Radio closed.
  • May – Orion Media bought several stations from Global Radio.
  • 1 June – Birdsong Radio went off air. Banbury Sound began broadcasting.
  • 22 June – Invicta FM and Southern FM were rebranded as Heart.
  • 1 July – Mix 107 closed.
  • 14 September – Most programs on the KMFM network became shared.
  • 2 November – Alpha 103.2, Minster Northallerton, and Durham FM merged into Star Radio North East.
  • 4 December – Absolute 80s launched.
  • Unknown – Aston FM changed its name to Big City Radio.

The 2010s: A Decade of Change

• 2010
  • 28 February – Radio Plymouth began broadcasting.
  • 24 March – Five radio stations owned by YMC Ltd closed due to financial issues.
  • 5 April – Academy FM (Thanet) began broadcasting. Pennine FM closed.
  • 6 April – Sunshine 1530 closed.
  • 15 April – New guidelines from Ofcom allowed commercial radio stations to share locations and reduce local programming to cut costs.
  • 29 April – Lanarkshire station L107 closed.
  • 21 June – Global Radio announced plans to reduce its 33 local Heart stations to 15 "super stations" with mostly shared programming. Absolute Radio 90s launched.
  • 29 June – Smooth Radio announced plans to merge its five stations in England into a national network.
  • 30 June – Heart Solent replaced Heart Hampshire and Heart Dorset & New Forest.
  • 2 July – Heart Cambridgeshire replaced Heart Peterborough and Heart Cambridge.
  • 9 July – Heart Thames Valley replaced Heart Oxfordshire and Heart Berkshire.
  • 16 July – Heart Four Counties replaced several Heart stations. Heart West Country replaced Heart Bristol, Heart Bath, and Heart Somerset.
  • 26 July – Mercury 96.6 became part of the Heart network and was relaunched as Heart Hertfordshire. Heart Essex replaced several Essex Heart stations. Heart Sussex and Surrey replaced Heart Sussex and Mercury FM.
  • 27 August – Heart Devon replaced several Devon Heart stations.
  • 3 September – Heart East Anglia replaced Heart Norwich and Heart Ipswich.
  • 4 October – Smooth Radio launched its new national station.
  • 10 December – Absolute Radio 00s began broadcasting.
  • 25 December – Radio Hafren launched, replacing Radio Maldwyn.

• 2011
  • 1 January – Heart 106 closed, replaced by Gem 106.
  • 3 January – 95.8 Capital FM London launched nationally as part of The Capital FM Network.
  • 17 February – Perth FM closed.
  • 28 July – GMG Radio announced that 106.1 Rock Radio would be rebranded as 106.1 Real Radio XS.
  • 5 September – 106.1 Rock Radio was replaced by Real Radio XS.
  • 1 November – GMG Radio launched "Smooth Christmas," a station playing only Christmas music.
  • 22 November – Absolute Radio 60s launched, followed by Absolute Radio 70s.

• 2012
  • 6 January – Fresh Radio closed.
  • 26 January – Garrison FM switched on two more transmitters in Inverness.
  • 7 February – UTV Media announced plans to merge and rebrand several stations as Signal 107.
  • 14 February – Poole community radio station The Bay 102.8 was rebranded as Hot Radio.
  • 16 February – Ofcom allowed the KMFM network to share all programming across its seven stations.
  • 26 March – Orion Media rebranded BRMB, Beacon, Mercia, and Wyvern as Free Radio.
  • 2 April – talkSPORT began dedicating its entire schedule to sport.
  • 1 May – Ofcom approved a request for Touch Radio Staffordshire to share programming with Oak FM.
  • 7 May – Heart Cornwall launched, replacing Atlantic FM.
  • 15 May – Amazing Radio left the DAB multiplex.
  • 1 June – Swansea's 102.1 Bay Radio was relaunched as Nation 80s, playing only 80s music.
  • 25 June – GMG Radio was sold to Global Radio.
  • 3 July – Global Radio announced plans to launch two non-stop music television channels: Heart TV and Capital TV.
  • 30 August – Sanjhi Awaz Radio ceased broadcasting due to financial problems.
  • 4 September – Gold was replaced by Free Radio 80s in the West Midlands.
  • 8 August – Southport station Dune FM closed.

• 2013
  • 3 January – Gaydar Radio's owner decided to leave the radio business.
  • 6 February – Bauer Media bought the digital station Planet Rock.
  • 14 February – The Competition Commission recommended a sale of parts of Real and Smooth Radio Ltd after the Global Radio takeover.
  • 25 March – NME Radio closed.
  • 31 March – Garrison FM merged with BFBS.
  • 7 May – Kisstory and KissFresh began broadcasting. Q Radio closed.
  • 14 June – Kerrang! 105.2 stopped broadcasting on FM in the West Midlands. Planet Rock took over the frequency.
  • 26 July – Digital radio was switched on in Northern Ireland.
  • 30 July – Yorkshire Radio closed.
  • August – Smash Hits Radio closed.
  • 3 October – Global Radio announced that Smooth 70s would close.
  • 6 October – Smooth 70s stopped broadcasting to make way for Capital Xtra.
  • 7 October – Choice FM was rebranded as Capital Xtra.

• 2014
  • 1 January – Jazz FM stopped broadcasting on the national Digital One multiplex.
  • 4 February – Ofcom allowed Global Radio to remove Smooth Radio from Digital One and replace it with a new national station.
  • 6 February – Global Radio sold eight of its regional stations to Communicorp.
  • 11 February – LBC 97.3 launched nationally on Digital One.
  • 14 March – Global Radio announced that Gold would become a non-stop music service.
  • 24 March – Smooth Radio returned to airing local programs on its regional frequencies. Smooth Radio replaced Gold on MW across southern England.
  • 4 April – Real XS Glasgow closed and was rebranded as Xfm Scotland.
  • 6 May – Real Radio was rebranded as Heart. Capital North West and Wales replaced the former Heart station Heart North Wales & West.
  • 29 September – Sky Sports News Radio stopped broadcasting.
  • 16 November – The Superstation Orkney closed due to lack of funding.
  • 27 December – Smooth Extra launched on DAB.

• 2015
  • 5 January – Magic launched nationally on Digital One. All Magic Network AM stations in northern England were rebranded as Bauer City 2. Absolute Radio changed to mono broadcasting.
  • 9 January – UTV Media considered selling some of its UK radio stations.
  • 5 June – UTV Media agreed to sell Juice FM to Global Radio.
  • 7 September – Global announced that XFM would be relaunched as a national station called Radio X. Absolute Radio started broadcasting on FM in the West Midlands.
  • 19 October – Time 106.6 closed.
  • 7 December – Liverpool stations Radio City 2 and Radio City Talk swapped frequencies.

• 2016
  • 18 January – Juice 107.6 was relaunched as Capital Liverpool.
  • 29 February – The UK's second national commercial multiplex started broadcasting. Heart Extra launched on Digital One.
  • March – Manchester station Real Radio XS was rebranded as XS Manchester.
  • 15 March – Mellow Magic and Talksport 2 began broadcasting on the Sound Digital multiplex.
  • 6 May – Orion Media was bought by Bauer.
  • 9 September – Union JACK began broadcasting.

• 2017
  • 19 January – BFBS announced it would stop broadcasting on Digital One due to cost.
  • 14 March – Heart 80s began broadcasting.
  • 31 March – Star Radio was saved when UKRD sold it to View TV Group.
  • 1 August – Star Radio North East was rebranded as Rathergood Radio.
  • 20 November – Global purchased The Bay and Lakeland Radio.
  • 22 December – The former "pirate" station Radio Caroline began broadcasting on MW full-time.

• 2018
  • 24 January – BFBS returned to semi-national DAB broadcasting.
  • 5 March – The Bay and Lakeland Radio were relaunched as Heart North Lancashire & Cumbria and Smooth Lake District.
  • 3 April – Northsound 2 stopped broadcasting on MW. Jack 3 launched.
  • 4 June – Key 103 was rebranded as Hits Radio Manchester.
  • 15 August – Scottish station NECR closed.
  • 23 October – JACK Radio, the first radio station with only female artists, launched on DAB.
  • 3 November – Nation Radio Scotland launched.
  • 17 December – Absolute Radio stopped broadcasting on FM in the West Midlands.
  • 22 December – Virgin Radio launched two spin-off stations: Virgin Radio Anthems and Virgin Radio Chilled.

• 2019
  • 7 January – Greatest Hits Radio launched, replacing the Bauer City 2 branding.
  • 26 February – Global Radio announced plans to replace regional breakfast shows on Capital, Heart, and Smooth with single national breakfast shows.
  • 4 March – classical music station Scala Radio launched.
  • 5 April – Country Hits Radio launched.
  • 8 April – 2BR stopped broadcasting and was replaced by Capital Manchester. Capital London's breakfast show went national.
  • 31 May – Radio Ceredigion closed.
  • 3 June – The local Heart breakfast shows were replaced by a single national show.
  • 21 June – Global launched Heart Dance.
  • 28 August-3 September – Global launched five more stations on DAB: Heart 90s, Heart 70s, Capital XTRA Reloaded, Smooth Country, and Smooth Chill.
  • 2 September – Hits Radio Manchester weekday Drivetime show began to be shared across most Hits Radio stations. Smooth Radio's networked Drivetime show launched.
  • 28 October – Global relaunched LBC London News as a national 24-hour news channel called LBC News.
  • 2 December – Quidem's six local stations became part of the Capital network.

The 2020s: Digital Dominance

• 2020
  • 1 April – Your Radio closed.
  • 31 May – Liverpool speech station Radio City Talk closed.
  • 29 June – Times Radio launched.
  • 30 June – Bauer switched off the MW transmitters for Absolute Classic Rock.
  • 20 July – Pulse 1, Signal 1, The Wave 96.4, and Fire Radio became part of the Hits Radio network.
  • 28 August – Bauer launched Hits Radio Pride, aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.
  • 31 August – Bauer closed Radio Aire. Its frequency was transferred to Greatest Hits Radio. Hits Radio South Coast launched.
  • 1 September – Most stations acquired by Bauer Media joined Greatest Hits Radio.
  • 1 October – Capital Dance launched.
  • 16 November – The Revolution closed. Its frequency was transferred to Greatest Hits Radio.
  • 11 December – Union JACK Rock and Union JACK Dance launched.
  • 25 December – Radio Caroline broadcast the Queen's Christmas Message for the first time.
  • 31 December – Love Sport Radio closed.

• 2021
  • 14 February – Boom Radio, aimed at baby boomers, launched.
  • 12 March – Boom Radio became available nationally on the Sound Digital multiplex.
  • 26 April – Bauer switched off its mediumwave frequencies in several areas.
  • 17 May – Greatest Hits Radio replaced Absolute Radio on FM 105.8 in London. Country Hits Radio rebranded as Absolute Radio Country.
  • 17 June – Bauer purchased Imagine FM.
  • 1 August – The first DAB multiplex for the Channel Islands began broadcasting.
  • 1 September – Imagine FM rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio.
  • 6 September – Fire Radio and Sam FM rebranded as Hits Radio.
  • 1 November – Argyll FM launched its Internet radio service, meaning all commercial radio stations in the UK were now available online.

• 2022
  • 24 February – Union JACK Radio, Union JACK Dance, and Union JACK Rock disappeared from the national SDL multiplex.
  • 21 April – Nation Broadcasting launched Breezy Radio.
  • 3 May – Fix Radio began broadcasting nationwide.
  • 1 September – Virgin Radio 80s Plus launched on DAB.
  • 2 September – University Radio York was awarded a five-year licence to broadcast on FM.
  • 4 October – Radio Wyvern was relaunched in Worcester.

• 2023
  • 20 January – Absolute Radio stopped broadcasting on AM, becoming a digital-only station.
  • 13 and 16 February – Global launched two more spin-off stations: Capital Chill and Radio X Classic Rock.
  • 3 April – Lincs FM stopped broadcasting on FM and was replaced by Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire.
  • 25 June – University Radio York switched off its AM frequency after 55 years.
  • 30 June – Global Radio switched off more of its AM frequencies for Gold and Smooth Radio.
  • 4 September – BRMB was relaunched in Birmingham.

See also

• Timeline of radio in London
• Timeline of radio in Manchester
• Timeline of radio in Northern Ireland
• Timeline of radio in Scotland
• Timeline of radio in Wales