Capital Brighton
{{short description|English radio station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{one source|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo =
| city = Brighton
| area = Brighton and Hove, Sussex
| name = Capital Brighton
| branding = 107.2 Capital
| airdate = As Surf 107: 27 March 1998 at 1:07pm
As Juice 107.2: August 2003
As Capital: 3 September 2018 at 6am
| last_airdate = 5 April 2019
| frequency = FM: 107.2 MHz
DAB Digital Radio (mono)
| format = Contemporary hit radio
| coordinates = {{coord|50.8333|-0.2083|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| owner = Global
| sister_stations = Heart Sussex
| website = [https://www.capitalfm.com/brighton Capital Brighton]
}}
Capital Brighton was a local radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Capital radio network. It served the Brighton and Hove area broadcasting on 107.2 FM and across Sussex on DAB.
In April 2019, the station was merged with a sister Capital station in Hampshire to form Capital South.
History
=Surf 107=
The station was first launched as Surf 107 in March 1998, when the Radio Authority licensed Brighton and Hove Local Radio Ltd{{cite web |last1=Staff |first1=MediaTel |title=Radio Authority Receives 8 Applications For East Sussex Licences |url=https://mediatel.co.uk/news/1997/01/22/radio-authority-receives-8-applications-for-east-sussex-licences/ |website=mediatel.co.uk |date=22 January 1997| access-date=4 April 2020}} to broadcast on a commercial basis to the Brighton and Hove area.
Co-founders Daniel Nathan{{Cite web|url=https://brightonsfinest.com/html/index.php/19-making-waves/1268-daniel-nathan-co-founder-chairman-juice-107-2-ceo-totallyradio|title=Daniel Nathan – Co-founder & Chairman – Juice 107.2, CEO – totallyradio}} and Eugene Perera had previously run a series of trial broadcasts in the city beginning with Festival Radio 97.7 operating under a Home Office special events radio licence in May 1990 during the Brighton Festival and in subsequent years using a Radio Authority restricted service licence from 1991 to 1993.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/topics/topicent/broadcasting/broadcasting|title=A potted history}} Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe was the first chairman of the company with Eugene Perera as managing director. Various local companies held shares. Surf 107 began broadcasting on Friday 27 March 1998{{Cite web|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6802300.new-station-to-surf-airways/|title=New station to Surf airways|website=The Argus}} and went on to win its first Sony Award a year later.
=Juice 107.2=
File:Juice107.2 logo.gifIn December 2000, the radio station was sold to Forever Broadcasting plc{{Cite web|url=https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/forever-broadcasting-buys-brighton-amp-hove|title=Forever Broadcasting Buys Brighton & Hove|date=22 December 2000|website=Radio World}} which rebranded the station as Juice 107.2. In August 2003, Daniel Nathan led a group of local investors with the aim of returning the station to local ownership.{{Cite web|url=http://www.radio-now.co.uk/news227.htm|title=radio-now.co.uk | news | Brighton's Juice 107.2 changes hands back to its original founders|website=www.radio-now.co.uk}}
In 2011, Juice 107.2 managing director Ryan Heal was recognised as an Outstanding Brightonian for his stewardship at the radio station and leadership within the community.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldbrightonians.com/news/10-news-from-obs/811-ryan-heal-r-1989-94-wins-the-outstanding-brightonian-award.html|title=Ryan Heal (R. 1989-94) wins "The Outstanding Brightonian Award"|website=Old Brightonians - The Alumni of Brighton College}}
By this point, Juice 107.2 was required to pay for simulcast on the emerging DAB digital radio platform. The company's directors did not consider the format suitable or financially sustainable and began lobbying parliament.{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldselect/ldcomuni/100/100we03.htm|title=House of Lords - Communications Committee - Written Evidence|website=publications.parliament.uk}} In September 2012, in order to demonstrate an alternative approach to DAB, senior Ofcom engineer Rashid Mustapha together with Daniel Nathan initiated an experimental low cost DAB transmission that ran from the Juice 107.2 rack room and transmission site from September 2012 to January 2013 using open-source software.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/11/opinion-what-brighton-dab-test-tells-us/|title=OPINION: What Brighton DAB test tells us|date=20 November 2013}} This work was commended in parliament by the Minister of State Ed Vaizey in November 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2013-11-28/debates/13112860000002/Mix96(DigitalRadioSwitchover0highlight=broadcasting|title=Mix 96 (Digital Radio Switchover) - Thursday 28 November 2013 - Hansard - UK Parliament|website=hansard.parliament.uk}}
An official trial was set in motion and on 31 July 2015, the Juice DIY DAB multiplex went live.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2015/07/31/for_fri_uk_uks_first_diy_dab_multiplex_goes_live/|title=UK's first 'DIY DAB' multiplex goes live in Brighton|website=www.theregister.com}} In the same month, radio group UKRD acquired a 51% majority holding in the broadcaster, with Daniel Nathan remaining as chairman and local shareholders retaining the minority stake.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/07/brightons-juice-107-2-joins-ukrd-group/|title=Brighton’s Juice 107.2 joins UKRD Group|date=28 July 2015}}
In August 2016, UKRD returned its holding in Juice to local investors.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/08/brightons-juice-107-2-returns-to-local-ownership/|title=Brighton’s Juice 107.2 returns to local ownership|date=24 August 2016}}
As part of the sale, Laurence Elphick, who had departed as Juice managing director in 2014,{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/03/juice-107-2-recruits-new-managing-director/|title=Juice 107.2 recruits new Managing Director|date=3 March 2014}} returned to the post.
In late October 2016, Ofcom's report{{Cite web|url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/91371/SSDAB-Final-report-26-Sep.pdf|title=Small scale DAB trials:Final report}} concluded that the small scale trials had been a success.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2016/09/27/ofcom_blesses_linuxpowered_open_source_diy_radio_revolution/|title=Ofcom blesses Linux-powered, open source DIY radio ‘revolution’|website=www.theregister.com}} In March 2017, the Brighton multiplex became UK's first to only broadcast DAB+.{{Cite news|url=https://www.a516digital.com/2017/03/brighton-becomes-home-to-first-dab-only.html|title=Brighton becomes home to first DAB+ only multiplex in the UK}} A month later, the work that began as an experiment in Brighton was officially recognised when the Private Members' Small-Scale DAB Bill{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/12/section/1/enacted|title=Broadcasting (Radio Multiplex Services) Act 2017}} received Royal Assent to pass into law as an Act of Parliament.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/04/royal-assent-for-radio-multiplex-services-bill/|title=Royal Assent for Radio Multiplex Services Bill|date=29 April 2017}} paving the way for a new generation of low cost DAB transmission around the UK.
=Capital Brighton=
On 17 January 2018, Global Radio announced it had bought Juice 107.2 for an undisclosed sum.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/01/global-buys-juice-107-2-in-brighton-hove/ Global buys Juice 107.2 in Brighton & Hove], RadioToday, 17 January 2018 The sale was expected to be finalised the following month.{{Cite web|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2018/01/17/brighton-radio-stations-future-secured-with-global-deal/|title=Brighton radio station’s future secured with Global deal|date=17 January 2018}} The original owners continue to operate the trial DAB+ multiplex, carrying 25 radio stations in the city.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wohnort.org/dab/ukloc.html#Brighton+Mini|title=DAB Ensembles WorldWide | UK Local & Small-Scale|website=www.wohnort.org}}
On 2 August 2018, Global announced it would rebrand and relaunch Juice 107.2 as part of the Capital FM Network of contemporary hit radio stations.{{cite web | url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/08/capital-brighton-to-launch-on-3rd-september/ | title=Capital Brighton to launch on 3rd September | work=RadioToday | date=2 August 2018 | access-date=11 November 2019 }}
Juice 107.2 officially ceased broadcasting from its studios at 170 North Street at midnight on Tuesday 14 August 2018. The station relaunched as Capital Brighton at 6am on Monday 3 September 2018.
=Station merger=
On 26 February 2019, Global confirmed the station would be merged with Capital South Coast. As of Monday 8 April 2019, local output consists of a three-hour Drivetime show on weekdays, alongside news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/02/global-to-network-capital-heart-and-smooth-breakfast-shows/ Global to network Capital, Heart and Smooth breakfast shows], RadioToday, 26 February 2019 Local breakfast and weekend shows were replaced with network programming from London while Capital's Brighton studio – shared with Heart Sussex – would close.
The last local programming from Capital Brighton aired on Friday 5 April 2019. Local news, traffic and advertising for the Brighton area continues to air as opt-outs on Capital South.
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last=Middleton|first=Judy|title=The Encyclopaedia of Hove & Portslade|year=2003|publisher=Brighton & Hove Libraries|location=Brighton}}
{{refend}}
External links
- [https://www.capitalfm.com/brighton Official site]
- [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/may/11/brighton-juice-fm-day-in-the-life A day in the life of Brighton's Juice FM]
{{Capital (radio network)}}
{{Brighton and Hove}}
DAB Digital Radio (NOW Sussex Coast)
Category:Music in Brighton and Hove
Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom
Category:Radio stations in Sussex
Category:Radio stations established in 1998
Category:1998 establishments in England