GWR FM Wiltshire

:"For a list of all "GWR FM" stations, see GWR FM (disambiguation)."Radio station


name=GWR Wiltshire
airdate= 12 October 1982
frequency=102.2 MHz,
RDS Name: gwr wlts
96.5 MHz,
RDS Name: gwr wlts
97.2 MHz,
RDS Name: gwr swin
NOW Swindon DAB multiplex
NOW Wiltshire DAB multiplex
and Online [http://www.wiltshiresgwrfm.co.uk/listenlive]
share = 15.3%
share as of = September 2007
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
area= Swindon and West Wiltshire
format =Contemporary
owner = GCap Media
website = [http://www.wiltshiresgwrfm.co.uk/ www.gwrfm.co.uk]

GWR serves north and west Wiltshire. It broadcasts on 96.5, 97.2 and 102.2FM, on DAB Digital radio and online [http://www.gwrfm.co.uk] . The station plays top 40 and Hot Adult contemporary music targeting 15-35 year old adults. It is currently the highest-rated local radio station in the area, (Source RAJAR) with local competition from
BBC Radio Swindon and Brunel FM.

History

GWR Wiltshire launched on 12 October 1982 under its original name, Wiltshire Radio "(shortened often to WR)". This was the only radio station available locally and nationally, since BBC Radio 1 had bad reception in Swindon. BBC Local Radio in Wiltshire would launch nine years later. The station began a full service commercial radio station on 96.4 and 97.4 MHz FM and 936 and 1161 kHz AM (320 and 258 metres medium wave).

Because there was no BBC radio for Wiltshire and therefore no competition, Wiltshire Radio found it relatively easy to build a very loyal listenership and only a few months into broadcasting became very profitable. Early programmes started out with a general diet of local news, community information, talk and middle-of-the-road pop music, then eventually became more and more formatted, saving its 4 hour 'needle time' daily music quota for the evening show to play rock and newer pop. One notable presenter for WR would become a very significant figure in British commercial radio- Ralph Bernard hosted a weekend show.

Financially commercial radio in Britain struggled to make any money as the 1980s economy in Britain was hampered by vast union strikes- however Wiltshire Radio grew as a company, capitalising on its dominance in the local radio market. WR made tentative plans for growth as it set to acquire struggling Bristol station Radio West. Radio West never made a penny since it started and looked set to close when WR made an official approach to merge the two stations, creating a station covering from Weston-super-Mare in the west to Swindon and Hungerford in the east. This merger was approved by the British Government and was completed in 1985.

Wiltshire Radio into GWR

In October 1985 Wiltshire Radio relaunched as GWR Radio was launched as a 24-hour radio station (previously Wiltshire Radio closed in overnight to re-open in the morning), however the sound didn't change much as GWR Radio was essentially a revamp which coincided with the re-launch of its sister station in Bristol.

plit services

GWR Radio began splitting frequencies as required by the British Government - which declared its desire to end simulcasting on both FM and AM. In November 1988 GWR Radio launched Brunel Radio, a golden oldies service (now part of the Classic Gold Digital Network) whilst GWR FM launched an opt-out service for West Wiltshire as a more localised service, this was however dropped a few weeks later, citing "poor reception". A fill-in relay for Marlborough was opened on 14 October 1988 on 96.5 MHz FM.

After the lifting on sanctions restricting the time spent playing music (so-called 'needle time') in 1988, GWR FM became more and more music-led, playing Top 40 chart music during the daytime, and specialist music (Big Band music, rock, rap etc) was over time eliminated. The local element of the station especially its news coverage had progressively become briefer and reduced in length, then moved onto Brunel Classic Gold, before being dropped altogether.

The Mix Network

In 1992 a re-launch of the station saw The New GWR-FM become the hub of what was The Mix Network, a network of radio stations owned by the GWR Group (now GCap Media ) covering southern England and Wales. The radio station's (and the group's) long held philosophy of heavily researching the average person's listening habits and tastes led by Group chairman Ralph Bernard has created a tightly formatted sound where popular Top 40 chart hits ex-Top 40 songs are blended in with older hits. This has led to its "Better Music Mix" format which has since spread to other radio stations within the GWR Group, including Essex FM, Trent FM and Beacon Radio creating a mini national network.

The practice for the Mix Network stations were each station played a centrally produced playlist (from GWR FM itself), songs were broadcast on or almost at the same time as neighbouring group stations and each station adopted the "Better Music Mix" tagline, to be said by local disc jockeys in between each song. Fans of the previous guises of some stations bought by the GWR Group, notably Essex FM and Beacon Radio were shocked and disgusted at the sudden re-branding of the station's taglines and playlists, accusing the new management of reducing local content such as news reports and cancelling local shows in place of programming from the Mix Network, such asLate Night Love and The Request Fest, which originate from the Bristol studios.

In 2003 Now Digital, a subsidiary of GWR Group launches local DAB services for Wiltshire and Swindon. In Swindon GWR FM went digital along with sister station Classic Gold, BBC Radio Swindon, Swindon FM and XFM amongst others. In West Wiltshire and Bath GWR FM Bath and BBC Radio Wiltshire airs in place of GWR Swindon and Radio Swindon respectively.

GWR FM still continues to be very popular with listeners despite an attempt by the BBC to focus more on Swindon and Wiltshire by launching BBC Radio Swindon. A local radio station for Swindon on DAB Swindon FM Launched in 2003, Which closed down in early 2007. In 2006 a station under the name of Brunel FM (not connected to GWR FM) won the commercial license to broadcast and was expected to increase listener choice and competition in an area. However, In 2008 Community radio station Swindon 105.5 launched to increase listener choice and provide a service for local tallent.

GWR Swindon

GWR Swindon may show up on RDS radios upon entering the Swindon area, there is no difference in broadcasts between GWR Swindon and GWR Wiltshire, instead Swindon is included in the GWR Wiltshire Local News and Adverts. This also applies to DAB, when entering the Swindon signal GWR Wiltshire will be replaced by GWR Swindon, and apon leaving it will switch back, unlike GWR Bath and GWR Bristol, GWR Wiltshire and GWR Swindon cannot coexist as two separate stations on a DAB radio's station list. It should be noted that there is no website for GWR Swindon, instead listeners will be directed to GWR Wiltshire's website.

ponsorship

GWR FM Wiltshire sponsored Swindon Town Football Club from 1989 until 1991, during the time that they won promotion to the First Division via the playoffs, but remained in the Second Division due to financial irregularities.

Better music mix

Wiltshire's GWR offers a "better music mix" (in their own words) than most other local and national radio stations. The mix is a blend of ballads and light rock songs throughout the day. These tend to continue throughout the famous Graham Torrington hours of the night, where they tend to be more ballads than softrock.

Programming

Notable weekday programming includes Jez & Roo at Breakfast, Philippa Collins on mid-days, Howard Taylor in drivetime, Kevin Hughes on evenings, and "The Wind Down" with Cat James overnights.

Notable weekend programming includes "Saturday Breakfast" with Jez Clark, Pat Sharp, Mark Dennison, and "Party Anthems" with Gaz on Saturdays with "Sunday Breakfast" with Tony Wright, "Sunday Afternoon" with Jo Russell, "Hit 40 UK" with Lucio, and "Sunday Night with Jason Donovan" on Sundays.

Other notable programming includes "The Night Shift" with Dan Wood and "Live at the Local".

logans

*1982 Wiltshire Radio- "With more to say"
*1985 GWR- "Listen, we're talking about you!"
*1989 GWR Radio "Wiltshire's number one", "Good Music, Great Talk"
*1992 The New GWR FM- "No rap, less chat"
*1994 "A mix of the 70s, 80s and the best of today"
*1995 GWR FM - "A better music mix - from the 70s, 80s and today"
*1997 "Today's better music mix"
*2001 Swindon and Wiltishire's GWR FM- "Today's best mix"
*2004 "Today's best mix, today's best variety" - "More music, less talk" - "The best mix of the 80s, 90s and today"
*2007 "Today's Best Mix"
*2008 "More Music Variety"

Past Logos

What GWR stands for

It is well known that the initials GWR has had a long association with the Great Western Railway especially in the South West of England, and there is a popular misconception with listeners that the station stands for Great Western Radio. Indeed GWR FM Wiltshire was previously called Wiltshire Radio (WR) before its merger with Radio West. However according to Group management, the letters GWR officially do not stand for anything.

It should also be noted that GWR's oldies service was originally called Brunel Radio, after the Great Western Railway's founding father Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The GWR Group

The company which formerly owned GWR, the GWR Group, expanded from the late 1980s / early 1990s onwards to purchase other stations throughout the country. Many UK stations now follow the GWR format. It became the largest radio company in the UK, before merging with its competitor Capital Radio to become GCap Media on May 9, 2005.

Past and Current Management

Chairman
*1994-2003: Nicholas Tresilian
*2003-present: Nicky Morrison

Black Thunder Crew past & present

The face of the radio station became the on the road team known as the Black Thunders. The team would report back to the studio on events from the area, keep them up to date with traffic info and meet and greet the public.

Xina Hart (2007 - present)Kim Moore (2007 - present)Holly Cooper (current)Lauren Shields (2004-2007)Jade Moulton (2002 - 2006)Katy Whitworth (2002 - 2007)Shaun Skinner (1995-current)Matthew Burton (2004 - current)Darren Edwards (2004 - 2006)Kate Allen (2005 - 2006)Danielle Beech (2006)Kylie Robson (2007-present)Jennie Stacey (2007-present)Louina SutherlandNicky Osborne (2007- present)Charli Nice (2008-present)Emma Dickson (2008- present)

Presenters Crew past & present

Roo Green,Louisa Lewis,Howard Taylor,Jez Clarke,Andy Styles,Dominic Green(Greenie),Andy Henly,Steve Fountain,Scott Mills,Tim Smith,Mark Franklin,Julia Simpson,Peter Rowell,Ralph Bernard,Simon Cooper,Alan Burston,Sue Carter,Matt Rogers,Henrietta Creasey,Shaun Skinner,Steve Colman,Neil Carter,Paul Webber,Ian TimmsDave Barrett,Steve Orchard,Sandy Martin,Shaun Hodgetts,Vic Morgan,Stuart Mac,Charlie Wolf,Andy Westgate,Gary Vincent,Lucy Matthews,Graham Torrington,Susannah Batemen,Clive Fisher,Tony Wright,Mylene Klass,Matt Lisack,Rob Smith,Mel Everett

Programme Controllers
*1994-1995: Steve Orchard
*1995-1996: Dirk Anthony
*1996-1998: Scott Williams
*1998-2002: Steve Fountain
*2002-2004: Sue Carter
*2004-2007: Paul Kaye
*2007-2008: Nick Rado
*2008-present: Mark Franklin

Premises

*Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire (was former GWR Group headquarters)
*Westlea, Wiltshire

References

*The Radio Companion by Paul Donovan, ISBN 978-0-586-09012-1
*Commercial Radio Pocket Book by Commercial Radio Companies Association
*Radio Authority Pocket Book 1992-2003 by the Radio Authority
* [http://www.transdiffusion.org Transdiffusion]

See also

*GWR Group
*GCap Media
*Bristol's GWR FM
*GWR FM Bath
*The One Network
*Gcap Media

External links

* [http://www.wiltshiresgwrfm.co.uk/ GWR FM Wiltshire]
* [http://www.gwrfmbath.co.uk GWR FM Bath]
* [http://www.classicgolddigital.com Classic Gold Network]
* [http://www.gcapmedia.com GCap Media]
* [http://www.crca.co.uk CRCA]
* [http://www.rajar.org.uk RAJAR]