Star Radio was an
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 broadcasting on 100.7 MHz in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, 107.1 MHz in
Ely, 107.3 MHz in
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a market town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. Th ...
, and 107.9 MHz in
Haverhill.
History
It was originally launched as "Cambridge Café Radio". Later in 1998 it was relaunched as "Cambridge Red" and six months later as 107.9 The Eagle.
In 2001, UKRD rebranded the station again to Star 107.9, in line with the rebranding of their other stations.
In 2003, Star 107.1/5 in
Ely and
The Fens
The Fens or Fenlands in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system o ...
split frequencies. 107.5 in
Wisbech
Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and ...
became
Fen Radio 107.5, and 107.1 in
Ely became a relay of Star 107.9. Because of this, the station adjusted their name to 107 Star FM. The name was adjusted again in 2004 to Star 107. Star 107 was rebranded in August 2005 as 'Star Radio' coinciding with the rebrand of the other 'Star' network stations in the
UKRD Group
The UKRD Group Ltd was a British media company that owned 15 commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The name originates from UK Radio Developments. Since its acquisition in March 2019, it has been run as a subsidiary of Bauer Radio.
H ...
.
On 1 January 2017, the station was sold to Mid Anglia Media Ltd and in 2019 the licence was transferred to Light Blue Media Cambridge.
In July 2020, the station moved its main frequency to 100.7 MHz from 107.9 MHz and at the same time substantially increased its transmission power whilst relocating its transmitter to the Arqiva Madingley site.
In November 2020, a new transmitter for
Haverhill was switched on using the former 107.9 MHz frequency.
As of January 2021, the station was available across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on DAB digital radio.
On 10 January 2025, it was announced that
Bauer Media Audio UK
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 ...
had acquired the station, would cease local output, and rebrand it as a relay of
Hits Radio
Hits Radio is a network of 26 contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The network launched in 2018 with the rebranding of Bauer's Manchester station Key 103 and its merger with The Hi ...
.
Star Radio officially ended on the evening of 3 March 2025 at 12 midnight. The last three songs played before the station's closure were "
Star People" by
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
, "
Waiting for a Star to Fall" by
Boy Meets Girl, and "
Stars
A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...
" by
Simply Red
Simply Red are an English soul music, soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thir ...
.
However, a listener who recorded the final moments of the station reported that after these three tracks, "
Beautiful Things" by
Benson Boone was played shortly after midnight, just before the signal cut to static. This song, released in 2024, aligns with the 2025 closure timeline.
The station rebranded to Hits Radio Cambridgeshire on the evening of 3 March 2025 at midnight, with Hattie Pearson welcoming in the new listeners.
Listening figures
As of September 2024, the station had a weekly audience of 35,000 listeners according to
RAJAR
Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR; ) was established in 1992 to operate a single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United Kingdom. RAJAR is jointly owned by the BBC and Radiocentre. RAJAR's predecessor was c ...
.
See also
*
Fen Radio 107.5
*
KL.FM 96.7
References
External links
Official site
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Star 107
Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom
Radio stations established in 1998
Radio stations disestablished in 2025