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Big City Network

Overview

Big City Network is the name given to a network of Independent Local Radio

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:...

stations across Northern England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

all owned by Bauer Radio. Since EMAP

EMAP

EMAP is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...

's acquisition of Metropolitan Broadcasting

Metro Radio group

Metropolitan Broadcasting or the Metro Radio Group as it was more commonly known, was a group of Independent Local Radio stations in North East of England.-History:The group originally consisted of:* Metro FM...

in 1996 there has been gradual brand integration such as a standard logo and websites. Emap's consumer assets were subsequently sold to Bauer Media Group in 2008.

Many of the former Scottish Radio Holdings

Scottish Radio Holdings

Scottish Radio Holdings was a Scottish media company which owned 22 radio stations, and around 30 local newspapers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland....

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Encyclopedia

Big City Network is the name given to a network of Independent Local Radio

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:...

stations across Northern England

England

, Scotland

Scotland

and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

all owned by Bauer Radio. Since EMAP

EMAP

EMAP is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...

's acquisition of Metropolitan Broadcasting

Metro Radio group

Scottish Radio Holdings

Scottish Radio Holdings was a Scottish media company which owned 22 radio stations, and around 30 local newspapers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland....

stations were added to the Big City Network on 28 September 2006, branded as Big City Network Scotland and Northern Ireland, although all stations kept their original logos, with the exception of CFM. West Sound is the only AM station in the network but it does not carry any of the networked programming carried by the FM stations.

Most stations in the network have a charity called "Cash for Kids" helping local disadvantaged children. Hallam FM

Hallam FM

Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of its Big City Network of FM contemporary music stations in Northern England....

in Sheffield's charity was formally know as 'Help A Hallam Child' before changing its name to match the other network stations. The news for the stations' websites is provided by ITN.

Bic City's main rival network are Global Radio

Global Radio

Global Radio is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio in July 2007 and GCap Media in June 2008....

's Heart Network

Heart Network

Heart is a network of adult contemporary independent local radio stations in England and Wales owned by Global Radio...

(serving 32 stations) and The Hit Music Network

The Hit Music Network

The Hit Music Network is a collection of eight Independent Local Radio stations operating in the United Kingdom and owned by Global Radio. Created in September 2008, the stations were formerly owned by GCap Media prior to its takeover by Global and, with the exception of Capital 95.8, were all...

(serving seven stations) in Wales, the English Midlands and Southern England. Both Global networks play a differing music format to that of Big City and in most cases, incorporate a greater reliance on networked programming.

England

All English stations within the Big City Network share the pink splash in their logo as well as the pink and black colour scheme for branding.

Station name	Based in	Transmission area(s)	AM sister station	Original Air-date
Key 103 Key 103 Key 103 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Manchester and the north west of England. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. It is owned by Bauer Radio and is part of the company's Big City Network of stations. The station is based in Castlefield,...	Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...	Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and... and North Cheshire Cheshire Cheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...	Piccadilly Magic 1152 Piccadilly Magic 1152 NB Piccadilly Radio re-directs here. See also Key 103Piccadilly Magic 1152 , began broadcasting as Piccadilly Radio, which was Manchester's first commercial radio station.-Early years:...	2 April 1974
Metro Radio Metro Radio Metro Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to North East England]]. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. It is owned by Bauer Radio and is part of their Big City Network of stations.-History:...	Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England...	Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in North East England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972... , Northumberland Northumberland Northumberland is a ceremonial county and unitary district in the North East of England. It borders Cumbria to the west, County Durham to the south and Tyne and Wear to the south east, as well as having a border with the Scottish Borders council area to the north, and nearly eighty miles of North... and North County Durham County Durham County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in North East England. The county town is Durham.The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington. The county has an industrial heritage and its economy was historically based on coal and iron mining...	Magic 1152 Magic 1152 Magic 1152 is the name of an Independent Local Radio station in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It forms part of the Magic network owned by Bauer Radio. It shares a studio complex with sister station Metro Radio at the 55 Degrees North complex, next to the Tyne Bridge...	15 July 1974
Hallam FM Hallam FM Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio as part of its Big City Network of FM contemporary music stations in Northern England....	Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base...	South Yorkshire South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and the city of Sheffield...	Magic AM Magic AM Magic AM is a commercial local radio station which broadcasts to South Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The station forms part of the Magic Network and is owned by Bauer Radio...	1 October 1974
Radio City 96.7 Radio City 96.7 Radio City 96.7 is an Independent Local Radio station, based in Liverpool, UK, and broadcasting to Merseyside and surrounding counties...	Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...	Merseyside Merseyside Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. Taking its name from the River Mersey, Merseyside came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974, after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, and the county consists of five metropolitan... , West Lancashire West Lancashire West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale.... and North East Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...	Magic 1548 Magic 1548 Magic 1548 is a local commercial radio station in the Liverpool area of England, on the frequency of 1548 AM. Magic is a sister station to Radio City and City Talk 105.9, with which it shares studios atop St...	21 October 1974
TFM Radio	Thornaby-on-Tees Thornaby-on-Tees Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...	Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Middlesbrough is a town in the Tees Valley conurbation of North East England and sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It is the largest and most populous settlement within the Borough of Middlesbrough, which encompasses the town and several outlying villages which have become... , Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in North East England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority area and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including... , Tees Valley Tees Valley The Tees Valley is an area in the North East of England. It can be described as "greater Teesside" and consists of the four unitary authorities created by the breakup of the County of Cleveland in 1996: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-On-Tees along with the borough of... , South County Durham County Durham County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in North East England. The county town is Durham.The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington. The county has an industrial heritage and its economy was historically based on coal and iron mining... and parts of North Yorkshire North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest ceremonial...	Magic 1170 Magic 1170 Magic 1170 is an Independent Local Radio station which broadcasts to Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire from its studios in Thornaby. It is the AM sister station of TFM Radio.-History:...	24 June 1975
96.3 Radio Aire 96.3 Radio Aire 96.3 Radio Aire is the main Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in Leeds and is the sister station of Magic 828.-History:It was launched on 1 September 1981 by presenter Graham Thornton and the first song played was 'Pilot of the Airwaves' by Charlie Dore...	Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. The historic core at the heart of Leeds in 2001 had an estimated subdivision population of 443,247, whilst the entire city, that includes the urban and suburban areas incorporated into the city in 1974, had an estimated...	West Yorkshire West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....	Magic 828 Magic 828 Magic 828 is the AM sister service of Radio Aire and broadcasts to West Yorkshire on 828 kHz.-History:Magic 828 began when Radio Aire split its AM & FM frequencies to form two different stations and was launched by Roger Kirk at 8:28am on 17 July 1990....	1 September 1981
97.4 Rock FM 97.4 Rock FM 97.4 Rock FM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to North West England. Its output is principally contemporary pop, and hits from the present, 80s and 90s...	Preston Preston Preston is a city and non-metropolitan district of Lancashire, in North West England. It is located on the north bank of the River Ribble, and was granted city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign...	Lancashire Lancashire Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...	Magic 999 Magic 999 Magic 999 is an Bauer Radio-owned local radio station serving Lancashire on 999 kHz AM, DAB digital radio, Virgin Media TV channel 932 and online. The station broadcasts from a converted church at St...	5 October 1982
96.9 Viking FM 96.9 Viking FM Viking FM is an English Independent Local Radio station which has broadcast music and local information to the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire since 1984...	Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles from the North Sea on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary...	East Yorkshire East Yorkshire East Yorkshire could be:East Yorkshire Motor ServicesAn alternative name for the East Riding of YorkshireEast Yorkshire , a former district of HumbersideEast Yorkshire... and North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....	Magic 1161 Magic 1161 Magic 1161 is a commercial radio station which broadcasts to the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in England since 1997.It is the AM sister station of Viking FM and is a part of the Magic Radio Network within the Bauer Radio group....	17 April 1984
CFM Radio CFM Radio CFM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Northern & Central Cumbria and the southern tip of Scotland, with transmitters in Carlisle, Penrith and West Cumbria. Its musical output is popular hits of all genres from the 70s to present day. It is owned by Bauer Radio and is part of...	Carlisle City of Carlisle The City of Carlisle , is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...	North, North West & Central Cumbria Cumbria Cumbria is a shire county in the North West of England. Cumbria came into existence as a county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972... and South East Dumfries & Galloway	N/A	14 April 1993
City Talk 105.9 City Talk 105.9 City Talk 105.9 is a commercial radio station in Liverpool, England. The station was awarded a licence by Ofcom on 9 November 2006 and the station launched on 28 January 2008....	Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...	Merseyside Merseyside Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. Taking its name from the River Mersey, Merseyside came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974, after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, and the county consists of five metropolitan... , West Lancashire West Lancashire West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale.... and North East Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...	Magic 1548 Magic 1548 Magic 1548 is a local commercial radio station in the Liverpool area of England, on the frequency of 1548 AM. Magic is a sister station to Radio City and City Talk 105.9, with which it shares studios atop St...	28 January 2008

Scotland

Station name	Based in	Transmission area(s)	Sister station	Original Air-date
102.5 Clyde 1 102.5 Clyde 1 102.5 Clyde 1 is a UK radio station broadcasting to Glasgow and West Central Scotland on FM, DAB and online. The station was formerly broadcast on Freeview across the UK until 30 October 2008.- History :...	Clydebank Clydebank Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...	Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area...	Clyde 2 Clyde 2 1152 Clyde 2 is a UK radio station that broadcasts to Glasgow and West Central Scotland. The station broadcasts contemporary easy listening music as well as specialist and sports programming, mainly football....	31 December 1973
97.3 Forth One 97.3 Forth One 97.3 Forth One is a Scottish radio station owned by Bauer Radio. Currently, the station is part of the Big City Network.Forth One broadcasts to Edinburgh, The Lothians and Fife including other areas of East Central Scotland and is based in Forth Street in Edinburgh’s city centre. The station plays...	Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....	Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas.... , the Lothians and Fife Fife Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. It was originally one of the Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland.It is a...	1548 Forth 2 1548 Forth 2 1548 Forth 2 is a Scottish radio station owned by Bauer Radio.Forth 2 broadcasts to Edinburgh, The Lothians and Fife and is based in Forth Street in Edinburgh’s city centre.-History:...	22 January 1975
Tay FM Tay FM Tay FM is an Independent Local Radio station commercial local radio station serving Dundee, Perth and the general Tayside area in Scotland. It is part of the Big City Network...	Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea....	Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea.... , Angus Angus Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders onto Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City... , Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre... and Fife Fife Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. It was originally one of the Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland.It is a...	Tay AM Tay AM Tay AM is an Independent Local Radio station commercial local radio station serving Dundee, Perth and the general Tayside area in Scotland. Tay AM is one of the more popular stations in the region, providing adult comtemporary music and classic hits, with chat, competitions, local, national and...	17 October 1980
Northsound 1 Northsound 1 Northsound 1 is a radio station serving Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland. Owned and operated by Bauer Radio, Northsound 1 is a part of the Scottish Big City Network and plays contemporary music from the 1980s to today, alongside news, sport and travel bulletins. Daytime and weekend evening...	Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It has an official population estimate of .Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands...	Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It has an official population estimate of .Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands... and Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives...	Northsound 2 Northsound 2 Northsound 2 is a commercial local radio station serving Aberdeen and surrounding area on 1035kHz on the medium wave band. Owned and operated by Bauer Radio, Northsound 2 plays music mainly from the 1960s and 1970s, alongside talk, news and sports coverage...	27 July 1981
West Sound West Sound West Sound is a local AM radio station for Ayrshire. Based in Ayr with its AM transmitter in Symington, South Ayrshire and its DAB transmitter in Darvel, East Ayrshire, the station is part of the West Sound Radio Network and the only AM station in the Big City Network.A new programming schedule was...	Ayr Ayr Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde, in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...	Ayrshire Ayrshire Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the last seven...	West FM and West Sound FM West Sound FM West Sound is a local radio station for Dumfries and Galloway, owned by Bauer Radio and operated by the West Sound Radio network. The station is also part of the Scottish Big City Network and broadcasts from studios at the Loreburn Centre in Dumfries on 97FM in Dumfriesshire, 103FM in...	16 October 1981
97.4 MFR MFR Moray Firth Radio -Station information:Moray Firth Radio or MFR is an Independent Local Radio station that is based in the Scorguie area of Inverness in Scotland, broadcasting to the communities in the surrounding region north to The Highlands, Wick, Thurso and Orkney, and east to The Moray Coast, Fraserburgh, and...	Inverness Inverness Inverness is a city in northern Scotland. The city is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is promoted as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...	Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.... , Orkney and the Highland	Moray Firth Radio 1107AM MFR Moray Firth Radio -Station information:Moray Firth Radio or MFR is an Independent Local Radio station that is based in the Scorguie area of Inverness in Scotland, broadcasting to the communities in the surrounding region north to The Highlands, Wick, Thurso and Orkney, and east to The Moray Coast, Fraserburgh, and...	23 February 1982
Radio Borders Radio Borders Radio Borders is a radio station broadcasting to the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland from studios in Tweedbank, just outside Galashiels...	Tweedbank Tweedbank Tweedbank is a large village located just to the south east of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.It is the site of the biggest industrial estate in the region and Radio Borders HQ. Also, soon to be the site of Tweedbank railway station at the end of the Waverley Line between the Central Borders...	Scottish Borders Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders or simply the Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan... and North Northumberland Northumberland Northumberland is a ceremonial county and unitary district in the North East of England. It borders Cumbria to the west, County Durham to the south and Tyne and Wear to the south east, as well as having a border with the Scottish Borders council area to the north, and nearly eighty miles of North...	N/A	22 January 1990
West Sound FM West Sound FM West Sound is a local radio station for Dumfries and Galloway, owned by Bauer Radio and operated by the West Sound Radio network. The station is also part of the Scottish Big City Network and broadcasts from studios at the Loreburn Centre in Dumfries on 97FM in Dumfriesshire, 103FM in...	Dumfries Dumfries Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland and is situated close to the Solway Firth, near the mouth of the River Nith. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire...	Dumfries & Galloway	West Sound West Sound West Sound is a local AM radio station for Ayrshire. Based in Ayr with its AM transmitter in Symington, South Ayrshire and its DAB transmitter in Darvel, East Ayrshire, the station is part of the West Sound Radio Network and the only AM station in the Big City Network.A new programming schedule was... and West FM	21 May 1990
West FM	Ayr Ayr Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde, in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...	Ayrshire Ayrshire Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the last seven...	West Sound West Sound West Sound is a local AM radio station for Ayrshire. Based in Ayr with its AM transmitter in Symington, South Ayrshire and its DAB transmitter in Darvel, East Ayrshire, the station is part of the West Sound Radio Network and the only AM station in the Big City Network.A new programming schedule was... and West Sound FM West Sound FM West Sound is a local radio station for Dumfries and Galloway, owned by Bauer Radio and operated by the West Sound Radio network. The station is also part of the Scottish Big City Network and broadcasts from studios at the Loreburn Centre in Dumfries on 97FM in Dumfriesshire, 103FM in...	6 January 1997

Northern Ireland

Station name	Based in	Transmission area	AM sister station	Original Air-date
Cool FM Cool FM 97.4 Cool FM is a commercial radio station, based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, owned and operated by Bauer Radio and part of the Big City Network. The station began broadcasting in 1990 when its parent station Downtown Radio ceased simulcasting and split its AM and FM frequencies into two...	Newtownards Newtownards Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Ards Borough Council area. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821...	Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...	Downtown Radio Downtown Radio Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.- History :...	16 March 1976

The Hits Radio

Though not directly within the "Big City Network", The Hits Radio

The Hits Radio

The Hits Radio is a popular mainstream music channel operated by Bauer Media.- The Hits Radio :The station presents a mix of music genres along with chat and regular news updates...

broadcasts from Manchester and is built up from many of the shows from Northern England stations, consisting of voicetracked output from various station presenters as well live networked programming such as In:Demand and The Big Top 40 Show
The Big Top 40 Show
The Big Top 40 Show is a chart show broadcast on commercial radio stations in the UK. The chart is based on a combination of airplay and music download figures provided by iTunes.-Format:...

. The Hits is available on DAB Digital Radio in London and across the UK via Freeview, Sky Digital

Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)

Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E....

and Virgin Media.

Northern England

The Big City Network in northern England carries networked programming on weekday evenings and overnights.

In:Demand with Alex and Lucy (Weeknights 7-10pm)
AfterHours (Overnights, 1-6am on most stations, 2-6am on Radio City 96.7, 2-5am Metro Radio - Monday-Saturday only)
JK and Joel
JK and Joel
JK and Joel are a multi TV and Radio award winning British duo who have co-presented radio shows since 1999 and are most famous for hosting the the official UK chart on BBC Radio 1 between 2004 and 2007 and then presented on Virgin Radio...

's Saturday Night Thing (Saturdays 6-10pm, not aired on Radio City
Radio City 96.7
Radio City 96.7 is an Independent Local Radio station, based in Liverpool, UK, and broadcasting to Merseyside and surrounding counties...

)
The Love Confessional with Becky Hayes (Friday 10pm - 1am, aired on Radio Aire and Hallam FM)

In addition, Late 'n' Live is broadcast from Sunday to Thursday night between 10pm and 1am although Radio City, Metro Radio, Key 103 and TFM Radio continue to air locally produced programming at these times.

In:Demand and AfterHours are produced and broadcast live from Key 103

Key 103

Key 103 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Manchester and the north west of England. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. It is owned by Bauer Radio and is part of the company's Big City Network of stations. The station is based in Castlefield,...

in Manchester, JK and Joel
JK and Joel
JK and Joel are a multi TV and Radio award winning British duo who have co-presented radio shows since 1999 and are most famous for hosting the the official UK chart on BBC Radio 1 between 2004 and 2007 and then presented on Virgin Radio...

's Saturday Night Thing is a voicetracked production from Radio Aire in Leeds and Late 'n' Live is produced from London.

With the exception of AfterHours on Sundays, The Hits Radio

The Hits Radio

The Hits Radio is a popular mainstream music channel operated by Bauer Media.- The Hits Radio :The station presents a mix of music genres along with chat and regular news updates...

also airs the same networked programming. "Late 'n Live" and "JK & Joel's Saturday Night Thing" are not simulcast on The Hits and are instead simulcast digitally on Heat Radio.

Scotland

Big City Network stations in Scotland carry networked programming on weekday evenings, originating from the studios of Clyde 1 in Glasgow.

In Demand with Romeo (Weekdays 7-10pm)
Late Night with Gina McKie (Sunday - Thursday 10pm-1am)
Friday Night Floorfillers with Krystle (Friday 10pm-1am)
Saturday Night with Krystle (Saturday 10pm-1am)
Overnights with Adrian Coll (Mo-Th) or Kevin Cameron (Fr-Su) (1am-6am)

The two Northern Ireland stations, Cool FM

Cool FM

97.4 Cool FM is a commercial radio station, based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, owned and operated by Bauer Radio and part of the Big City Network. The station began broadcasting in 1990 when its parent station Downtown Radio ceased simulcasting and split its AM and FM frequencies into two...

and Downtown Radio

Downtown Radio

Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.- History :...

, air locally-produced programming during the evening.

The networked chart show, The Big Top 40 Show With Rich and Kat, is also broadcast across all Big City Network stations on Sundays from 4-7pm, produced by Global Radio in London.