Planet Rock (radio station)

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Not to be confused with Planet Radio Classic Rock (a US-based LoudCity internet radio station).
Planet Rock
Planet Rock Logo.jpg
Broadcast area United Kingdom
Branding 'Where Rock Lives', 'The UKs Classic Rock Station'
Frequency DAB
Channel 0110 (Sky)
Channel 730 (Freesat)
Channel 924 (Virgin Media)
Channel 919 (UPC Ireland)
First air date 15 November 1999
Format Classic rock
Audience share 0.6% (December 2012, [1])
Owner Bauer Radio
Website www.planetrock.com

Planet Rock is a multiple Sony Award-winning digital radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Bauer Media. The station broadcasts classic rock music. It is available nationally via the Digital One DAB network, and on Virgin Media cable television, on Freesat and Sky, its website and via an Android or iPhone App.

Contents

Shows and presenters [edit]

Planet Rock was founded in 1999 as the only classic rock radio station in the UK at that time.

Since 2006 Planet Rock has featured an array of rock star presenters who have either fronted limited run series or hosted long running weekly or monthly shows.

The syndicated Alice Cooper radio show was edited in the UK for a breakfast audience as the Breakfast With Alice Cooper show, which ran in the 6-9am slot until 17 January 2011 when his show became Nights With Alice Cooper and broadcast at 9pm each weeknight and on Saturdays at 7pm.

Current star presenters include Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, who has presented a weekly Saturday evening show at 6pm since June 2010 and blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa who presented a weekly show on Sundays at 6pm left at the end of March 2013.

A number of other star presenters have hosted shows on Planet Rock: Rick Wakeman hosted a Saturday morning show for five years until December 2010; Gary Moore hosted the award winning Blues Power series in 2008; Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi presented two series of Black Sunday for the station; Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson presented a series called Under The Influence; Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera presented two series for the station in 2007 and 2009 which looked at influential guitar players and guitar playing styles; Former Marillion frontman Fish hosted two series of the award winning Fish On Fridays; Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham hosted one series which aired in 2010; Europe singer Joey Tempest hosted a series on Sunday evenings until early 2011 and Francis Rossi of Status Quo (band) who hosted a thirteen part series until June 2011.

Morning presenter Rob Birnie resigned from 29 June 2012, after disagreeing with the owner over the station's direction.

In February 2013, Rob Birnie's replacement on the morning show, Wyatt Wendels, and new host of the World famous Anorak Quiz, admitted that he had not seen the classic rock film 'This Is Spinal Tap'. Weekday afternoon DJ, and self-confessed Rush enthusiast, Darren Redick has since purchased this for Wyatt's viewing pleasure in March 2013.

Awards and listening figures [edit]

In 2005, Planet Rock was awarded UK Digital Station Of The Year at the Xtrax British Radio Awards. During the following year the station picked up Digital Radio Station Of The Year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards.

The station has picked up four New York Festival Awards in its time, including Best Show for "Fish On A Friday" presented by former Marillion frontman Fish and "Bluespower" presented by Gary Moore.

In 2006, the station received the Sony Radio Academy Gold Award for Digital Terrestrial Radio Station of the Year,[1] and in 2007, the Gold Award for Station Imaging.[2]

On 12 May 2008, Planet Rock won three Sony awards, Bronze in the Multi-Platform radio category, Silver for Fish's "Fish on Friday" show, and (for the second time) the Gold Award for Digital Terrestrial Radio Station of the Year.[3]

At the BT Digital Music Awards in 2008, Planet Rock received the Best Radio Station Award.

In 2009 and 2011, the station picked up awards for Commercial Radio Station Of The Year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards and Best Digital Radio Station at the Freesat Awards.

In 2010 the station won the Digital Station Of The Year Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards

In the most recent RAJAR figures (Q1 2012) Planet Rock reached a weekly audience of 867,000.

Sale [edit]

On 11 February 2008, the previous owner GCap Media (now Global Radio), announced that the station would be closing by 31 March 2008, along with sister station theJazz, unless a buyer was found. According to a statement by former presenter Fish, this was not due to the profitability of Planet Rock itself, which had been reported to be good, but rather to GCap's overall financial state. The station's relative popularity on digital radio brought controversy to the closure threat.[4][5]

Although theJazz ceased broadcasting on schedule, a campaign by listeners meant that a number of buyers expressed interest in Planet Rock, including a consortium publicly headed by Queen guitarist Brian May.[6] The station therefore remained on air while sale negotiations continued.

On 4 June 2008, Planet Rock announced that it had been sold to a consortium led by Malcolm Bluemel and supported by Tony Iommi, Ian Anderson, Gary Moore, and Fish. There was no break in transmission and the programming remained unchanged.[7]

On 25 September 2012, it was reported that Malcolm Bluemel was looking for a buyer for the station.[8]

On 6 February 2013, it was announced that the station had been sold to Bauer Media Group for deal worth between £1 million and £2 million.[9]

Presenters and shows [edit]

Current line-up [edit]

  • Breakfast with Paul Anthony (Weekdays 6-9am, until 28th September 2012, then 6-10am as from 1st October 2012 and includes the Connection)
  • Morning Show with Wyatt Wendels (Weekdays 10am-2pm, and includes the RockBlock, New Rock, Saturdays 10pm-12am, Sunday Nights 10pm-1am)
  • Darren Redick (Weekdays 2-6pm, Sundays 10am-1pm)
  • Samanthi (Weekdays 6-9pm)
  • Alice Cooper ("Nights with Alice") (Weeknights 9pm-1am, Saturdays 7-10pm)
  • Murray J's Request Show (Weekends 2-6pm)
  • Mark Jeeves (Weekends 7-10am)
  • Bernard Doherty ("Listomania") (Weekends 1-2pm)
  • Ian Anderson ("The Lyricists: All Mouth and Trousers") (Saturdays 7-8pm)
  • Joe Elliott (Saturdays 6-7pm)
  • Al Murray (Sundays 10am-noon)
  • Sam Hughes (Stand in presenter)
  • My Planet Rocks (Sundays 7-8pm)

Previous presenters [edit]

See also [edit]

Portal icon Guitar portal
Portal icon Heavy metal portal
Portal icon Progressive rock portal
Portal icon Rock and Roll portal
Portal icon Blues portal
Portal icon Radio portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Digital Terrestrial Station Of The Year". Sony Radio Academy. Retrieved 2008-02-17. 
  2. ^ "Station Imaging Award". Sony Radio Academy. Retrieved 2008-02-17. 
  3. ^ "Digital Terrestrial Station Of The Year". Sony Radio Academy. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  4. ^ "Planet Rock Rocks Louder Than Ever". Planet Rock. 2008-01-31. Retrieved 2008-02-11. 
  5. ^ "Two GCap digital stations closed". BBC News Online. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-11. 
  6. ^ "Brian May on mission to save Planet Rock". Digital Spy. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-05-08. 
  7. ^ "PLANET ROCK SOLD". Planet Rock Online. 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-06-04. [dead link]
  8. ^ "Loss-making station Planet Rock for sale". Radio Today. 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  9. ^ "Bauer Media UK Acquires Planet Rock" (Press release). Bauer Media Group. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013. 

External links [edit]

Coordinates: 51°31′16″N 0°10′04″W / 51.52115°N 0.16781°W / 51.52115; -0.16781

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