106.1 Rock Radio

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106.1 Rock Radio
City of license Manchester
Broadcast area Greater Manchester
Frequency 106.1 MHz
First air date 6 May 2008
Format Speech and Rock Music
Owner GMG Radio
Website www.rockradiomanchester.co.uk

106.1 Rock Radio is a radio station based in Manchester, broadcasting peak-time news and talk output and a variety of rock music in other times. It launched on 6th May 2008.[1]

The station began test transmissions on 106.1 FM on 10th April.

Due to the mix of output, the original application was made under the name Rock Talk. The license competition included bids by existing licence holders Chrysalis and Emap as well as a number by smaller local groups.[2] Chrysalis Radio's managing director expressed his surprise that the talk/rock hybrid won in preference to a dedicated talk or rock station, both of which had been offered by his group.[3]

[edit] Ownership and format

Following the award, a decision has been made to position the station as a sister to the newly-relaunched Scottish station 96.3 Rock Radio.

The parent company GMG owns the local newspaper Manchester Evening News, a series of local newspapers, a city-wide terrestrial and national Sky TV station Channel M and the two regional licences for North West - Century FM and Smooth Radio.

In the bid document[4] the company promoted its capacity to operate a "quad-media" newsroom in the new headquarters of the Evening News, which would provide Rock Talk's news but be editorially independent.

[edit] References