102.2 Smooth Radio
Encyclopedia
102.2 Smooth Radio was an Independent Local Radio
station for the Greater London
area, which replaced 102.2 Smooth FM
on 26 March 2007, launched by Gavin McCoy with Barbra Streisand
's "A Star Is Born". The station competed with BBC Radio 2
, aiming its music at listeners aged 40 and over, and was part of the national Smooth Radio network, which encompassed the Midlands
, the North West of England
and Glasgow
.
As well as being carried on FM in London, 102.2 Smooth Radio was simulcast on several DAB
mulitplexes, online and on digital television - Freesat
, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media
. The station was replaced with a national Smooth Radio service based in Manchester from October 2010.
, playing mainly soul
and jazz
music. It was relaunched in June 2005 as 102.2 Smooth FM
, playing middle of the road music, soul
and R&B
during the day and, as part of its licence requirements, focused on jazz
music at night. On 20 October 2006, GMG Radio announced that it was requesting a change of format for 102.2 Smooth FM from Ofcom, moving the station away from its daytime soul and R&B remit which had, until that point, formed an integral part of the licence. GMG proposed an easy listening music service mixed with speech for the over 50s, coupled with an improved local news service. Ofcom approved the changes on 8 December 2006, with the condition that GMG retained the 45 hours of jazz per week that constituted part of the former licence requirement.
As a result of the format change, GMG agreed to adhere to a minimum of 20% of its music during daytime being over 40 years old, to distance the station from its London rivals Magic
and Heart 106.2
.
Paul Chantler
was appointed by GMG to be full-time programme consultant to the station from 14 January 2008 for one year, working with the existing programming team to develop the sound of the station.
In March 2008, GMG requested a format change to remove the 45 hour jazz commitment it has in place for 102.2 Smooth Radio. Part of the plans included a relaunch of Jazz FM
from the jazzfm.com service (at the time broadcasting on DAB in Glasgow
and online) onto a DAB multiplex in London. In a meeting on 22 April 2008 Ofcom denied GMG's request to drop its jazz commitments. GMG, under licence to The Local Radio Company
relaunched Jazz FM despite the decision.
On 6 October 2008 Smooth Radio was removed from the MXR Wales and West multiplex to allow for the relaunch of Jazz FM. Although initially, Real Radio was removed, Smooth Radio was removed and Real restored on the multiplex. It replaced Jazz FM in South Wales and returned to DAB.
On 29 June 2010, GMG announced that it wanted to turn Smooth Radio in to a National Station rivaling BBC Radio 2
by broadcasting on the Digital 1 multiplex on DAB
Digital Radio to the whole of England and Wales, as well as Sky, Freesat
, Freeview, Virgin Media
and online. Shows would be broadcast nationally, but a regional feel would be kept for each area with news, travel and weather bulletins being tailored for each area and broadcast on the FM and DAB frequencies. Listeners tuning nationally would hear national information. 105.2 Smooth Radio
in Scotland would be the exception to this, keeping its Breakfast and Drivetime shows, but networking everything else.
The new service, Smooth Radio, was launched on Monday 4 October 2010. Most of the shows are broadcast from Salford Quays in Manchester
, with other shows from London. This was made possible due to the Digital Economy Act which allows stations to co-locate or drop all local shows and broadcast on national DAB
Radio. On 4 August 2010, it was announced that 102.2 Smooth Radio would air on the Digital 1 multiplex for the UK from the following day, 5 August, ready for the national service's October launch.
aimed at listeners aged 40 and over, alongside Jazz music overnight. The overnight jazz was dropped from the station from August 2010 and simulcast with other stations in the Smooth network.
Smooth's jingle package was produced by Bespoke Music
, with production initially voiced by Sean Bolger - although he was replaced in mid-2008 with Gina Mellotte.
Local news was broadcast from 6am - 7pm with headlines at peak times; after 7pm, an hourly in-house national bulletin was broadcast from the GMG News Hub in Manchester until midnight.
Mark Goodier
's Mid Morning Show, Tony Blackburn
's Weekend Breakfast Show, Dave Brown's Motown Floor Fillers and Pete Waterman's Step Back in Time were simulcast from 102.2 Smooth Radio and could be heard on several other stations in the Smooth Network. Andy Peebles
' Evening show and Soul Train, Chris Best, Stuart Ellis, Tony McKenzie and Smooth Nights were simulcast with 100.4 Smooth Radio in Manchester
. All other output was produced locally.
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
station for the Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area, which replaced 102.2 Smooth FM
102.2 Smooth FM
102.2 Smooth FM was an Independent Local Radio station for Greater London. It replaced 102.2 Jazz FM on the 7 June 2005 at 10am, with the help of R&B singer Lemar and the then breakfast show host Jon Scragg...
on 26 March 2007, launched by Gavin McCoy with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
's "A Star Is Born". The station competed with BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, aiming its music at listeners aged 40 and over, and was part of the national Smooth Radio network, which encompassed the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, the North West of England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
As well as being carried on FM in London, 102.2 Smooth Radio was simulcast on several DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
mulitplexes, online and on digital television - Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
. The station was replaced with a national Smooth Radio service based in Manchester from October 2010.
History
The station launched on 4 March 1990 as Jazz FM102.2 Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM was a local jazz and soul music station for London run by GMG Radio. The station was based and broadcast from Castlereagh Street in London to around 15.5 million people within the broadcasting area...
, playing mainly soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music. It was relaunched in June 2005 as 102.2 Smooth FM
102.2 Smooth FM
102.2 Smooth FM was an Independent Local Radio station for Greater London. It replaced 102.2 Jazz FM on the 7 June 2005 at 10am, with the help of R&B singer Lemar and the then breakfast show host Jon Scragg...
, playing middle of the road music, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
during the day and, as part of its licence requirements, focused on jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music at night. On 20 October 2006, GMG Radio announced that it was requesting a change of format for 102.2 Smooth FM from Ofcom, moving the station away from its daytime soul and R&B remit which had, until that point, formed an integral part of the licence. GMG proposed an easy listening music service mixed with speech for the over 50s, coupled with an improved local news service. Ofcom approved the changes on 8 December 2006, with the condition that GMG retained the 45 hours of jazz per week that constituted part of the former licence requirement.
As a result of the format change, GMG agreed to adhere to a minimum of 20% of its music during daytime being over 40 years old, to distance the station from its London rivals Magic
Magic Radio
Magic is a music radio and a TV brand in the United Kingdom, run by the German publishing company Bauer.-Magic Radio in United Kingdom:...
and Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in London and is owned by Global Radio as part of the Heart Network.On 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, Sky News Radio, LBC and Galaxy were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio from...
.
Paul Chantler
Paul Chantler
Paul Chantler is a radio programming consultant based in the United Kingdom. He has been involved in the radio industry for 25 years as a journalist, presenter, producer and programmer....
was appointed by GMG to be full-time programme consultant to the station from 14 January 2008 for one year, working with the existing programming team to develop the sound of the station.
In March 2008, GMG requested a format change to remove the 45 hour jazz commitment it has in place for 102.2 Smooth Radio. Part of the plans included a relaunch of Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM was a local jazz and soul music station for London run by GMG Radio. The station was based and broadcast from Castlereagh Street in London to around 15.5 million people within the broadcasting area...
from the jazzfm.com service (at the time broadcasting on DAB in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and online) onto a DAB multiplex in London. In a meeting on 22 April 2008 Ofcom denied GMG's request to drop its jazz commitments. GMG, under licence to The Local Radio Company
The Local Radio Company
The Local Radio Company is a British media company, originally based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, that owns ten independent local radio stations in the UK...
relaunched Jazz FM despite the decision.
On 6 October 2008 Smooth Radio was removed from the MXR Wales and West multiplex to allow for the relaunch of Jazz FM. Although initially, Real Radio was removed, Smooth Radio was removed and Real restored on the multiplex. It replaced Jazz FM in South Wales and returned to DAB.
On 29 June 2010, GMG announced that it wanted to turn Smooth Radio in to a National Station rivaling BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
by broadcasting on the Digital 1 multiplex on DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
Digital Radio to the whole of England and Wales, as well as Sky, Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
, Freeview, Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
and online. Shows would be broadcast nationally, but a regional feel would be kept for each area with news, travel and weather bulletins being tailored for each area and broadcast on the FM and DAB frequencies. Listeners tuning nationally would hear national information. 105.2 Smooth Radio
105.2 Smooth Radio
105.2 Smooth Radio is a Scottish Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Glasgow and the surrounding area, owned & operated by GMG Radio and broadcasting from studios at Baillieston in the East End of Glasgow. The station replaced Saga 105.2 FM at 6am on Monday 26 March 2007 and competes...
in Scotland would be the exception to this, keeping its Breakfast and Drivetime shows, but networking everything else.
The new service, Smooth Radio, was launched on Monday 4 October 2010. Most of the shows are broadcast from Salford Quays in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, with other shows from London. This was made possible due to the Digital Economy Act which allows stations to co-locate or drop all local shows and broadcast on national DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
Radio. On 4 August 2010, it was announced that 102.2 Smooth Radio would air on the Digital 1 multiplex for the UK from the following day, 5 August, ready for the national service's October launch.
On Air
102.2 Smooth Radio played classic hitsClassic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
aimed at listeners aged 40 and over, alongside Jazz music overnight. The overnight jazz was dropped from the station from August 2010 and simulcast with other stations in the Smooth network.
Smooth's jingle package was produced by Bespoke Music
Bespoke Music
Bespoke Music refers to a service provided by a composer, where music is custom-made to the commissioner's specification.-About:Whilst most music is bespoke in its inception, the term bespoke music usually describes a process initiated by an individual or group that requires new music for a...
, with production initially voiced by Sean Bolger - although he was replaced in mid-2008 with Gina Mellotte.
Local news was broadcast from 6am - 7pm with headlines at peak times; after 7pm, an hourly in-house national bulletin was broadcast from the GMG News Hub in Manchester until midnight.
Presenters
The list of presenters and programmes on the station at the time of its closure was as follows:- Graham DeneGraham DeneGraham Dene is a British radio personality.He was initially famous in the London area as Capital Radio's breakfast presenter in the 1970s and 1980s, and later worked for Virgin Radio. In 2006, he worked at Magic 105.4. In 2008, he was 102.2 Smooth Radio's breakfast host...
- Smooth Breakfast - Mark GoodierMark Goodier-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
- Smooth Mid-Mornings (networked) - Dave BrownDave Brown (broadcaster)Dave Brown, better known as "Brownie", is an RnB soul and funk disc jockey on Solar Radio Mon - Fri between 1 and 4 p.m. BST on Sky 0129 www.solarradio.com, who started his broadcasting career in the early 1980s for BBC Radio Medway presenting the Mid-Morning Talk & Music Show 9 -11am Monday to...
- Smooth Afternoons (Monday to Friday) and Motown Floor Fillers (Saturday) - Paul CoiaPaul CoiaPaul Coia is a Scottish television presenter and continuity announcer who was the first voice on Channel 4.-Early life and career:...
- Smooth Drivetime - Andy PeeblesAndy Peebles-Early life:The son of a head postmaster, Peebles attended Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire before training in hotel management.After DJing at a college dance he was offered a job at Samanthas in Bournemouth.He worked at Chelsea Village,The Scotch of St James in London and at the Hardrock...
- Smooth Evenings (Monday to Friday) and Soul Train (Networked from 100.4 Smooth Radio) - Steve Phillips - Smooth Nights (Tuesday-Friday)
- Glen Morris - Smooth Nights (Saturday-Monday)
- Tony BlackburnTony BlackburnTony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
- Smooth Weekend Breakfast - Lynn ParsonsLynn ParsonsLynn Margaret Parsons is a British disc jockey and currently presents Weekends 10am - 2pm on UK radio station Smooth Radio and various shows on for BBC Radio 2.-Career:...
- Smooth Mid-Mornings (Saturday and Sunday) - Chris Best - Smooth Afternoons (Saturday) (Networked from 100.4 Smooth Radio)
- Stuart Ellis - Smooth Afternoons (Sunday) (Networked from 100.4 Smooth Radio)
- Pete WatermanPete WatermanPeter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
- Step Back in Time - Tony McKenzie - Smooth Evenings (Sunday) (Networked from 100.4 Smooth Radio)
- Nigel Williams - Cover presenter
Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
's Mid Morning Show, Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
's Weekend Breakfast Show, Dave Brown's Motown Floor Fillers and Pete Waterman's Step Back in Time were simulcast from 102.2 Smooth Radio and could be heard on several other stations in the Smooth Network. Andy Peebles
Andy Peebles
-Early life:The son of a head postmaster, Peebles attended Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire before training in hotel management.After DJing at a college dance he was offered a job at Samanthas in Bournemouth.He worked at Chelsea Village,The Scotch of St James in London and at the Hardrock...
' Evening show and Soul Train, Chris Best, Stuart Ellis, Tony McKenzie and Smooth Nights were simulcast with 100.4 Smooth Radio in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. All other output was produced locally.
Other former presenters
- Mike AllenMike Allen (broadcaster)Mike Allen is a British radio presenter, who was last on the air hosting an evening show on 102.2 Smooth Radio in London. He left in December 2008....
- Evenings - Nick BarracloughNick BarracloughNick Barraclough is a British radio producer, presenter, musician and writer, who is best known for hosting shows related to specialist American music...
- Smooth Country - Martin CollinsMartin CollinsMartin Collins is a British radio presenter.Martin started broadcasting as soon as he left college. His broadcasting career began at Chiltern Radio. Next, he moved to London's Capital Radio, first presenting a Sunday night specialist show for the station, before moving to promience on the...
- Drivetime - Kevin GreeningKevin GreeningKevin Greening was a British radio presenter, who co-hosted the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show with Zoe Ball from 1997 to 1998.-Early career:...
- Afternoons - Tony MyattTony MyattTony Myatt is a UK radio presenter. He has previously worked at the BBC, on Channel 4, on Jazz FM, on Capital Radio, on PrimeTime Radio, Radio Mercury and on Saga DAB radio stations...
- Overnights - Fiona PhillipsFiona PhillipsFiona Phillips is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter.-Early life:Phillips was born in Kent and Canterbury Hospital in 1961. Her grandparents ran the Duke's Head pub in Church Street St. Paul's. Phillips attended Kingsmead Primary School...
- Sunday Afternoons - Steve Quirk - Smooth Nights/Fusion Flavours (Networked from 100.4 Smooth Radio)
- Peter Young - Soul Cellar
- Eamonn Kelly - Friday Nights & Sunday Mornings.