Hits Radio UK
{{short description|British national digital radio station}}
{{For|the Network|Hits Radio}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = Hits Radio UK
| logo = Hits Radio 2024.svg
| logo_size = 170px
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2024
| area = United Kingdom
| branding = The Biggest Hits, The Biggest Throwbacks
| frequency = DAB:
10C (Liverpool)
10D (Humberside, Herts, Beds & Bucks, West Wiltshire, Teesside)
11B (Cornwall, Ayr, Inverness, Bradford & Huddersfield, Leicester, Tayside, Teesside)
11C (Glasgow, Birmingham, Cambridge, Exeter & Torbay, Kent, Swindon, Manchester, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear)
12A (Lancashire, Swansea)
12C (Manchester)
12D (Edinburgh, Coventry, Essex, Peterborough, Plymouth, Stoke & Stafford, Leeds, Northern Ireland)
| airdate = {{start date|2003|04|01|df=y}}
(as The Hits)
| former_names = The Hits Radio
The Hits
| format = CHR/Pop
| language = English
| network = Hits Radio
| owner = Bauer Media Audio UK
| sister_stations = Hits Radio Manchester
Greatest Hits Radio UK
| website = [https://hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/ Hits Radio UK]
| city = Manchester
London
| coordinates =
}}
Hits Radio UK, formerly The Hits, is a British digital radio station based in Manchester and London, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts across the United Kingdom.
As of September 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 4.6 million listeners according to RAJAR.
The station provides the network feed for all Hits Radio network stations.
Overview
{{further|Timeline of Hits Radio}}
The national station launched on 1 April 2003 as The Hits. The station was rebranded on 4 June 2018 as Hits Radio UK. It relays its programming to the Hits Radio network, opting out with UK wide news & information, traffic bulletins and advertising.[http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press/bauer-to-launch-new-national-radio-station Bauer to launch new national radio station] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419120805/http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press/bauer-to-launch-new-national-radio-station |date=19 April 2018 }}, Bauer Media, 18 April 2018[https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/broadcasting/2018/04/key-103-become-hits-radio-part-major-rebrand Key 103 to become Hits Radio as part of major rebrand], Prolific North, 18 April 2018[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/04/key-103-to-rebrand-as-hits-radio-and-go-national/ Key 103 to rebrand as Hits Radio and go national], Radio Today, 19 April 2018[http://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/06/key-2-on-am-and-dab-rebrands-as-key-radio/ Key 2 on AM and DAB rebrands as Key Radio], Radio Today, 4 June 2018
Hits Radio UK broadcasts on DAB in many parts of the UK and online.
Technical
The launch of Hits Radio UK in 2018 saw the station added to DAB multiplex transmissions in a number of local areas - mostly those served by Arqiva's NOWdigital multiplexes, as well as being made available on the CE Birmingham multiplex (replacing 'Magic Soul') and in stereo in London (replacing Kerrang! Radio and Absolute Radio 70s, which were removed on 23 May and replaced with a Hits Radio UK placeholder).
Hits Radio UK replaced The Hits on Bauer's DAB multiplexes and on the Arqiva-operated commercial Freeview multiplex. In addition, the new network was provided over the Sky satellite TV platform, on a channel previously occupied by Absolute Radio 70s.
On 13 December 2023, Hits Radio was removed from Sky, along with every other radio station owned by Bauer Media on the platform, including Absolute Radio, Absolute Radio 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio Classic Rock, Hits Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Kiss, Magic, Jazz FM and Planet Rock.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/11/bauer-to-remove-all-radio-stations-from-satellite-and-cable-tv-platforms/|title = Bauer to remove all radio stations from satellite and cable TV platforms|date = 28 November 2023}}
On 2 April 2024, Hits Radio was removed from Freeview, along with other Bauer Media radio stations on the platform, including Greatest Hits Radio, Kerrang! Radio, Kiss, Kiss Fresh, Kisstory and Magic Radio.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/03/bauer-radio-station-to-leave-freeview-platform-following-satellite-and-cable-exit/|title = Bauer radio stations to leave Freeview platform following satellite and cable exit|date = 12 March 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://planetradio.co.uk/hits-radio/ Hits Radio]
{{Bauer Media Group}}
{{Bauer Radio}}
{{Hits Radio}}
Category:British radio networks
Category:Radio stations in Manchester
Category:Radio stations established in 2003
Category:Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom