2-Ten FM
Encyclopedia
Heart Berkshire was an Independent Local Radio
station, serving Berkshire
and North Hampshire
from studios in Reading
.
of 210 metres (1431 kHz). It later became known as 2-Ten FM and by 2008, was part of The One Network
group of stations owned and operated by Global Radio
. The station was rebranded a year later as part of the Heart Network
.
as soon as it commenced broadcasting failed as it didn't raise enough cash. Radio Kennet returned in 1976 as Thames Valley Broadcasting.
Radio 210 first broadcast on 8 March 1976 at 6am. Former BBC Radio 2
DJ Paul Hollingdale
played the Carpenters
record "We've Only Just Begun
" at the start of his four hour Breakfast Show. Other early presenters were Steve Wright, Mike Read
, Tony Fox (deceased), Steve Crozier, (Yer Man Croze), Mike Matthews, John Flower, Tony Holden, Steve Wood and news editor David Addis. Rising stars Steve Wright and Mike Read
co-hosted the Read & Wright Show at weekends before gaining daily shows and later pursuing high profile careers on BBC Radio 1
. Other presenters made the opposite move, leaving the BBC
to join Radio 210, including Bob Harris
and David Hamilton, the latter having defected from BBC Radio 2
because of changes in that station's music policy.
Radio 210 initially only served Reading with a transmitter on 97.0 MHz FM
on top of The Butts shopping centre; however that changed when it began broadcasting from the Hannington transmitter on a second frequency of 102.9 MHz at midday 1 January 1987 to serve a wider area of Berkshire
and North Hampshire
, with a Henley-on-Thames
relay added in 1997.
morning show from 8:00am to 11:00am, the thrice-daily sports bulletin Radio 210 Sport, the Saturday afternoon programme SportScene (presented for eight years by Bob Morrison) and Keith Butler's weekend early evening show.
. The AM transmitter was actually a relay of Brunel Classic Gold's service from Bristol. Also, broadcasted to Bournemouth, Devon, & Swindon. It took a couple of Networked shows. One Sunday Lunchtime show with David Hamilton, and also Jimmy Savile
's Saviles Travels (1990–92). It stopped taking that because it was said that they preferred to broadcast their own shows. Classic Gold featured slightly more known presenters like Tony Gillham (head of music), and Trevor Fry. Paul Burnett
joined in 1996, and Tony Blackburn
a few years later. They were both dropped in July 2007, when Classic Gold was taken over by Capital Radio
, and became known as Gold.
Radio 210 claimed to be the only comprehensive travel service in the Thames Valley and North Hampshire. The station broadcast news bulletins on the hour every hour and regional news during certain points throughout the day.
began broadcasting from Reading on 9 July 2010.
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, serving Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and North Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
from studios in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
.
About
Originally launching as Radio 210 (Two-One-Oh), the station commenced broadcasting in March 1976 on its medium-wave frequencyMedium frequency
Medium frequency refers to radio frequencies in the range of 300 kHz to 3 MHz. Part of this band is the medium wave AM broadcast band. The MF band is also known as the hectometer band or hectometer wave as the wavelengths range from ten down to one hectometers...
of 210 metres (1431 kHz). It later became known as 2-Ten FM and by 2008, was part of The One Network
The One Network
The One Network was the collective name for thirty-eight regional Independent Local Radio licences operated by Global Radio in the United Kingdom. It was formed from the combination of GWR Group's The Mix Network and Capital Radio Group's The Capital Radio Network when the companies merged in 2005...
group of stations owned and operated by Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
. The station was rebranded a year later as part of the Heart Network
Heart Network
Heart is a radio network of 17 adult contemporary independent local radio stations in central & southern England and north Wales. Each station broadcasts local breakfast and drive time shows and simulcasts network programming at all other times...
.
History
The original parent company, Radio Kennet had won the licence to broadcast as far back as 1974, but plans for the station to float on the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
as soon as it commenced broadcasting failed as it didn't raise enough cash. Radio Kennet returned in 1976 as Thames Valley Broadcasting.
Radio 210 first broadcast on 8 March 1976 at 6am. Former 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...
DJ Paul Hollingdale
Paul Hollingdale
Paul Hollingdale is a British radio presenter who presented the first ever programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2, Breakfast Special...
played the Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
record "We've Only Just Begun
We've Only Just Begun
"We've Only Just Begun" is the signature song of The Carpenters, written by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams , and is often used as a wedding song. The song was ranked at #405 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".The song was recorded by Smokey Roberds, a friend...
" at the start of his four hour Breakfast Show. Other early presenters were Steve Wright, Mike Read
Mike Read
Michael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
, Tony Fox (deceased), Steve Crozier, (Yer Man Croze), Mike Matthews, John Flower, Tony Holden, Steve Wood and news editor David Addis. Rising stars Steve Wright and Mike Read
Mike Read
Michael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
co-hosted the Read & Wright Show at weekends before gaining daily shows and later pursuing high profile careers on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Other presenters made the opposite move, leaving the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to join Radio 210, including Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
and David Hamilton, the latter having defected from 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...
because of changes in that station's music policy.
Radio 210 initially only served Reading with a transmitter on 97.0 MHz FM
FM broadcast band
The FM broadcast band, used for FM broadcast radio by radio stations, differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa , it spans from 87.5 to 108.0 megahertz , while in America it goes only from 88.0 to 108.0 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76.0 to 90 MHz...
on top of The Butts shopping centre; however that changed when it began broadcasting from the Hannington transmitter on a second frequency of 102.9 MHz at midday 1 January 1987 to serve a wider area of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and North Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, with a Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
relay added in 1997.
1987 schedule
Programming during 1987 included the breakfast show with Graham Ledger (aired from 5:30-8:00am), the David HamiltonDavid Hamilton (Radio DJ)
David Hamilton is a British radio presenter. Since his broadcasting career began in 1959, Hamilton has hosted over 12,000 radio shows and more than 1,000 TV shows...
morning show from 8:00am to 11:00am, the thrice-daily sports bulletin Radio 210 Sport, the Saturday afternoon programme SportScene (presented for eight years by Bob Morrison) and Keith Butler's weekend early evening show.
Split frequencies
In 1990, Radio 210 split frequencies (as required then to do so by Government due to a radio act recently passed to end simulcasting) to provide two services - Radio 210 FM (Now broadcasting as Heart Berkshire) and 210 Classic Gold RadioClassic Gold
Classic Gold was a network of three "Gold" music formatted stations which broadcast on AM in Bradford, Hull and Sheffield. They were the Pennine Radio, Viking Radio and Radio Hallam's medium wave franchises...
. The AM transmitter was actually a relay of Brunel Classic Gold's service from Bristol. Also, broadcasted to Bournemouth, Devon, & Swindon. It took a couple of Networked shows. One Sunday Lunchtime show with David Hamilton, and also Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
's Saviles Travels (1990–92). It stopped taking that because it was said that they preferred to broadcast their own shows. Classic Gold featured slightly more known presenters like Tony Gillham (head of music), and Trevor Fry. Paul Burnett
Paul Burnett
Paul Burnett is an English radio disc jockey, who began his radio career while in the Royal Air Force in the Persian Gulf in 1964. In 1966 he joined offshore radio station, Radio 270, broadcasting off Scarborough, North Yorkshire...
joined in 1996, and 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.....
a few years later. They were both dropped in July 2007, when Classic Gold was taken over by Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
, and became known as Gold.
Radio 210 claimed to be the only comprehensive travel service in the Thames Valley and North Hampshire. The station broadcast news bulletins on the hour every hour and regional news during certain points throughout the day.
Network restructuring
On 21 June 2010, Global Radio announced plans to merge Heart Berkshire with Heart Oxfordshire as part of plans to reduce the Heart network of stations from 33 to 15. The new station, Heart Thames ValleyHeart Thames Valley
Heart Thames Valley is an Independent Local Radio Station serving Berkshire, Oxfordshire, north Hampshire and parts of west Buckinghamshire from studios in Reading, southern England...
began broadcasting from Reading on 9 July 2010.