Smooth Scotland is a Scottish

independent local radio Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2 ...

station owned and operated by

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as part of the Smooth network. The station replaced Saga 105.2 FM in 2007. As well as being carried on FM in the Glasgow area, the station is also broadcast on DAB radio to the East of Scotland and online via a streaming service. It is also carried on FM in Wester Ross during non-local broadcast hours of Two Lochs Radio for which it forms a sustaining service.

Overview

GMG Radio ownership

The station came into being following GMG Radio's purchase of the

Saga Radio Group The Saga Radio Group was a British radio network owned and operated by Saga Group, Saga Services Ltd, and aimed at an audience aged 50 and over. The first Saga station was launched in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands on 16 October 2001 and ...

in December 2006, and the granting of permission from the regulator

Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-rang ...

to change the format of its Smooth FM stations in London and the North West of England. The decision was made to change both the Smooth FM and Saga stations to Smooth Radio and Saga 105.2 FM was closed at 6pm on Friday 23 March 2007. This was then followed by a preview weekend for the new Smooth Radio giving listeners the opportunity to hear the presenters and music which would be featured on the new station. The station operated a 24-hour schedule of local programming until August 2008 when networked output from London and Manchester was introduced, leading to the firingsof six station presenters. Following the publication of John Myers' recommendations of a regulatory overhaul in commercial radio, and the passing of the Digital Economy Act 2010, which allowed stations to co-locate or drop all local shows and broadcast on national DAB, Smooth Radio merged its five England-based stations into one quasi-national station, with local news feeds produced from GMG Radio's headquarters in Salford Quays. GMG made the announcement on 29 June 2010, that it wanted to rival

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by broadcasting on the Digital 1 multiplex on DAB Digital Radio to the whole of England and Wales, as well as

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, Freeview,

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and online. A regional flavour would be kept with split news, travel and weather bulletins broadcasting in the FM and DAB regional stations in the North East, North West, West Midlands and East Midlands. London listeners and those tuning nationally would hear national information.

Global ownership

Most of Smooth Radio's output was relocated to new owner

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headquarters from 1 October 2013, a move that coincided with a major overhaul of its schedule, and the closure of Smooth 70s after 21 months on air. In November 2016, Smooth Scotland and its sister station Heart Scotland moved from its former studios at Ballieston in the east end of Glasgow to Global's new Scottish headquarters at West Regent Street in the city centre. In September 2019, following OFCOM's decision to relax local content obligations from commercial radio, Smooth's local Drivetime and weekend shows were replaced by network programming from London. Local news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising were retained, alongside the station's Scottish breakfast show.

Programming

Local programming is produced and broadcast from Global's Glasgow studios from 6-10am on weekdays presented by John Mellis. All networked programming originates from Global's London headquarters or studios in Birmingham and Manchester.

News

Global's Newsroom broadcasts hourly regional news bulletins. The Glasgow newsroom also produces bulletins for Capital and

Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

in Scotland. National news updates air hourly from Global's London headquarters at times.Smooth Radio - Scotland public file
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References

External links

Smooth ScotlandSmooth Scotland - Public Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smooth Radio stations in Glasgow Radio stations in Scotland Radio stations established in 2007 2007 establishments in Scotland GMG Radio Global Radio

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom