Power FM

Infobox Radio station
name = 103.2 Power FM


area = South Hampshire
airdate = 4 December 1988
frequency = 103.2 MHz FM
share = 7.0%
share as of = September 2007
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
format = CHR
owner = GCap Media
website = [http://www.powerfm.com/ www.powerfm.com]

"This article relates to the UK radio station. For the Australian radio station network of the same name, see Power FM Network. For the English language broadcaster based in the Canary Islands see Power FM Canary Islands"

Power FM (or 103.2 Power FM) is an Independent Local Radio station owned by Global Radio (formerly by GCap Media) and based in South Hampshire, England, UK. Broadcasting on 103.2 MHz FM, the station is part of Global Radio's One Network, and is one of the South of England's most popular radio stations. The station is based in Segensworth, near Fareham in Hampshire, along with its sister stations, Ocean FM and Gold Radio (Hampshire). Power FM also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio and online [http://www.powerfm.com/] .

History

Ocean Sound's predecessor, Radio Victory provided the first local radio service in the South of England in 1975, with its small transmission area around Portsmouth. The station was disliked by many listeners and when the Independent Broadcasting Authority re-advertised the Portsmouth licence to include Southampton and Winchester, it lost out to a new consortium called Ocean Sound Ltd. Ocean Sound proposed an expanded coverage area taking in Southampton. Radio Victory ceased operations in June 1986, a couple of weeks earlier than the expiry date of its franchise, with a test transmission informing listeners of the unprecedented situation. Ocean Sound took over programme provision in 1986 from a new purpose-built broadcast unit in a business park outside Fareham, Hampshire.

Ocean Sound debuted on 12 October 1986, initially with two services - Ocean Sound (West), covering Southampton and Winchester, and Ocean Sound (East) serving Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Ocean Sound (West) used 103.2 MHz FM and 1557 kHz AM. Ocean Sound (East) used 97.5 MHz FM and 1170 kHz AM. The East service underwent a change of frequency which was inherited by Radio Victory (from 95.0 MHz to 97.5 MHz FM). Both services shared daytime output with specialist programmes broadcasting uniquely on each service - for instance on Saturday evenings, an Isle of Wight programme with Jean-Paul Hansford would air on Ocean Sound (West) FM only on 103.2, while Guy Hornsby's Saturday Soul Club would air on Ocean Sound (East) 97.5FM and 1170kHz AM.

On 6th December 1987, a separate service was provided for Winchester and the surrounding areas on 96.7 MHz FM, entitled Ocean Sound (North) - The Light FM. It had its own programmes from 6am-2pm (later, the 5-9pm show was also separate) but relayed the Ocean Sound West service at other times. This was prior to the enforced termination of simulcasting programmes on FM and AM, which would see all the services transformed.

The reason that two stations launched, rather than an expanded solo station is that then Managing Director David Lucas identified two potential audiences: one familiar with commercial radio (in the East area), and one largely acquainted with the BBC (the West area, of which the majority of local listening was to BBC Radio Solent). Ocean Sound (East) therefore sounded livelier than its West counterpart, which took on a more softer sound.

The new stations were a refreshing change, as listeners to Radio Victory had lamented its lack of professionalism and a coherent, agreeable sound, both of which were greatly improved. The slogan used at the time - "We're on your wavelength" suggested this.

New Studios

Once the franchise was won, Ocean Sound needed brand-new state of the art studios in Segensworth West, a district outside Fareham, beside the M27 motorway in Hampshire. This move to base themselves outside the two major cities of Southampton and Portsmouth was a strategic one, so as not to appear sounding biased in favour of either city and to remove any lingering associations with Radio Victory, a poorly received radio station primarily focused on Portsmouth.

The following is an excerpt of an 1982 interview with then Managing Director David Lucas in an Independent Broadcasting Authority publication:

"The original plan was to have studio buildings and offices in both Portsmouth and Southampton,' says Lucas. 'But that is an unnecessarily complicated way of doing the job. The important thing is for the programmes themselves to provide a strong and relevant local identity. Contribution studios have been established in both Portsmouth and Southampton to provide direct city-centre access to the airwaves for interviewees and guests."

"...But Lucas, like some other radio managers, wonders whether the high standards of IBA studio specifications are always necessary. 'A significant proportion of studio costs comes in sound-proofing them'; says Lucas. 'Would it really matter if the listener heard the occasional lorry rumbling past outside? With most stations operating on close mic techniques anyway, peripheral noise can be minor'"."

Once the studios were complete, staff needed to be hired - almost from scratch. Sales managers and a Head of News were all recruited, ironically from Radio Victory. Construction of the new studios took under a year and finished in time for the station's launch in 1986.

The launch of Power FM

1987 saw Ocean Sound undergo a massive reorganisation of its frequencies and services, coinciding with the IBA's demand to end simulcasting on FM and AM. The main changes were:

*"Ocean Sound (West)" on FM would become The Power FM
*"Ocean Sound (East)" on FM would become FM-only and simply renamed Ocean Sound
*"Ocean Sound" on AM would become The Gold AM

with a new addition:

*"Ocean Sound (North)" on FM to be known as The Light FM.

Power FM launched on Sunday 4 December, 1988 at 10 am. Power FM was designed as a direct competitor to BBC Radio 1 in the area, with a heavy rotation of chart and Top 40 pop and mainstream dance, with quick hourly news and information. With Ocean Sound there would be significantly more speech, coupled with slightly older adult contemporary music. Power FM would be the opposite, with a music-intensive approach designed to get at the emerging demand for chart music which wasn't available locally. The opening presenter line-up included Pete Wardman, Bernie Simmons, Chris Kelly, Adrian Lovett, Chris Pearson and Judy James. The launch of Power FM was one hour after that of Ocean Sound The Gold AM so that the presenters on Power could say that they were Britain's newest radio station.

Mergers, takeovers and relaunches

Sussex radio station Southern Sound looked upon Ocean Sound as a potential takeover target, citing its location in a prosperous and commercially attractive area of England. So in 1992 a merger was agreed forming Southern Radio plc, which would see further changes to Ocean Sound:

*Power FM would continue
*"Ocean Sound" and "The Light FM" would unite as Ocean Sound - Classic Hits (later abbreviated just to Ocean FM)
*"The Gold AM" would merge with Southern Sound's AM frequencies to create South Coast Radio.

In 1994 Capital Radio Group, looking for expansion possibilities, opted to purchase Southern Radio plc, which included Power FM. This led to more changes, this time to the on-air sound rather than name changes. Whilst sister-station Ocean FM would take on a softer sound, Power FM took on Capital FM's long-established, successful and highly-polished sound, with news bulletins at the top of the hour finishing with the sentence "And that's the way it is at ".

In 2005, GWR and Capital Radio Group merged to form GCap Media.As of 2008, GCap Media was bought by Global Radio.

Power FM Today

103.2 Power FM remains a popular radio station, despite South Hampshire having a higher proportion of adults, rather than its target 18-25 age range. Now part of the One Network group of stations, it still has the high-energy sound listeners have come to expect.

Power FM went digital in 2003, airing on DAB digital radio in South Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, along with sister stations Ocean FM, XFM, former stations Capital Gold (now Gold) and Capital Disney (as part of Channel 9, shared originally with Southampton Hospital Radio and South City FM, as well as competitors Wave 105, The Saint (now Radio Hampshire, and BBC Radio Solent. Subsequent changes have seen Traffic Radio replace Channel 9.

Galaxy South Coast

On September 16th 2008, it was announced by Global Radio's CEO Ashley Tabor that Power would be rebranded and become part of Global's Galaxy Radio network on 22nd November 2008. The station will be called Galaxy South Coast.

Presenters

Power FM presenters

Power FM's own presenter lineup as of November 2007 comprises:

* Zoe Hanson and Paul Gillies - Breakfast
* Adam Newstead - Midmorning
* Katie Mattin - Afternoon
* Ben Glover - Drivetime
* Hannah Clarkson - Evening
* Bob Diggles - Breakfast Producer
* Sparky - Breakfast/Drivetime Travel / Sunday Breakfast

Former presenters have included Claire Anderson, who moved the theJazz and was replaced by Kate Mattin, Rick Jackson and Donna Alos, who left the station and the breakfast show in July 2007, as well as Toni Phillips, who moved to Capital 95.8 in July 2007, Dan Morrissey, who left in summer 2007 for BRMB, Lloydie, who was replaced by Ben Glover on drivetime, previously on evening show Power Select, Scott Mills, now with BBC Radio 1, Mike Toolan, Andy Sheldon, Cass Jones, and Seymour Segnit.

After the exit of Rick and Donna, breakfast was covered by Katie and Bob over summer 2007, with Adam Newstead replacing Dan Morrissey on midmornings later in the year and Ben Glover moved from evenings to the drivetime show vacated by Lloydie. Hannah Clarkson was recruited for the evening show.

Networked Shows

Power FM, also broadcasts some networked shows that are broadcast across the majority of The One Network. However, Power FM is one of the few stations within the network that broadcasts less of the networked shows than others. For example, Power FM does not carry Kevin Hughes' evening show, formerly Music Control, instead local DJ Hannah Clarkson presents a local evening show.

Current networked shows are:

* Hit40uk

Former networked shows are:

* Ryan Seacrest
* Late Night Love with Graham Torrington - Previously broadcast in 10pm-1pm slot, the show was axed on13 June 2008 and replaced with The Wind Down Zone with Cat James, a daytime show on sister One Network station Northants 96. However, Power FM have opted out of the show, due to the music played in the show not fitting the format, instead playing automated music until breakfast, until a replacement show takes the 10pm-1pm slot.
* Jeremy Kyle
* Music On Demand
* Myleene Klass Show, now presented by Jason Donovan

The Breakfast Show

The Power FM Breakfast Show, the station's flagship show, is currently presented by Zoe Hanson and Paul Gillies, and is known as "The Zoe and Gillies Show". They joined the station in September 2007, both previously had worked at Capital 95.8. They are joined by Sparky with live travel reports, who also does travel on drivetime, and Bob Diggles as producer.

Traffic reports are broadcast every fifteen minutes from the Travel Centre between 6.30am until 9am, with drivers calling in to alert listeners of any problems, as well as Roadcrew reports from the Thunders.

Up until July 2007, the show was presented by Rick Jackson, Donna Alos and Bob Diggles, known on air as Maximum Bob. Rick Jackson was the longest serving member of the show, joining in 1996, and left to join sister station Ocean FM's breakfast show. Donna Alos moved to sister station BRMB, with Bob Diggles staying at the station. Another regular member of the team was Handy Andy the Producer, an "expert" guitar player, who organised an unofficial song for England during Euro 2004, sold in shops across Hampshire.Travel previously took place from the Flying Eye, sponsored by O2, which flew at 2500 feet above the South of England in a light aircraft based at Southampton Airport. For many years in the mid 1990s, the Flying Eye reporter was Spencer Kelly, known as Commander Kelly, before he then went on to present the Ocean FM breakfast show before leaving to present the technology programme Click on BBC TV. A little known fact about Spencer Kelly is that his real surname is in fact Bignell.

Power Amped

Power Amped is a concert held occasionally by the radio station at Southampton Guild Hall. It features rock style bands and is designed to appeal to more mature music tastes than Power in the Park did. There have been a total of three so far:

* Power Amped 1 = El Presidente, Kubb, The Delays, Embrace
* Power Amped 2 = A school band opened the concert, The Zutons
* Power Amped 3 = The Hoosiers, The Twang, Travis

Between each of the acts, Maximum Bob has DJ'd for the crowd, with other Power FM presenters coming on stage to talk to the crowd and to introduce the next act.

FM and AM Transmitters

*Chillerton Down, Isle of Wight: 103.2 MHz FM (2 kW) directional transmitter - covering Southampton, South-West Hampshire and most of the Isle of Wight (Power FM)

*Crabwood Farm, Winchester: 96.7 MHz FM (0.5 kW) - covering Winchester and Mid-Hampshire (Ocean)

*Fort Widley, Portsmouth: 97.5 MHz FM (0.85 kW) - covering Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire (Ocean)

*Farlington Marshes, near Portsmouth: 1170 kHz AM (0.12 kW) (Gold)

*Veals Farm, near Southampton: 1557 kHz AM (0.5 kW) (Gold)

Slogans

1986 - Ocean Sound - "We're on your Wavelength!"

1989 - The Gold AM - "Go for Gold"; The Light FM - "Turn on the Light"

1992 - Power FM - "More Music"; South Coast Radio - "Light and Easy"

2002 - Power FM - "The South's Number One Hit Music Station"

2003 - Power FM - "Today's Best Music"

Present - Power FM - "Fresh Music First"

See also

*Original 106 (Solent)
*Ocean FM
*Wave 105
*Capital Gold
*GCap Media
*Century FM
*The Saint (radio station)
*107.4 The Quay "(formerly Radio Victory)"

References

[http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKHampshire.htm Aircheck UK (Hampshire)]

[http://www.crca.co.uk/ Commercial Radio Companies Association] Pocket Book, 2005-2006

[http://www.mds975.co.uk/ MDS975] : Radio, Stations & Memorabilia

[http://www.ofcom.org.uk/ Radio Authority] Pocket Book, 1994-2004

External links

* [http://www.powerfm.com/ Power FM online]
* [http://www.oceanfm.com/ Ocean FM online]
* [http://www.galaxysouthcoast.co.uk/ Galaxy South Coast]
* [http://www.gcapmedia.com/ GCap Media website] - owners of Power FM and Ocean.
* [http://www.hit40uk.com/ Hit40UK website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/ BBC Radio 1 website]