96.9 Viking FM

Infobox Radio station


name=Viking FM
airdate= April 17 1984
frequency=96.9 MHz
share = 8.0%
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php]
area= East Riding & Northern Lincolnshire
format =Contemporary|owner = Bauer Radio
"The Best of the 80's, 90's and Now"
website = [http://www.vikingfm.co.uk www.vikingfm.co.uk]

Viking FM is an Independent Local Radio station which has broadcast music and local information to the East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire counties of England since 1984.Fact|date=April 2008} It is based in Kingston upon Hull.

Ownership

In 1990, The Yorkshire Radio Network, who owned Viking as well as Radio Hallam, Pennine Radio and Classic Gold), were bought by Metro Radio group, who were ultimately bought by media empire EMAP in 1996 and is part of their Big City Network of stations. As a result of their 2008 takeover of the group, Viking is now owned by H. Bauer Publishing as part of their radio arm.

Technical

It is transmitted from the High Hunsley transmitter on the Yorkshire Wolds, near North Cave, sharing the 200 ft tower with Galaxy Yorkshire and BBC Radio Humberside, as well as on the Bauer Humberside DAB multiplex from three transmitters, located at High Hunsley, Buckton Barn near Bridlington and Grimsby town centre.

It is also streamed over the Internet via Viking FM's website (listed in the external links), making it accessible to listeners from all across the UK. Worldwide webcasting has recently been suspended for licensing reasons.

History

The Past

It began as Viking Radio on 102.7FM and 1161MW. During the application process for the licence the station's working title was "Humber Bridge Radio". In spring 1986, the radio station had to move to 96.9FM, the then residence of arch-competitor Radio Humberside, which moved to 95.9FM. In summer 1986, the station hit the showbiz big time by signing up the pop music connoisseur Paul Gambaccini. Viking was the first commercial radio station in the UK to introduce split programming so that it could broadcast rugby league commentary on Sunday afternoons on its AM frequency leaving FM clear to take the Network Chart Show. In 1988, Viking Radio split frequencies on a permanent basis and was transformed into Viking FM on 96.9 FM and Viking Gold on 1161 (said "Double-One Six-One") medium wave. The AM station later became Classic Gold, Classic Gold Radio, Great Yorkshire Gold and Great Yorkshire Radio. It is now known as Magic 1161 (said "Eleven-Sixty-One").

Presenters

Notable weekday programming includes Nicksy (Networked Show), Sam and Mark, Paul Foster, Viking FM's 2 o'clock Takeover, James Piekos, In Demand with Rich and Luce (Networked Show), and The Confessional. Friday programming includes Feelgood Friday Night with Luce (Networked Show) and Patrick Billington.

Saturday programming includes Liam Smedley, Ian Skye, Patrick Billington, Chris Johnson, James Piekos, and Paul Foster. Sunday programming includes Liam Smedley, Paul Foster, Easy Like Sunday Morning (Scott Makin), Ian Skye, Hit40UK (Networked Show), Patrick Billington, and The Confessional.

Current Management

Achievement

In 2005 the station won its first Gold Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for "Happy Hour"; a news investigation into binge drinking in the region. The won a Bronze award in 2006 for their series of programmes on subjects like ASBO's and street crime.

In 2005, Viking FM's Creative Team (who write and make the adverts) won a Vox Award for a Road Safety ad, in 2006 they won no less than 4 Vox Awards (Best Campaign, Best Use of Music, Best Media Production and Other) and the London International Awards for Sound Design. In 2007 they achieved a finalist place at the New York Awards and won a United Nations Award for Peace and Human Rights, one of only 4 given out worldwide.

The studio has a Webcam. This allows listeners to watch the goings on inside studio 1 (the main studio) at Viking on the Internet. This can be found on the Viking FM website and refreshes every 30 seconds. A further pioneering development, and a UK first was the installation of a new "fish cam", recording the wacky antics of the Viking FM goldfish. Despite high hopes, this has not yet secured an award.

Branding

Logos

The original logo depicted the station mascot "Eric the Viking", this was phased out in the late 80s when the logo style was shared with its sister stations. Currently the stations logo contains the "Bauer Radio splash", this is used to brand all of the groups Big City Network.

Jingles

Viking original package was produced by Cath Baxter Productions, further idents were made by Jam Creative Productions, Alfasound and Reelworld. Viking went through a stage starting in the late 90s of only using voice over sweeper production produced in-house, however, in 2006 a new sung package was commissioned. These new idents are from Jones TM in Dallas, U.S.A

External links

* [http://www.tellytunes.com/photocards_vikingfm.asp Photos from the glory days!!]
* [http://www.vikingfm.co.uk Viking FM]
* [http://www.kpsenterprise.co.uk/mercia1980/viking/viking_radio.htm Early Jingles.]
* [http://www.mp3airchecks.com/viking.mp3 More jingles (from 1996).]
* [http://www.geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKYorks.htm History of local radio in Yorkshire.]
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/d.allen43/main_pages/Viking%20Hull.htm David's Transmitter World]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/high-hunsley.asp High Hunsley transmitter.]