97.5 Smooth Radio

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97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio

Slogan	Love Life. Love Music.
Frequency	97.5 MHz / 107.7 MHz / 101.2 MHz / 107.5 MHz
First air date	January 8, 2008
Format	Oldies
Owner	Guardian Media Group

Smooth Radio's studios in Team Valley, Gateshead

97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio is an independent local radio station broadcasting to the north east of England. It launched at 8am on 8 January 2008, and is broadcast from new studios based at the Team Valley complex in Gateshead. The station competes with BBC Radio 2, aiming its music at listeners aged 45 and over, and is part of the national Smooth Network.

As well as being carried on FM, 97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio is being simulcast on several DAB multiplexes and online.

1 Origins
2 Presenters
3 Other
4 External links

[edit] Origins

The licence for the station was originally awarded to the Saga Radio Group. However, GMG Radio inherited it following its purchase of Saga in December 2006. GMG had been granted permission by the regulator, Ofcom, to change the format of its Smooth FM stations in London and Manchester, and took the decision to change both the Smooth FM and Saga Stations to a new brand, Smooth Radio. All stations concerned ceased broadcasting on Friday 23 March 2007, and were replaced the following Monday by the new network.

Test transmissions for 97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio began on 22 November 2007, and an advertising campaign was launched in the region from Boxing Day. This included television commercials featuring images of some of the music industry's most notable artists, such as Buddy Holly, Diana Ross and Rod Stewart. The music format of the station is middle of the road, adult contemporary music, aimed at an audience aged 45 and over.

[edit] Presenters

Tom Davies - Smooth Breakfast
Mark Goodier - Smooth Mid Mornings (networked)
Dave Johnson - Smooth Afternoons and Sunday Mornings
Paul Wappat - Drivetime and Saturday Afternoons
Steve Wells - Smooth Evenings and Weekend Breakfast
Steve Phillips - Smooth Nights and Weekend Evenings
Kev Roberts - Smooth Soul
Mark Page - Smooth Seventies
Brian Clough - Smooth Country
Glen Morris - Smooth Nights (weekend)
Matthew Rowe - Temporary replacement due to holidays

The Station does not broadcast Nick Barraclough's country show simulcast from London, like Smooth Radio 105.7 and Smooth Radio 106.6 do. It broadcasts it's own country show, presented by Brian Clough.

[edit] Other

Mark Goodier's Mid Morning Show is simulcast from 102.2 Smooth Radio in London, and is available on four other stations in the Smooth Network. All other output is being produced locally.
News is broadcast by Century Radio's News Team.