Origins
The licence for the station was originally awarded to the Saga Radio Group. However, GMG Radio inherited it following its purchase of Saga in December 2006. GMG had been granted permission by the regulator, Ofcom, to change the format of its Smooth FM stations in London and Manchester, and took the decision to change both the Smooth FM and Saga Stations to a new brand, Smooth Radio. All stations concerned ceased broadcasting on Friday 23 March 2007, and were replaced the following Monday by the new network.
Test transmissions for 97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio began on 22 November 2007, and an advertising campaign was launched in the region from Boxing Day. This included television commercials featuring images of some of the music industry's most notable artists, such as Buddy Holly, Diana Ross and Rod Stewart. The music format of the station was middle of the road, adult contemporary music, aimed at an audience aged 45 and over.
In 2010 GMG announced that it would be merging its five Smooth stations in England to create a nationwide Smooth Radio service based in Manchester. The new station was launched on 4 October 2010 and can be heard both on DAB and on the locally on the FM frequencies.
Read more about this topic: 97.5 & 107.7 Smooth Radio
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