| City of license | Cardiff |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | South East Wales |
| Branding | 97.4 & 103.2 Capital |
| Slogan | South Wales' No.1 Hit Music Station |
| Frequency | 97.4 & 103.2 MHz, DAB, Online |
| First air date | 11 April 1980 |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Audience share | 10.9% (March 2011, [1]) |
| Owner | Global Radio |
| Sister stations | Capital Birmingham Capital East Midlands Capital London Capital Manchester Capital North East Capital Scotland Capital South Coast Capital Yorkshire |
| Website | Capital South Wales |
Capital South Wales (formerly known as Red Dragon) is a British independent local radio station broadcasting from Cardiff Bay . The station serves Cardiff, Newport and the surrounding areas,[1] broadcasting to a potential audience of around 1 million people. The station is owned by Global Radio and is part of the nine-station Capital radio network.
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The station originally took to the air in Cardiff only. Known as CBC (Cardiff Broadcasting Company), the station launched in April 1980 on 221 metres medium wave (1359 kHz AM) and 96.0 VHF. Following the closure of neighbouring Gwent Broadcasting (GB Radio) in April 1985 CBC began relaying its service as a temporary measure to southern Gwent on 104 VHF and 230 metres medium wave (1305khz). This became permanent when CBC re-launched as Red Dragon Radio in October 1985. Initially there were separate drivetime shows for Glamorgan and Gwent but these were dropped for a single service by the early nineties.
On 3 January 2011 the station was rebranded from Red Dragon to 97.4 & 103.2 Capital as part of a merger of owners Global Radio's Hit Music and Galaxy networks to form Capital. Local programming is now restricted to breakfast & drivetime on weekdays and weekend mid-mornings.
Capital South Wales is the current media partner for Sparks in the Park, an annual Guy Fawkes Night firework display, arranged each year by Cardiff's local Round Table.
Initially, CBC broadcast to Cardiff on 96.0FM and Newport on 104.0FM. These switched to 103.2FM and 97.4FM respectively in 1987 following a national reorganisation of UK FM frequencies.
The 103.2FM signal, which is the strongest of the two frequencies, comes from the transmitter at Wenallt near Cardiff, with the 97.4FM signal transmitting from Christchurch in Newport. The signals reach as far out as the South Wales Valleys to the north and Bridgend and Swansea (although only very faintly and on higher ground in the latter location) to the west,[2][3] as well as unofficially covering a significant area of the West of England to the south and east.
Simulcasting on 1305 & 1359khz AM ended in 1990 with the launch of Touch AM. The frequencies are now part of the Gold network.
Capital South Wales also broadcasts on the NOW Cardiff & Newport DAB multiplex. The station can also be heard live via its website or on its iPhone/Android application. Other stations owned by Global Radio can also be streamed. Both require a WiFi, 3G, EDGE or GPRS connection.
Capital South Wales plays current chart and contemporary popular hits. As well as carrying networked programming from Capital studios in Leicester Square, London. The station syndicates the networked UK chart show, The Vodafone Big Top 40 each Sunday, produced by Global Radio.
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