Champion 103's final logo
Heart Cymru (formerly Champion 103) is an independent local radio station broadcasting to Gwynedd and Anglesey from the Arfon transmitting station. It was previously part of the Marcher Radio Group, but was rebranded as Heart 103 on 22 June 2009 and is now part of Global Radio's Heart Network.[1]
[edit] History
When it launched in 1998 as Champion 103, it was the first station to serve Anglesey and Gwynedd as a whole, although Marcher Coast 96.3 had been broadcasting to a small part of the area for some time. The station originally broadcast from studios at Parc Menai in Bangor, Gwynedd (later sharing facilities with Heart North Wales Coast) before co-locating to the studios of Heart North West and Wales in Wrexham.[2]
Although its official transmission area takes in most of the Isle of Anglesey and a large part of Gwynedd (as far south as Harlech), the location of its transmitter means the signal carries across Cardigan Bay and can be heard in parts of Pembrokeshire and even the Republic of Ireland.
The station broadcasts a mix of Welsh- and English-language programming - local output is presented largely in Welsh and incorporates Welsh language music with English language local content consisting of peak-time traffic bulletins and daytime news updates. In addition to daily breakfast shows, the station opts out of the network to carry additional local programming including an extended 6-hour afternoon and drivetime show and a weekend afternoon show. Network programming is relayed from London at all other times.
The station's local output was not affected by a restructuring of the Heart Network in July 2010, which saw sister stations serving the North Wales Coast, Cheshire & North East Wales and the Wirral merged to form Heart North West and Wales.[3] The former North Wales Coast station on 96.3FM maintains an opt-out for early morning Welsh-language programmes and news bulletins.
[edit] Programming
[edit] Local presenters
- Kev Bach (Heart Breakfast and Sunday morning)
- Cerian Griffith (Saturday and Sunday afternoon)
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- Alistair James (Monday to Friday drivetime and Saturday morning)
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[edit] Networked presenters
- Toby Anstis (Monday to Friday mornings)
- Nicola Bonn (Monday to Friday early breakfast)
- Nick Snaith (Monday to Friday afternoons)
- Simon Dale (Monday to Friday evenings)
- Simon Beale (Sunday to Thursday nights)
- Margherita Taylor (Monday to Friday overnights)
- Matt Wilkinson (Saturday and Sunday breakfast)
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Heart Cymru broadcasts local news updates weekdays half hourly between 6am and 9am, then hourly from 9am to 6pm. At the weekend, local news is broadcast hourly between 8am and 11am. National news updates from London are broadcast at 7pm weekdays and at 6am, 7am, 12noon, 1pm and 2pm at the weekend.
Breakfast bulletins between 6:30am & 9am and drivetime bulletins between 4pm & 6pm are broadcast in Welsh only. English language local bulletins air between 10am & 3pm with a bilingual bulletin broadcast at 6am. Traffic bulletins on the station are also broadcast in English. Welsh language bulletins are produced and broadcast from Global Radio's Cardiff Bay studios with English language bulletins & traffic updates broadcast from Heart's Wrexham studios.
[edit] News staff
Broadcast Journalists
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Cardiff:
Elliw Hughes (also broadcast journalist for Capital FM South Wales)
Sion Pritchard
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Wrexham:
Alex Davies
Andy Downton
Natasia Moore
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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| BBC regional/local stations |
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| Regional commercial stations |
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| Local commercial stations |
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| Community, charity & non-profit stations |
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| Student stations |
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| Defunct local stations |
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| Welsh DAB multiplexes |
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| UK national BBC services |
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| UK national commercial services |
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| UK national DAB multiplexes |
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