This is a timeline of notable events relating to Greatest Hits Radio, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio. The timeline also covers the Magic and Big City 2 networks, which were the forerunners to Greatest Hits Radio.
1990s 1990 9 July – Melody Radio launches as an easy listening music service in London. 17 July – Magic 828 launches as a MW oldies station in Leeds.
1997 February – Emap launches a network of Magic stations on its MW frequencies across the north of England. Playing soft adult contemporary music, they replace regional oldies stations Great North Radio and Great Yorkshire Gold. Magic 1161 and Magic 990, 1305 & 1548 launch on the 12th, followed one week later by the north east stations Magic 1152 and Magic 1170 17 March – The Magic brand is rolled out across the North West.
1998 June – Emap purchases Melody 105.4 FM. December – Melody Radio is renamed Magic 105.4 FM.
1999 No events.
2000s 2000 No events.
2001 December – EMAP decides that it is more economical for north of England Magic stations to share off-peak programmes and begins networking with the London station Magic 105.4 between 10am-2pm, and 7pm-6am, although there are local commercial breaks, and local news on the hour. During these hours, the station is simply known as Magic.
2002 No events.
2003 January – Due to a sharp decline in listening, Emap ends the networking of London station Magic 105.4 on the north of England Magic stations and a regional northern network is created with programmes broadcast from Magic 1152 in Newcastle. During networked hours, local adverts are aired, as well as local news on the hour. September – Live evening programmes on Magic 105.4 are replaced by automated output.
2004 No events.
2005 June – Emap acquires Scottish Radio Holdings, gaining control of a suite of AM/FM stations in Scotland including Clyde 2, Forth 2, Tay AM, Moray Firth Radio, West Sound and Northsound 2, plus regional stations including Vibe FM (rebranded to Kiss in 2006) in the East of England and the Severn Estuary, and Wave 105 on the South coast.The Guardian, 2005-06-21
2006 July – The Magic AM network is revamped to appeal to an older audience. The changes see the introduction of more networking with only the 4 hour breakfast show remaining local.
2007 No events.
2008 29 January – Bauer completes the purchase of EMAPs radio, television and consumer media businesses, purchasing the assets for £1.14bn.
2009 4 June – Local programming on AM stations in Scotland is dropped outside of weekday breakfast and specialist shows are introduced.
2010s 2010 No events.
2011 No events.
2012 April – The weekend breakfast show on the north of England Magic Network stations stops being a local show and is replaced by a networked programme. Consequently, only the weekday breakfast show remains locally produced.
2013 15 April – Bauer increases networking on its Yorkshire Magic stations with a networked breakfast show coming from Magic 828 in Leeds.Bauer networks three more Magic stations The other local Magic breakfast shows become regional programmes at around the same time.Magic AM starts networking at breakfast Radio Today, 15 February 2013 1 July – The remaining Scottish local output ceased, leading to a fully networked schedule known as Greatest Hits Network,Galloway goes national at Bauer Scotland, RadioToday, 3 June 2013 though this title was rarely used on-air as the local stations retained split local branding for a further ten years.
2014 September – Bauer Radio announces it would rebrand the Magic stations under localised identities, based on the main FM station names (e.g. Magic 1152 in Manchester becomes Key 2, based on Key 103). Magic's AM network closed with the London equivalent, Magic 105.4 FM, launching nationwide on DAB.
2015 5 January – The north of England Magic Network stations relaunch with the local identities and collectively form the Bauer City 2 network. The Scottish MW stations continue as The Greatest Hits Network but network a version of the City 2 schedule with some peak time opt-outs specific for Scotland. 7 December – Following permission from the regulator, Bauer swaps Radio City 2's format and frequencies with that of Radio City Talk. This gives City Network 2 its first berth on FM in England.
2016 Additional split programming for Scotland and England is reintroduced.
2017 No events.
2018 3 April – Northsound 2 stops broadcasting on 1035 AM and becomes a digital-only station on DAB and online.Northsound 2 to make the switch to digital this week, Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, 3 April 2018Radio station Northsound to switch off analogue service, BBC News, 9 March 2018 It is the first commercial radio station in Scotland and the first of Bauer's local stations to cease analogue broadcasting in favour of a digital switchover. 4 June – Following the renaming of Manchester station Key 103 to Hits Radio, Key 2 is renamed Key Radio.
2019 7 January Greatest Hits Radio replaces the Bauer City 2 branding. Individual station identities in Northern England are dropped and are rebranded to GHR with Scotland unaffected. The new network extends to the West Midlands although GHR West Midlands continues to air a weekday three-hour local show.Bauer Media to launch Greatest Hits Radio network Radio Today, 15 November 2018BAUER MEDIA TO LAUNCH THE GREATEST HITS RADIO NETWORK Bauer Media, 15 November 2018 Mark Goodier joins. 23 February – Pat Sharp joins.
2020s 2020 10 February – Alex Lester joins. 15 February – Janice Long and Paul Gambaccini join. 27 May – Bauer announces that the majority of the stations it acquired from UKRD, Lincs, Wireless and Celador will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio network from September, clustered to provide regional programming outside of network hours. Four of the acquired stations will join the Hits Radio network, retaining local names and a daily breakfast show, and three stations – Lincs FM, Pirate FM and SAM FM Bristol – will continue as largely standalone stations. 2 June – Greatest Hits Radio UK replaces Heat Radio on Freeview 716. 13 July – The former Wireless Group and Celador-owned stations join the Greatest Hits Radio network. The nineteen stations carry local breakfast shows and voicetracked programming whilst retaining separate branding until the full relaunch on 1 September 2020.Bauer starts to roll out Hits and Greatest Hits to new radio stations Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 9 July 2020 31 August – Bauer closes Leeds station Radio Aire after 39 years on air. Its frequency is, from the following day, used to carry Greatest Hits Radio.Radio Aire to become Greatest Hits Radio, Radio Today, 16 July 2020 1 September – The majority of the stations that Bauer Media acquired the previous year from UKRD, Lincs FM Group, Wireless Group and Celador Radio. join Greatest Hits Radio, clustered to provide regional programming outside of network hours, consisting of three hours each weekday teatime. All of the affected stations lose their individual station names. 6 September – Simon Mayo joins. 1 November – Following its purchase of Radio Plymouth, Bauer closes the station and uses the frequency to relay Greatest Hits Radio South West. 16 November – Following Bauer's purchase of The Revolution, the east Manchester station is closed and its frequency transferred to Greatest Hits Radio, thereby giving Greatest Hits Radio Manchester its first berth on FM.
2021 4 January – Debbie Mac joins. 9 January – Jenny Powell joins. 15 March – The weekday three-hour regional programme is moved from Drivetime to early afternoon to allow the station to network a new Drivetime programme hosted by Simon Mayo, and it features the return of Matt Williams as well as the return of the zoo format. 26 April – Bauer switches off its mediumwave frequencies in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds and Humberside. They are switched off following the launch of Greatest Hits Radio on FM in those areas. 17 May – Greatest Hits Radio launches on FM in London. It is able to do so by broadcasting on the frequency that carried Absolute Radio. Bauer is able to make the change following permission from Ofcom to swap Absolute Radio with Greatest Hits Radio. 17 June – Bauer purchases Stockport-based Imagine FM and announces it will add the three licenses it purchases to the Greatest Hits Radio network, further expanding GHR's coverage of both the Greater Manchester environs and into north Derbyshire (where GHR already occupies the former Peak FM). 1 September – Imagine FM rebrands as Greatest Hits Radio. 11 December – Janice Long presents her last show before her death 14 days later. 23 December – Darren Proctor hosts his final show as he leaves the station.
2022 4 January – Jackie Brambles joins, and returns to radio broadcasting after 27 years away. 8 January – Alex Lester replaces Janice Long on Saturday afternoons, and Jo Russell replaces Darren Proctor on Saturday nights. 26 February – Richard Allinson and Kate Thornton both join the station as Richard replaces Janice Long on Saturday afternoons and Kate now replaces Darren Proctor on Saturday nights. 19 September Wave 105's Poole transmitter relays Greatest Hits Radio Dorset, with Wave 105 remaining on its main transmitter. Greatest Hits Radio is removed from frequencies in Southern England, Suffolk and East Yorkshire, while Hits Radio disappears in Hampshire, as Nation Broadcasting ends its franchising agreement with Bauer Media. 14 December – Greatest Hits Radio launches on Sky TV, replacing Scala Radio on the TV platform.
2023 January – Signal 1's Stafford and Congleton transmitters switch to broadcasting Greatest Hits Radio, with Signal 1 continuing to broadcast to Stoke-on-Trent. 1 March – Bauer announces plans to replace Kiss with Greatest Hits Radio on its FM frequencies in Cambridge, Peterborough and Suffolk, subject to Ofcom approval. 20 March – Bauer launches a regional Greatest Hits Radio service for Cambridge, Peterborough and Suffolk on DAB ahead of proposed changes to its FM frequencies in the area. 2 April – Local English language programming is broadcast on Greatest Hits Radio South Wales for the final time. Its late-night programme in Welsh is retained along with the required local news, weather and advertising. 3 April Ken Bruce joins the station to present the weekday mid-morning show. Bauer Radio rebrands Clyde 2, Forth 2, MFR 2, Northsound 2, Tay 2, West Sound in Ayrshire, and West Sound in Dumfries & Galloway as Greatest Hits Radio, bringing its Scottish stations under the Greatest Hits banner alongside those in England and Wales. CFM and Radio Borders are rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio. Bauer replaces Lincs FM with Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire on 102.2FM, 96.7FM and 97.6FM, while Lincs FM continues to air on DAB. 8 April – Mark Goodier begins presenting weekend mid-mornings on Greatest Hits Radio, replacing Pat Sharp. 18 July – Ofcom launches an investigation into Greatest Hits Radio's reporting of a petition urging criminals to be required to appear in court for sentencing hearings. The Face the Family petition was promoted by several Bauer stations, and was the lead story during Ken Bruce's show on 13 April 2023. Ofcom will examine whether Greatest Hits Radio's reporting of the story was impartial and accurate. 4 September – Greatest Hits Radio launches local radio services for Kent and Northern Ireland. 2 October – Gem 106's FM frequency switches over to Greatest Hits Radio while Gem continues to broadcast on DAB. 30 October Bauer launches Greatest Hits Radio and Hits Radio in Oxfordshire, replacing Jack FM. A localised version of GHR launches on DAB in Northamptonshire, this and the Oxford change ending carriage of the network Greatest Hits Radio UK on DAB, the UK-wide service continues on national platforms such as Freeview and satellite TV.