Spire FM
Spire FM is a UK radio station based in Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was awarded the licence to broadcast to the Salisbury and the surrounding areas by the former Radio Authority, now Ofcom, in 1991.
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| City | Salisbury |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Salisbury |
| Frequency | FM: 102.0 MHz |
| First air date | 20 September 1992 |
| Format | Contemporary |
| Owner | Bauer Radio |
| Website | www.spirefm.co.uk |
The station takes its name from the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. It was fully launched on 20 September 1992 (the licence ran from the 5th, when test transmissions began to be shared with programmes about the Salisbury Arts Festival). Spire FM broadcasts from City Hall Studios in Malthouse Lane, Salisbury, part of the City Hall entertainments venue.
Spire FM has won a prestigious Sony Radio Award for Station of the Year in 1994 and the runner-up award in 2003. Other awards include: the KPMG Marketing Excellence Award, and Wiltshire Business of the Year finalists.
The station has received many industry awards and won the Radio Academy Nations and Regions award for 'Station of the Year' in the South region in 2007 and 2008.
Spire FM is owned by Bauer Radio. Bauer Media announced on 27 May 2020 that Spire FM will be rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio from early September 2020.
All programming on the station is locally produced. Until 2018, Spire FM broadcast The Vodafone Big Top 40 chart show (previously The Pepsi Chart & Hit40UK) which was produced from Capital FM in London and syndicated across over 140 commercial radio stations in the UK. However, the show was withdrawn from syndication in 2018 and now broadcasts solely on Heart & Capital stations.