Hits Radio

The Hits Radio launched on 1 April 2003.

On 19 January 2015, The Hits Radio formed the backbone of a new locally branded Bauer City 3 network of radio stations in Northern England and Scotland.[1] The local City 3 branding was dropped on 31 August 2017, in favour of adding The Hits to all local DAB Multiplexes.[2]

Initially known as the Big City Network, and latterly Bauer Place and Bauer City 1, networked programming on Bauer's local FM stations was initially confined to off-peak night time and weekend timeslots.

In February 2014, the stations adopted a standardised audio identity package, produced by Wise Buddah, while retaining their local station branding. Two networked shows were also introduced across most stations - Old Skool and Anthems and In: Demand - produced from Key 103 in Manchester.[3]

Separate schedules for England and Scotland were introduced in August 2015,[4] followed in July 2017 by two networked mid-morning shows for most of the FM stations, produced from Manchester and Glasgow respectively.[5]

Local weekend programming for most of the English stations was replaced with additional network output in July 2019,[6] followed in September 2019 by the introduction of a networked Drivetime show.[7] The Scottish network of stations is due to introduce a networked Drivetime show at the end of March 2020, except for MFR and Radio Borders.[8]

In February 2017, the Free Radio group of stations in the West Midlands began carrying off-peak programming from the Northern England network, replacing most of its own regional output from Birmingham.

Gem in the East Midlands joined the network in July 2019 to carry late night and overnight programming from Manchester.[9]

Five stations were acquired to join the network, of which four retain heritage branding: Pulse 1 (Bradford), Signal 1 (Stoke), The Wave 96.4 FM (Swansea) and Fire Radio (Bournemouth). Pulse, Signal, and The Wave began taking Hits Radio networking from 15 June 2020.[10] The fifth, The Breeze (Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester) is planned to rebrand as Hits Radio under a licensing agreement with Nation Broadcasting.[11]

On 18 April 2018, station owners Bauer Media announced Key 103 in Manchester would be rebranded and relaunched as Hits Radio Manchester a CHR-led music station aimed at 25-44 year olds on Monday 4 June 2018.[12]

The station was merged with The Hits Radio to provide a single national service across the UK on DAB, Freeview and online - as Hits Radio UK.[13] In Manchester, Hits Radio continues to provide local news & information, traffic bulletins and advertising on its local platforms - 103 FM, DAB and online.[14]

Manchester’s programming is networked across 24 local FM stations - all of which opt out at times for local programming.

All local stations in the network carry their own news bulletins hourly from 6am to 7pm on weekdays and from 7am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside traffic bulletins.

Hourly bulletins on both versions of Hits Radio (national and Manchester) air from 5:55am to 6:55pm on weekdays, alongside headlines at 25 minutes past the hour during Hits Breakfast on weekdays.

At weekends, bespoke networked bulletins air from 2pm (until 6pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays). These are produced by Clyde 1 for all the Scottish stations, while the Leeds newsroom at Radio Aire produces bulletins for the English stations. National news updates also air on the national version of Hits Radio in place of the local bulletins for Manchester.

At all other times, mainly evening & overnight, hourly national bulletins originate from Sky News Radio in London.

• CFM airs local programming each weekday from 6am-7pm.
• Clyde 1's Superscoreboard airs live football commentaries at weekends throughout the season, alongside a nightly magazine show on weekday evenings from 6-8pm.
• Clyde 1 opts out of Hits Party on Saturday evenings to air an extra edition of The GBXperience from 6-10pm.
• Forth 1 and Radio Borders air Super Scoreboard sports shows on Saturday afternoons from 2-6pm - with the latter providing in-depth rugby union coverage.
• Free airs two separate breakfast shows - one for Birmingham, the Black Country and Shropshire, and a second for Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
• Gem carries its own local programming, opting into the network for Hits Chilled and overnight shows from Sunday - Thursday, as well as The UK Chart Show and The Throwback on Sundays.
• Metro Radio and TFM simulcast Steve & Karen's Breakfast Show on weekdays from 6-10am.
• MFR and Radio Borders retain their own local daytime shows on weekdays from 10am-1pm and at drivetime from 4pm-7pm.[15]
• Radio City airs local weekend shows. These being Lee Butler At The Weekend from 2-6pm on Saturday and 12-4pm on Sunday afternoons, alongside the 'Legends Phone-In' on Monday and Thursday evenings at 6.30pm during the football season.