97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio

97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio

Slogan	Love Life. Love Music.
Frequency	97.5 MHz (Main), 101.2 MHz (Hexham), 107.5 MHz (Newcaslte/Gateshead), 107.7 MHz (Teesside), DAB - MXR North East, MXR Yorkshire online[1]
First air date	8 January 2008
Format	Oldies
Owner	GMG Radio
Sister stations	Rock Radio (North East), Real Radio (North East)
Website	smoothradionortheast.co.uk

Smooth Radio's studios in Team Valley, Gateshead

97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio was an independent local radio station broadcasting to the north east of England. It launched at 8am on 8 January 2008, and was broadcast from new studios based at the Team Valley complex in Gateshead. The station competed with BBC Radio 2, aiming its music at listeners aged 45 and over, and was part of the national Smooth Network. On 4 October 2010 the station was subsumed into a national Smooth Radio service along with four other Smooth stations in England.

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

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 was middle of the road, adult contemporary music, aimed at an audience aged 45 and over.

In 2010 GMG announced that it would be merging its five Smooth stations in England to create a nationwide Smooth Radio service based in Manchester. The new station was launched on 4 October 2010 and can be heard both on DAB and on the locally on the FM frequencies.

Presenters

Presenters on the station included;

• Tom Davis - Smooth Breakfast and Sunday mornings
• Mark Goodier - Smooth Mid Mornings (networked)
• Steve Wells - Smooth Afternoons
• Paul Wappat - Drivetime and Saturday Afternoons
• Andy Peebles - Smooth Evenings and Weekend Evenings
• Steve Phillips - Smooth Nights (Tuesday - Wednesday)
• Tony Blackburn - Weekend Breakfasts
• Andy Peebles - Andy Peebles' Soul Train
• Stuart Ellis - Sunday Afternoon
• Pete Waterman
• Glen Morris - Smooth Nights (Thursday - Monday)
• Matthew Rowe - Holiday cover

Mark Goodier's Mid Morning Show, Andy Peebles' Evening Show and Tony Blackburn's Weekend Breakfast Show were simulcast from 102.2 Smooth Radio in London, and were available on several other stations in the Smooth Network. Evening and overnight shows were also simulcast with some other Smooth stations. All other output was produced locally. News bulletins were broadcast by Century Radio's News Team based in Manchester.

External links

• Smooth Radio North East
• A smooth star is born in the Northeast (GMG Radio press release about the launch from August 2007)
• Smooth Radio starts testing (Radio Today, 18 December 2007)

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