Hits Radio Lancashire
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| Broadcast area | Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Frequency | FM: 97.4 MHz DAB: 12A |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bauer Radio |
| Rock FM 2 Rock FM 3 | |
| History | |
First air date | 5 October 1982 |
| Technical information | |
| Power | 1.4 kW |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Radio Player |
| Website | www.rockfm.co.uk |
Rock FM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Lancashire, North West England and some parts of North Wales. Its output is mainly contemporary pop and current chart hits. The station is owned & operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's City 1 network of stations. The total survey area of the station for RAJAR is broadly defined as western, southern and central Lancashire including parts of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. But the station is audible on FM from Cumbria down into Wales and towards The West Midlands.
Rock FM and its sister stations Rock FM 2 and Rock FM 3 are based at studios in a converted church (St. Paul's) in Preston. The station can be received across most of north west England and North Wales. Rock FM consistently rates as the number one commercial radio station in its target service area by reach, share and hours. Over a quarter of all adults in its market listen every week.
Overview
In 1990, Red Rose Radio, which was transmitted on 97.4 MHz and 999 kHz, was split into two stations - Red Rose Rock FM using the FM frequency and Red Rose Gold on the medium wave frequency. The managing director was Dave Lincoln, with Mark Matthews as programme director, and at that time the station was owned by the Miss World Group, later known as TransWorld Communications (owned by Owen Oyston) and which subsequently became part of Bauer Radio (previously EMAP Radio).
Programming
Local programming is produced and broadcast from Rock FM's Preston studios from 6am-2pm and 3-7pm on weekdays, 2-6pm on Saturdays and 12-4pm on Sundays.
Rock FM also carries networked programming from sister stations Key 103 in Manchester, Radio Aire in Leeds and Forth 1 in Edinburgh. The Vodafone Big Top 40 is syndicated from Global Radio at its Capital studios in London for broadcast on over 145 commercial radio stations across the UK.
The station's local presenters are Steve and Janine Marsh (weekday breakfast), Fiona Sadler, David Ditchfield and Mark Freejack (Freejack's Classic Cuts).[1]
The station's nation network presenters include Paddy McGuinness, Darryl Morris, Dave Kelly, Jack Wood, Kelly Pegg, Marvin Humes, Simon Morykin, Wes Butters and So Wright. [2]
News
Rock FM broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6am to 7pm on weekdays, from 7am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside sport and traffic bulletins.
National bulletins from Sky News Radio are carried overnight with bespoke networked bulletins on weekend afternoons, usually produced at sister station Radio Aire in Leeds.