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Greatest Hits Radio Dorset (North Dorset) is an
The Breeze was purchased by Bauer Media in 2019 along with many other radio stations. On 27 May 2020 it was announced that The Breeze will become
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 serving North Dorset
North Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England, between 1974 and 2019. Its area was largely rural, but included the towns of Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Stalbridge and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset wa ...
.
History
The station launched on 25 June 1995 as Gold Radio (afterGold Hill, Shaftesbury
Gold Hill is a steep cobbled street in the town of Shaftesbury in the English county of Dorset. The view looking down from the top of the street has been described as "one of the most romantic sights in England."
At the top of the street is ...
rather than the oldies format) then later became Vale FM when the station was acquired by TLRC
The Local Radio Company was a British media company, based in Redruth, Cornwall, that owned eleven Independent Local Radio stations in the UK. After takeover talks with UTV Media, UKRD Group and Hallwood Financial, UKRD acquired the majority s ...
. The station was bought by, and relaunched as, Midwest Radio when it, and neighbouring station Ivel FM, were merged when TLRC
The Local Radio Company was a British media company, based in Redruth, Cornwall, that owned eleven Independent Local Radio stations in the UK. After takeover talks with UTV Media, UKRD Group and Hallwood Financial, UKRD acquired the majority s ...
sold the stations.
In July 2008, Radio industry 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 ...
approved plans for the two stations to share 20 hours of output per day, saying the distance between stations was such that the relevance of regionalised programming was a sensible move for both, and represented a way of allowing smaller stations to operate more effectively without adverse effects for listeners. Despite this, the two separate licences continued to broadcast different breakfast shows on weekdays.
In August 2010 the two stations finally merged to create a single Midwest station across south Somerset and north Dorset, broadcasting from studios in Yeovil
Yeovil () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England. It is close to Somerset's southern border with Dorset, west of London, south of Bristol, west of Sherborne and east of Taunton. The population of the bui ...
and Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, Wiltshire, Salisbury and north-northeast of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hi ...
.
In December 2011, the Midwest stations were sold to Celador Radio, after Midwest Radio Ltd decided not to contest the Bridgwater licence.
Rebrand as The Breeze
After an approval request withOfcom
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 ...
, both stations relaunched as The Breeze at midnight on 25 June 2012, merging with The Breeze in Bridgwater.
Closure
The Breeze was purchased by Bauer Media in 2019 along with many other radio stations. On 27 May 2020 it was announced that The Breeze will become Greatest Hits Radio
Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. It currently includes 18 local and regional radio stations operating over 50 FM and DAB licences in England, Scotl ...
from early September 2020. The station went through a transitional period where its playlist was changed over to the 70's, 80's and 90's era and jingles changed to reflect the station playing "greatest hits". The Breeze was finally rebranded to Greatest Hits Radio
Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) is a classic hits radio network in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. It currently includes 18 local and regional radio stations operating over 50 FM and DAB licences in England, Scotl ...
at 6:00am on 1 September 2020.
See also
*Bauer Radio
Bauer Media Audio UK is a UK-based radio division of Bauer Media Group owning brands; Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Jazz FM, Hits Radio, KISS, Planet Rock, Magic, Kerrang! Radio and Heat Radio.
History
In early 2008, German ma ...
*The Breeze (radio network)
The Breeze was a network of Independent Local Radio stations broadcasting to Bristol, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset, North Dorset, North Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Devon, South West Surrey, West Berkshire and West Wiltshire, as ...
References
External links
* Radio stations in Dorset Radio stations established in 1995 Greatest Hits Radio Bauer Radio {{UK-radio-station-stub