Moray Firth Radio

MFR
City Inverness
Broadcast area Moray, Highland, and parts of NW Aberdeenshire
Slogan MFR: The Biggest Hits
MFR 2: The Greatest Hits
Frequency FM: 96.6, 96.7, 97.4, 102.5, 102.8 MHz
MW: 1107 kHz
DAB: 11B
First air date 23 February 1982
Format Hot AC
Owner Bauer Radio
Sister stations MFR 2
Website planetradio.co.uk/mfr/

MFR (previously Moray Firth Radio) is a group of Independent Local Radio stations, serving the Scottish Highlands, Moray, the Orkney islands and parts of north west Aberdeenshire. MFR is owned and operated by Bauer Radio, based at studios in the Scorguie area of Inverness, and forms part of the Hits Radio Network.

Station information

MFR logo used from 2001 to 2015.
MFR 2 logo.

Moray Firth Radio operates two separate services on 97.4 FM (from the Mounteagle transmitter) and 1107 AM. The first voice heard on Moray Firth Radio/MFR, shortly after 6:30am on 23 February 1982, was Dave Cochrane. The longest serving presenter on Moray Firth Radio/MFR of 33 years was Tich McCooey, leaving on 29 May 2015. In February 2017, MFR launched a new slogan, in line with Bauer City Network changes, to All The Biggest Hits, All Day Long, along with a new female VO; Charlie T.

MFR on FM largely broadcasts contemporary and chart music-led programming alongside hourly news bulletins and peak-time traffic updates. The majority of the station's output is produced and broadcast from its Inverness studios. Networked programming originates from sister stations Clyde 1 in Glasgow, Forth 1 in Edinburgh and Key 103 in Manchester. In recent years, MFR opted out on Saturday evenings for a weekly bilingual music programme in English and Scots Gaelic,[1] which also aired on Argyll FM, Cuillin FM, Isles FM, Nevis Radio and Two Lochs Radio.

History

The station began broadcasting on 23 February 1982.[2] A year later, the station was making a profit.[3]

Until August 2014, MFR 2 on AM and DAB aired specialist programming on Sunday - Friday evenings with automated music broadcast at all other times. In September 2014, the station axed its specialist output and began carrying programming from Bauer's 'Greatest Hits Network' of Scottish AM stations, switching to the Bauer City 2 network in January 2015. MFR 2 continues to air local news, sports coverage and traffic updates.

MFR 3 launched on Monday 19 January 2015, broadcasting on DAB and online as a locally branded relay of The Hits Radio aimed at 15-25-year-olds, with opt-outs for advertising.[4] MFR3 ceased broadcasting on 31 August 2017 and was replaced with a single national feed of The Hits Radio, which was replaced ten months later with Hits Radio.

In addition to the main services, there are two local relay stations which opt out of MFR FM to broadcast local programming produced by non-profit community groups during the evenings.

Programming

MFR's local programming on its main service originates from its Inverness studios, with networked output carried from Clyde 1 in Clydebank, Hits Radio in Manchester and Forth 1 in Edinburgh. Local programming airs from 6am-7pm on weekdays, 2-6pm on Saturdays and 12-4pm on Sundays.

The station's local presenters are Daniel Gilchrist & Grace Wylie (Dan & Grace in the Morning), Jodie McCluskey, Martin Morrison (Home Run), Amy Jamieson (Saturday afternoons) and Grace Wylie (Sunday afternoons).[5]

The only syndicated programme, The Vodafone Big Top 40, is produced by Global Radio at its Capital studios in London for broadcast on 145 commercial radio stations in the UK.

MFR 2 carries most of its output from the Scottish feed of the Bauer City 2 network, with programming originating from Clydebank, Manchester, Newcastle, Dundee and Soho. MFR2 also carries local news, sport and traffic bulletins, produced from the Inverness studios.

News and sport

MFR broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6am to 7pm on weekdays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside sport and traffic bulletins.

National bulletins from Sky News Radio are carried overnight with bespoke networked Scottish bulletins at weekends, produced from Radio Clyde's newsroom in Clydebank.

Extended sports coverage airs under the Superscoreboard banner on Saturday afternoons on MFR.

References

  1. ↑ Moray Firth Radio takes Gaelic Chart Show, Radio Today, 20 September 2011
  2. ↑ "Highland radio station goes live". The Glasgow Herald. 22 February 1982. p. 5. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Profit in the air for local radio". The Glasgow Herald. 23 February 1983. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  4. ↑ Bauer City Network 3 launches on local DAB Radio Today, 19 January 2015
  5. ↑ MFR - Presenters

Coordinates: 57°28′49″N 4°15′18″W / 57.4803°N 4.2550°W / 57.4803; -4.2550

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