Wave 105
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = Wave 105
| logo = Wave 105.png
| city = Fareham
| country =
| area = South Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and parts of West Sussex, North Wiltshire and East Dorset
| airdate = {{start date|df=y|1998|6|14}}
| last_airdate = {{End date|df=y|2024|03|28}}
| frequency = FM: 105.2 MHz
DAB:
11B (Bournemouth)
DAB: 11C (South Hampshire)
| rds = Wave 105
| format = Adult contemporary
| network = Greatest Hits Radio
| owner = Bauer Media Audio UK
| sister_stations = Pirate FM
| website = [https://planetradio.co.uk/wave-105 Wave 105]
| former_frequencies = 105.8 MHz (Poole)
}}
Wave 105 was an Independent Regional Radio station based in Fareham, England, owned and operated by Bauer. It broadcast to South Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, Wiltshire, and Dorset.
As of December 2023, the station had a weekly audience of 405,000 listeners according to RAJAR and over 5 million listening hours, making it one of the most listened to regional radio stations in the UK and the most popular station in its transmission area.{{Cite web |title=RAJAR |url=https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=rajar.co.uk}}
In February 2024, Bauer Media announced that the station would be rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio on 28 March 2024, and be merged with Greatest Hits Radio South. It will retain opt outs for breakfast in the interim.{{Cite web |last=Yu |first=Odelia |date=2024-02-27 |title=Pirate FM and Wave 105 to rebrand |url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/news/pirate-fm-and-wave-105-to-rebrand/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Bauer Media |language=en-GB}}
Most former Wave 105 presenters including Steve Power, Mark Collins, Tony Shepherd, Andy Jackson, Gary Parker, Tim Allen, Selina Ross and Kate Weston can be heard on Nation Radio South.
History
Wave 105 began broadcasting on 14 June 1998. It was based in a studio complex at Segensworth East, on the outskirts of Fareham, and broadcast on 105.2 MHz (South Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Dorset and Wiltshire), as well as on DAB digital radio via the South Hampshire and Dorset multiplexes, and online.
News was provided by Wave 105's in-house local newsroom in conjunction with Sky News Radio. In recent years, the station shared a music playlist and many features with Cornwall-based sister station Pirate FM.
On 19 September 2022, the Bournemouth and Poole relay of Wave 105 on 105.8 FM was replaced by a relay of Greatest Hits Radio Dorset, following approval from the broadcast regular OFCOM.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/07/wave-105s-poole-transmitter-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ RadioToday, 2022-07-13]
=Greatest Hits Radio rebrand=
On 27 February 2024, station owners Bauer announced Wave 105 would be rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio South Coast from March 2024, as part of a wider relaunch involving 17 local radio stations in England and Wales.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-27 |title=Pirate FM and Wave 105 to rebrand |url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/news/pirate-fm-and-wave-105-to-rebrand/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Bauer |language=en-GB}}
Most of the station's local programming was replaced with networked output - including weekday shows with Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo - although Greatest Hits Radio retains regional breakfast and afternoon shows, hosted by Rick Jackson and Mark Collins, alongside hourly local news bulletins throughout the day - and travel updates, provided on breakfast and drivetime shows by INRIX.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-27 |title=Pirate FM and Wave 105 to rebrand |url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/news/pirate-fm-and-wave-105-to-rebrand/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Bauer |language=en-GB}}
However, the regional shows only lasted six months and by Christmas 2024, both Rick Jackson and Mark Collins were moving on with Bauer preferring a GHR national feed across the frequencies. Jackson moved to BBC Radio Solent and Collins joined the majority of his ex-Wave 105 colleagues at Nation Radio South, which had itself re-branded to an all regional format with local presenters and travel information.
These shows are broadcast on the current DAB multiplexes and to match this area on FM, will also be broadcast on 105.2FM, 105.8FM (Poole), 97.2FM (Dorchester & Weymouth), 96FM (Bridport), 97.4FM (Shaftesbury) and 96.6FM (Blandford Forum).
Under the current licence conditions, revised in August 2022, the station is required to produce a minimum of three hours of local programming on weekdays and can share all programming with sister stations in the South of England.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/08/ofcom-approves-format-change-for-wave-105-regional-licence/ Ofcom approves format change for Wave 105 regional licence], Radio Today, 30 August 2022
The rebrand led to a number of redundancies and all presenters' freelance contracts were placed under review.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/02/wave-105-and-pirate-fm-frequencies-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ Wave 105 and Pirate FM frequencies to become Greatest Hits Radio], RadioToday, 27 February 2024
Wave 105 ended regular broadcasting at 10pm on Thursday 28 March 2024, following a short tribute programme produced by the station's head of production Tim Allen. The final song played under the brand was Say Hello Wave Goodbye by Soft Cell.[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/03/wave-105-voiceover-hands-over-to-greatest-hits-radio-voiceover-as-the-station-says-hello-waves-goodbye/ Wave 105 voiceover hands over to Greatest Hits Radio voiceover as the station says hello, waves goodbye], RadioToday, 28 March 2024
The station was formally relaunched as Greatest Hits Radio at 10am the following morning.
Ownership
Owned by media company Bauer, Wave 105 was initially created by a group of private investors under the name of The Radio Partnership.{{cite web |url=http://www.thruthemill.net/about-thru-the-mill |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215083027/http://www.thruthemill.net/about-thru-the-mill |archive-date=15 December 2009 |title=About Us}} The station was then sold to Kelvin MacKenzie's Wireless Group. The Wireless Group eventually sold Wave 105 to Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH) who were acquired by EMAP in 2005.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4113782.stm Scottish Radio accepts Emap offer – BBC On-line – Tuesday, 21 June 2005]
Awards
In 2023, Wave 105 was nominated for "Station of the Year" at the ARIAS, the leading radio industry awards in the UK. In 2004, Wave 105 won the NTL Commercial Radio Station of the Year award in the category for stations with a potential audience of over one million listeners.{{cite web|title=Neil Fox honoured at Commercial Radio awards|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storyCode=8042§ioncode=1|work=Music Week|date=25 June 2004|access-date=1 March 2011}}
Transmitters
=Analogue (FM)=
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| Transmitter Site | Frequency | Power | RDS Name | PI Code | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chillerton Down | 105.2 MHz | 10,000W | Wave_105 | C3AD | South Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Dorset and Wiltshire |
=Digital (DAB)=
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Multiplex Name | Bitrate | Short Label | Long Label | Sld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW South Hampshire | 128kbit/s | Wave 105 | Wave 105 | C3AD |
| NOW Bournemouth | 128kbit/s | Wave 105 | Wave 105 | C3AD |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://planetradio.co.uk/wave-105/}}
- [https://www.facebook.com/share/wWEHJPtNSCmhgyTJ/ Wave 105 Memories]
{{Bauer}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1998
Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2024