Trent FM

Trent FM

Broadcast area	Nottingham, Mansfield and Loughborough
First air date	3 July 1975 frequency=96.2 MHz (Nottingham), 96.5 MHz (Mansfield), DAB
Format	CHR/Pop
Audience share	10.9% (December 2009, )

Trent FM was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Nottinghamshire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Leicester Sound and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands (part of Global's Capital FM Network) on Monday 3 January 2011.

History

Launched on 3 July 1975 as Radio Trent and based in a converted hospital building at 29-31 Castle Gate, Nottingham, the station broadcast on FM and medium wave. The original line up of DJs featured John Peters (the first presenter on air), former Radio Luxembourg presenter Kid Jensen, Jeff Cooper, Peter Quinn, Graham Knight, Chris Baird and Guy Morris. Transmissions began to neighbouring Derbyshire in 1987. Renamed Trent FM in 1988, it launched a separate oldies-format service, GEM-AM, on its medium wave frequencies.

Its owners Midland Radio plc were taken over by the GWR Group in 1993, the Nottingham and Mansfield FM services were branded 96 Trent FM, while the Derby service became known as RAM FM. The medium wave GEM-AM service was then sold off, to become Classic Gold GEM. By spring 2005, Trent found itself owned by GCap Media, after GWR Group's merger with Capital Radio Group. It became part of GCap's One Network brand, a network of FM and DAB music stations across southern England, the English Midlands and Wales. The station changed hands again in 2008 when Global Radio bought GCap Media.

After thirty-one years based at Castle Gate, the historic street leading to Nottingham Castle, the station began broadcasting from new studios at the Chapel Quarter development at Chapel Bar, at midday on 9 January 2007. Trent lost the 96 prefix in its name in July 2007, to become once again Trent FM.

On 30 June 2008, The Hit Music Network was launched from the Chapel Quarter complex. This network served Trent FM, Ram FM, Leicester Sound, Ten 17, Mercury (Watford) and Mercury FM in Surrey with programming broadcast from Nottingham outside of breakfast and drivetime. Although part of the same network, Capital FM and Red Dragon FM continued airing locally produced programming 24 hours a day.

Trent FM broadcast its last local programme on Friday 31 December 2010 ahead of the station's merger with Leicester Sound and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands as part of Global Radio's plans to launch The Capital FM Network. The new station officially began broadcasting at 10am on Monday 3 January 2011 and is based at Trent's Chapel Quarter studios.

Past presenters

• Anne-Marie Minhall (Worked on Careline, Nightlife and Talkback. Later worked for GEM-AM, now at Classic FM.
• Jo Russell (Breakfast co-presenter, moved to Absolute Radio. Now presents drivetime at BRMB)

   Chris Ashley.
   Bill Bingham, now bulletins editor at Sky News Radio.
   Colin Bower.
   Amanda Bowman, an original Trent Careline presenter who after GEM-AM and then the Classic Gold Digital Network returned to Nottingham for Saga 106.6 FM's morning show. She can now be heard presenting an evening show for Saga's replacement, 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Alex Burnett, whose Trent debut in 1980 was presenting a rock chart during the children's show Roadrunners. He remained involved in radio for some years but steadily gravitated toward his successful career as a record producer, using the name Sandy Burnett.
   Mark Burrows, later at GEM-AM, Saga 106.6 FM and now 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Gary Burton, who presented breakfast, mornings and afternoons on Trent, subsequently of BBC 6Music and Heart FM now at 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Ian Chilvers, former presenter on Century 106 who later went on to Saga 106.6 FM. Can now be heard on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Luis Clark, former programme controller at Trent, now at Heart FM
   Richard Clarke and Lucy Horobin, now at Key 103, broadcasting to Emap's other stations in the north of England.
   Jeff Cooper, former presenter with The Superstation, who later hosted a Saturday afternoon show for Saga 106.6 FM. He is now at 106.6 Smooth Radio and internet station radio2XS.
   Jenny Costello, ex-BBC Radio 1, now Radio Jackie.
   Danny Cox started at the Trent Derby afternoon show; he took over the Nottingham breakfast show and the weekly top 30 when John Peters moved over to GEM-AM.
   James Daniels, started as swing presenter at Trent FM Nottingham in 1993, moved to Derby when RAM FM was launched in 1994, returned to Trent FM to present the afternoon show from 2000–2003, and then took up the position of Programme Controller at RAM FM in 2003, he is still presently there.
   Tim Disney
   Viv Evans.
   Sean Goldsmith, came to Trent from Leicester Sound, did the evening show 94-96, then moved to Mercia, Hallam FM, Century Radio and now at Peak FM
   Tim Gough, who started his career at another 'Original ILR' station, Radio Orwell. He went on to present the weekday drivetime show on Saga 106.6 FM in the East Midlands, and now hosts a show on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Len Groat, former programme controller at Trent, responsible for music, jingles and renaming lots of presenters. Later, he was on GEM-AM. In 2007 he hosted 70s Sunday on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Kenny Hague, later of Leicester Sound.
   Erica Hughes, part of the launch team at Saga 106.6 FM.
   Franklyn Hughes.
   Nick Jackson, now at Absolute Radio.
   Caren James.
   David Jensen.
   Jason King[2], now at Key 103 in Manchester
   Marcus Langreiter former Producer 1994 - 2005, now programme controller at Heart in Gloucestershire and Programme Controller at Heart Wiltshire.
   David Lloyd. Lloyd won a Sony award for Trent,and was General Manager and Programme Contoller of Leicester Sound.After leaving Trent,he help to start Lincs FM.He later went on to run the Galaxy Network for Chrysalis before becoming Managing Director of LBC in London.After leaving LBC following its buyout by Global Radio,he became progamming and marketing director of Virgin Radio,and recently became Programme Director of Orion Media,the owners of BRMB, Wyvern FM, Beacon FM,and Mercia FM.
   Tony Lyman, later of Leicester Sound, GEM-AM and Saga 106.6 FM. He can now be heard on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Andy Marriott, later Trent 945 Derby and GEM-AM. He was also an announcer for Central Television and LWT. He worked on both Saga 106.6 FM in the East Midlands and Saga 105.7 FM in the West Midlands and was a presenter on 105.7 Smooth Radio. He now works as a transmission controller in TV.
   Anne Marie Minhall, who started as a Careline presenter, later Rob Wagstaff's assistant on Nightlife and Talkback presenter, then GEM-AM and is now on Classic FM.
   Steve Merike, ex Radio Caroline and Radio 1, afternoon presenter on Trent, later GEM-AM and Saga 106.6 FM. Now a university lecturer and local politician.
   Andy Miller, part of the launch team at Trent 945 Derby, now at RAM FM in Derby.
   Guy Morris, later of Leicester Sound. Now presents 70s Sunday on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Graham Neale (Deceased) presented "Castle Rock" on Trent, just after "Newsday", from 1980-83. He also presented "Album Tracking" on Sunday Afternoons about the same time.f
   Lee Peck - news reader
   John Peters, presented the station's first show. He hosted breakfast shows on Trent, GEM-AM and Saga 106.6 FM, (now called 106.6 Smooth Radio). He currently presents a 60's rock'n'roll show on internet radio station Radio2XS, and the Saturday Sports Show on Saturday afternoons on Gravity FM in Grantham.
   Peter Quinn.
   Dean Roberts, former Evening Show Presenter (Nottingham Nights/Late Night Lounge), later Head of News at Leicester Sound, and is now 96 Trent FM's websitemanager. He was previously at Wyvern FM in Worcester/Severn Sound in Gloucester.
   Paul Robey, later GEM-AM and Saga 106.6 FM. Now at BBC Radio Nottingham.
   David Ross, presented the late show in the mid nineties, also presented shows on GEM AM and the Classic Gold Network. David moved to Magic AM in Sheffield before presenting Drive on Oak FM and then Mid-Morning on Peak FM. Works for Lincs FM Group as a freelancer.
   Bob Snyder. The station's first programme director was a former "pirate" who also worked at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, and Beacon Radio in the West Midlands. Disgusted with British radio, Snyder left for Canada in 1980. He worked with CKLG Vancouver, and then CJDC in Northern BC. He now operates a "show prep" service used by almost 1,000 DJs across North America. (www.tomslake.com)
   Tim Rogers. Started broadcasting career on Radio Trent, went on to also broadcast on Xtra AM in Birmingham and eventually was to be found on Gem Am. He presented National Country Show on the Classic Gold Network which included numerous broadcasts from Nashville, Grand ole Opry etc., a show on Boundary Sound, and now Saga Country on Saga 106.6 FM East Midlands. In February 2007 Tim won the Country Music Association of America International Broadcasters Award for outstanding contributions to Country Music. Quoted by Country Music contemporaries as "the Country Music Presenter who was the benchmark for us all from the 70's onwards...". Tim can now be heard on Gravity FM in Grantham on Tuesday evenings presenting Classic Country.
   John Shaw, whose Here Be Dragons late-night Trent show was later in the same Sunday night slot on Saga 106.6 FM wnd was entitled Here Be John Shaw. He was also later to be heard on 106.6 Smooth Radio.
   Rob Smith, former producer and swing presenter. Went on to Severn Sound in Gloucester, then the GWR network in Bristol to present the evening show "Mel & Rob's Hot 30 Countdown" across 30 stations. He then went to Heart Dorset (nee 2CR FM) in Bournemouth presenting the drive show. Now runs his own video promotions company and does occasional "swing" presenting.
   Mark Spivey.
   Dick Stone, former presenter of "Dick in the morning" and now Programme Director of Trent FM & The Hit Music Network.
   Craig Strong, winner of the Nottingham Evening Post's "After Dark" award for best local radio presenter while at Trent. He was later to be heard on a number of other stations, including GEM-AM, Leicester Sound, Ram FM, Trax FM, Fosseway Radio, Mercia FM, Hereward FM the original RSL for Smooth Radio, and Lincs FM. Now presenting The Soul Show on Ambersound FM 107.2 Tuesday evening at 9.00.
   Peter Tait (Deceased)
   Brian Tansley, has left the radio business. He always said he would!
   George Taylor, former producer 2005 - 2007, now producer for Pure Tonic Media.
   Gary Terzza, who moved to Trent 96.2 after working at Trent in Derby, and now senior announcer at Channel 4.
   Rob Wagstaff, Trent Nightlife and Morning Show presenter, now at Trax FM.
   Pete Wagstaff, now in charge of the radio interests of Midland News Association.
   Dave West (Deceased). He was Radio Trent's station engineer and weekend show presenter from approx. 1980 to 1991.
   Dale Winton, presented the mid-mornig show from 1977 to 1983. Now a television entertainment show host and Radio Two presenter.
   Colin Woolley.
   Kevin Wright (Deceased), Early Breakfast presenter circa 1983.
   Graham Wright joined Radio Trent in November 1987 and occasionally presented "The Music Jam" - 1 hour of "continuous quality music" - before moving to GEM-AM in 1988 as one of the on-air launch team. Subsequently he was heard on the networked 1-6am show across the East Midlands before moving to daytime GEM-AM. He is now a presenter on BBC Radio Derby and a news journalist at Harborough FM.

Global Radio Commercial Production Studio at Trent FM

The Trent FM studios also housed the majority of the local commercial production studios for Global Radio. The studios produced the local commercial output of Global's local radio stations, through 8 dedicated studios. Trent FM's Castle Gate building housed 6 of these studios, and the facility remained with the station when it moved to its new home at Chapel Quarter, Nottingham in January 2007.

Slogans

Some of the more well-known slogans used on air were/are:

• Sounds Like You Wanna Hear
• Magic Trent 301
• Sound It Out
• Your 24 Hour Friend
• Radio Trent And You
• Stereo Radio Trent FM
• Today's FM music station
• A better music mix
• The new 96 Trent FM
• Today's best mix, today's best variety
• More music, less talk
• Playing the best mix of the 80's, 90's and today.
• Today's best mix.
• Your hit music station
• Your number one hit music station
• Today's better music mix

External links

• Listen to Trent
• Trent FM's website
• Radio Trent's website
• Trent in Derby
• Part One of a Radio Trent documentary from 1979
• Part Two of a Radio Trent documentary from 1979
• Charting the Charts- 1989 Radio Trent documentary