Severn Sound

Infobox Radio station


name = Severn Sound
airdate = 23 October 1980
frequency = 102.4 MHz, 103.0 MHz
share = 13.1%
share as of = September 2007
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
area = Gloucester, Cheltenham
and Stroud
format = Contemporary
owner = Global Radio]
website = [http://www.severnsound.co.uk/ www.severnsound.co.uk]

Severn Sound is an Independent Local Radio station that broadcasts to Gloucestershire, England. It plays an eclectic mixture of contemporary music, with music from the 1980s, 1990s and today, to make up "Today's Best Mix".

Technical

The transmitter is at Churchdown Hill, just west of the M5; the same transmitter as Radio Gloucestershire. During off-peak hours, Severn Sound often broadcasts the same content as Wyvern FM, Bristol's GWR FM and most other stations in The One Network, owned by Global Radio.

Past

History

Severn Sound started transmissions on 23 October 1980 from its first studio at the "Old Talbot Pub" in Southgate Street, Gloucester.

Past Line up

The original presenters were "Alan Roberts" (Head of Music) on Breakfast, "Christopher Musk" on mid-mornings, "Eddie Vickers" (Programme Controller) on the Lunchtime News and Topical programme, "Laura de Vere" on the Afternoon Show and "Steve Ellis" on Drivetime.

A variety of local presenters then hosted specialist music shows during the evenings, with "Roger Tovell" on the Late Show. "Andy Westgate" and "Pat Cory" joined about a year after the station's launch, as Laura de Vere left the station. "Jerry "The Hippo" Hipkiss" hosted a Saturday soul show and "Ivanhoe Campbell" hosted a reggae show. Glen Thompsett (now a Meridian ITV News reporter & presenter) started his career at Severn Sound as one of the engineers, later going on to present the Saturday Rock Show, then he worked with Ken Goodwin (ITV West News) on the 'Glen & Ken' Kids show - formerly Dr fosters Medicine show.

Other past presenters include "Russ & Garthy" (breakfast presenters 2001-2005), "Kate McAllister" (previously part of the breakfast trio with Russ & Garthy; left to go to Star 107.5), "Gregg Upwards", " Andy Beeley " who is now on the radio in Canada, "Martin Mills", "Andy Henly", "Kam Kelly", "Sally Bailey", "Nick Carter", "Toni Macdonald, Robert Kenny, Helen Purcell", "Tony Wright" and "Paul Seed".

Sadly, "Steve Ellis", who had left the station in the early 1990s for Oxford's Fox FM and then Mix 96 in Aylesbury, died of a sudden heart attack in 1995. "Ivanhoe Campbell", another of the original Severn Sound line up, died of cancer in 2003.

Ownership

The Severn Sound owners were a locally based consortium of businessman with the Managing Director "Graham Moon" formerly of DJM Records who committed suicide just a year after the station launched. One notable Director was the writer "Dennis Potter" who played an active role in the station's early years and lived in Ross on Wye.

The station was sold to the "Chiltern Radio Group" after some resistance in 1989 and later taken over by the GWR group in 1995. GCap Media was sold to Global Radio in 2008.

Frequency Split

In 1990 "Severn Sound" spilt frequencies, with its 774AM frequency being renamed "Three Counties Radio", expanding to cover Hereford & Worcester. This was an "oldies" station and was a mix of local programmes and networking form "Chiltern Radio's" "Supergold" service. Presenters who moved from "Severn Sound" to "Three Counties" incuded "Tony Peters & Sally Low Hurry". "John Hellings" was brought in as breakfast presenter. In 1992 "Three Counties Radio" was rebranded as "Severn Sound Supergold" (it also stopped being promoted in Hereford & Worcester) and was rebranded again in 1996 by new owners GWR as "Severn Sound Classic Gold". Ownership rules meant that GWR had to sell all their "Classic Gold" licences to "UBC Media" and another rebrand to "Classic Gold 774" followed. Although still operated from "Severn Sound's" studios the "Severn Sound" name is no longer mentioned on 774AM. In 2007, the station was rebranded as Gold, with 4 hours of local programming on weekdays (12 - 4pm).

Past AM presnters include "Sally Low Hurry", "John Hellings", "Tony Simon", "Nicky James", "Alan Thompson" and "Pete Simm".

Present

Severn Sound now broadcasts from "Bridge Studios", based at Eastgate Shopping Centre ("The Mall") in Gloucester. During the 2007 Summer Floods, Severn Sound had to temporarily move to the GWR FM Bristol studios due to a loss of electricity and running water. [ [http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=38334&sectioncode=1 Floods force Severn Sound to move - Press Gazette ] ]

Official logos

Images courtesy of Gcap Media

References

External links

* [http://www.severnsound.co.uk/ Severn Sound Website]