Global Radio

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This is Global Limited
Type Private
Industry Media
Founded 2007
Headquarters Leicester Square, London, England, UK[1]
Key people Ashley Tabor (Founder/Exec. president)
Stephen Miron (CEO)
Charles Allen (Chairman)
Richard Park (Director of Broadcasting)
Website http://www.thisisglobal.com

This is Global Limited is the holding company of British commercial radio company Global Radio, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio, GCap Media and GMG Radio.

The company's Executive President and Founder is Ashley Tabor, Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen. Richard Park is Group Executive Director and Director of Broadcasting.

Contents

History [edit]

Global Radio was founded by Ashley Tabor and in 2007 purchased Chrysalis Radio, where Global took control of the radio brands Heart, Galaxy, LBC and The Arrow. A year later on 31 October 2008 Global Radio officially took control of all GCap Media and its brands. The GCap Media name was dropped at this time. The GCap purchase gave Global the network of FM stations which GCap had operated as The One Network (many of which are now part of the Heart or Capital networks), plus Classic FM, XFM, Choice FM, Gold and Chill.

Following the acquisition of GCap Media Global were required to sell off a number of stations in the Midlands. The stations were bought by Orion Media, headed by Phil Riley, former Chief Executive of Chrysalis Radio.

Heritage local radio stations in areas which were not already served by Heart FM were gradually rebranded and incorporated into a larger Heart Network that covers most of southern England and parts of North Wales. The remaining stations briefly formed The Hit Music Network before being merged with the Galaxy network and Capital London into the Capital network.

On 25 June 2012, Global acquired GMG Radio for a sum thought to be between £50 and £70 million and will continue to be run separately whilst a regulatory review is conducted.

Capital [edit]

Main article: Capital (radio network)

A group of stations playing chart music. On 3 January 2011, Capital London, The Hit Music Network and the Galaxy network became part of the nine-station Capital radio network. Known as “95 – 106 Capital, The UK’s No.1 Hit Music Station” all stations ID locally as [freq] Capital. Local news hours will be extended and local advertising will remain locally sold, all programming with the exception of breakfast and drive originates from Leicester Square, London.

Heart [edit]

Main article: Heart (radio network)

Heart is a network of adult-contemporary pop stations across southern England and north Wales. The network began with a regional station in the West Midlands and subsequently a station in London. Heart 106 in the East Midlands was sold to Orion Media and run as a franchise retaining its current name until the start of 2011 where it was rebranded to Gem 106. In 2009 many of the heritage CHR stations which had formed part of the One Network were renamed Heart, as were Ocean and South Hams Radio (which were not part of the One Network). Heart Hertfordshire is owned by Adventure Radio and uses the Heart name and format under licence from Global; also Heart South Devon is partly owned by UKRD Group, all other Heart stations are wholly Global-owned. Heart is also available on DAB in some areas where there is not a local Heart station receiving Heart Digital, which is a relay of Heart London.

Classic FM [edit]

Main article: Classic FM (UK)

Classical music station broadcast nationally on FM and DAB; also available on Freesat, Sky Digital and Virgin Media.

LBC Radio [edit]

Main articles: LBC and LBC 97.3

LBC is a London orientated speech-based station featuring news, opinion and information. Its sister station LBC News offers rolling news during daytime, but now simulcasts LBC's FM content overnight. Its presenters on the FM station include Nick Ferrari, Steve Allen, Iain Dale, James Whale, Anthony Davis, Ken Livingstone, David Mellor, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Clive Bull, James Max, Petrie Hosken, Nick Abbot, Ian Collins, Emma Barnett, Duncan Barkes, Andrew Gilligan, Ian Payne, Susan Bookbinder, Cristo Foufas & James O'Brien.

  • LBC 97.3 - FM/DAB in London, DAB selected other areas, nationally on Sky and Virgin Media, and via a live stream on the LBC website.
  • LBC News 1152 - AM/DAB in London only and via a live stream on the LBC website. It is also available nationally on Sky channel 0124.

Xfm [edit]

Main article: Xfm

Xfm broadcasts alternative rock and independent music. It began officially in 1997 as an independent London station, it was purchased by Capital Radio Group (now Global). The Xfm brand was extended in 2006-7 with the launch of stations in Scotland, Manchester and South Wales. The Scotland station was rebranded to Galaxy Scotland which is now Capital Scotland and The South Wales station was sold to Town & Country Broadcasting becoming Nation Radio.

  • Xfm London - London FM, various areas DAB, nationally on Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.
  • Xfm Manchester - Manchester FM, various DAB multiplexes in north of England

Choice FM [edit]

Main article: Choice FM

An all-urban station based in London. Until Summer 2010 it was part of the Galaxy network for marketing purposes only, but retained its own separate branding and programming. It now sits as its own brand within Global Radio's lineup.

Gold [edit]

Main article: Gold (radio)

A network of 'golden oldies' stations, there are three different variants of the station; England & Scotland, Wales and West Midlands. Many of these were the AM sister stations to heritage CHR stations which are now Heart or Capital stations; though Gold Manchester was originally a standalone station Fortune 1458 and Lite AM before becoming part of the Big-AM and later Capital Gold networks. On DAB, Gold is available in some areas which do not have Gold on AM; in these areas Gold UK is carried, though it may carry local branding on the label.

The Gold Network
Listen to Gold on Your TV

Freesat: 722 Sky: 0121 TalkTalk TV: 611 Virgin Media: 959 Virgin TV (ex Telewest only): 941 ((South West only)) WightCable Audio Channels: 2

Digital-only stations [edit]

Global currently operates two stations exclusively broadcast to digital listeners:

  • Chill - mellow music; DAB in London.
  • The Arrow - classic rock music; DAB in London only.

Former stations [edit]

Several DAB-only stations previously operated by Global or its predecessors have now been sold off or closed down, including Capital Life, Core, The Storm, Capital Disney, Heart Digital, theJazz. There was also a digital station called The Mix, which aired content from GWR's Mix Network to DAB and digital TV listeners, but this was withdrawn following the GWR-Capital merger.

Planet Rock was sold to Rock Show consortium led by Malcolm Bluemel.

The 106 East Midlands radio licence is owned by Orion Media and it operated under a brand licence as Heart East Midlands until January 2011 when it was renamed Gem 106.[2]

Criticism [edit]

In February 2009 Global Radio and LBC were the subject of criticism by technical and scientific bloggers following their threat of legal action against medical journalist Ben Goldacre for mounting part of an LBC 97.3 broadcast by Jeni Barnett on his website.[3] The move was interpreted as an attempt to suppress criticism and debate rather than enforcement of copyright.

The broadcast has been characterised as irresponsible by David Aaronovitch in The Times, and LBC and Barnett were specifically identified in a critical Early Day Motion by Norman Lamb MP.

References [edit]

  1. ^ [1] Global Radio
  2. ^ http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.6448
  3. ^ "Radio Station Uses Copyright Claim To Try To Silence Bad Science Critic; Guess What Happens?", TechDirt, 6 February 2009

External links [edit]

Global Radio
Corporate directors
Charles Allen, Chairman
Ashley Tabor, Group CEO
Richard Park, Executive Director
Stephen Miron, CEO
Mark Evans, CFO
Owen McGartol, Director
National FM station
Capital
Heart
Real Radio
Real Radio XS
LBC
XFM
Other stations
Digital stations
Television channels
Related articles
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