Hallam FM

Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of the Hits Radio network.

Hallam FM
CitySheffield
Broadcast areaSouth Yorkshire
BrandingYOUR Hallam FM
SloganThe Biggest Hits, The Biggest Throwbacks
FrequencyFM:
97.4 MHz (Sheffield)
102.9 MHz (Barnsley and Rotherham)
103.4 MHz (Doncaster)
RDS: HALLAM
DAB: 11C
First air date1 October 1974
FormatCHR/Pop
OwnerBauer Radio
Sister stationsGreatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire
Trax FM
Dearne FM
Rother FM
WebcastHallam FM Radioplayer
WebsiteHallam FM

History
Hallam FM logo used from 2004 to 2015.

The station started broadcasting on 1548 kHz/194m AM, 95.2 and 95.9 MHz FM under the name of Radio Hallam from its studios at Hartshead in Sheffield City Centre on 1 October 1974. The first presenter heard on air was ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ Johnny Moran - the first record he played was I've Got the Music in Me by Kiki Dee, which stuck after a minute and a half.

On 1 October 1985, Radio Hallam's broadcast area increased significantly when it began to broadcast to all of South Yorkshire.

In 1987, Radio Hallam merged with neighbouring Yorkshire stations Pennine Radio in Bradford and Viking Radio in Hull to form the now-defunct Yorkshire Radio Network.

The frequencies were changed during the 1980s to 96.1 FM for Rotherham, 97.4 FM for Sheffield, 102.9 FM for Barnsley, and 103.4 for the rest of South Yorkshire. After a take-over of the parent company YRN by the Metro Radio Group, the AM frequency became Great Yorkshire Gold. The Rotherham transmitter was turned off in the 1990s as part of Hallam's licence agreement and is now used by Rother FM. Hallam also moved its studio facilities to 900 Herries Road, just minutes from Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground. The office space at Hartshead was formerly used by the Sheffield Star newspaper.[1]

As the Metro Radio group was bought by EMAP, Hallam FM also became part of the Big City Network in Northern England. In 2011, Bauer Media's Big City Network was replaced by the Place Portfolio, containing the group's local radio stations.

As of October 2019, Hallam FM's Sheffield studios are shared with sister Yorkshire station Viking FM, following the closure of its studios in Hull.[2]

Broadcasting

Hallam FM's main competitors are BBC Radio 1, Capital Yorkshire & Heart Yorkshire. Other local competing stations include BBC Radio Sheffield, Peak FM, Rother FM, Dearne FM and Trax FM.

The station broadcasts on analogue frequencies on 97.4 FM (Tapton Hill), 103.4 FM (Clifton, near the M18) and 102.9 FM (Ardsley) in Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley respectively. Almost the whole region is covered on 103.4 FM. The station also broadcasts via DAB on the Bauer Radio multiplex, and online and via their app.

Programming

Local programming consists of weekday breakfast from 6-10am which is produced and broadcast from Bauer's Sheffield studios.[3]

All networked programming originates from Hits Radio's Manchester headquarters.[4][5]

News

Hallam FM broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6 am to 7 pm on weekdays, and from 7 am to 12 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside traffic bulletins.

National bulletins from Sky News Radio are carried overnight with bespoke networked bulletins on weekend afternoons, usually originating from Radio Aire's Leeds newsroom.

Notable past presenters

References
  1. "media.info - worldwide media contacts and information". media.info.
  2. "Viking FM is moving out of Hull to join Hallam FM". Radio Today. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  3. Hallam FM - Public File
  4. Hits Radio Network stations drop local weekend programmes, Radio Today, 30 May 2019
  5. Bauer to network drivetime across 11 licences in North and Midlands, Radio Today, 5 August 2019
  6. "Spoof hits funny bone". Sheffield Telegraph. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  7. "Blades to support tragic DJ's worthy cause". Sheffield Telegraph. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  8. "Daryl Denham back at Hallam". RadioToday. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2019.

Media related to Hallam FM at Wikimedia Commons

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