Century Radio is the brand name of a two independent local radio stations in northern England as well as a digital station broadcasting in the West Midlands and London owned by GMG Radio. A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. The group is based in Laser House Salford Quays in Manchester along with Century Radio Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need Independent Local Radio A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Independent Local Radio Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. The group is based in Laser House Salford Quays in Manchester along with Century Radio The stations have become very successful using their 'radio you just have to sing along to' format.

The head offices are based at Salford Quays, Manchester, along with the studios of Century's north west station, 105.4 Century Radio. In addition, the building also accommodates GMG Radio's sales division, and is currently completing building work for the arrival of sister station Smooth Radio. GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. The group is based in Laser House Salford Quays in Manchester along with Century Radio Smooth Radio is a brand of radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio.

History

It was established by John Myers and John Simons of Border Radio Holdings, a subsidiary of Border Television. John Myers (aka John Morgan) is a British radio executive and presenter John Simons is a British radio executive the current group programming director for GMG Radio. Border Television (now legally known as ITV Border is the ITV franchisee for the border region between England and Scotland (including the south of Scotland much of Cumbria The brand was later expanded to two further stations in North West England and the East Midlands.

In 2000, ownership of the stations was transferred to Capital Radio Group, when Capital Radio Group bought Border Television. GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group ^[1] The buy-out was largely seen as Capital attempting to gain control of Century and its three regional licences, especially when Border Television itself was rapidly sold on to Granada Media Group. Granada Limited (previously called Granada plc Granada Group plc and Granada Media plc is a former British media and previously Catering conglomerate

Under the ownership of Capital the stations were subtly rebranded from Century Radio to Century FM. There was also a transfer away from the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties music format, which clashed with Capital's Capital Gold brand to a more modern music format. Gold is a network of oldies Radio stations which was formed by the merger of the Capital Gold network and the Classic Gold Network in August 2007 The south-coast based Ocean FM also took the "Century Format" but did not take the Century brand name.

With the merger of Capital and GWR in 2005, the Century brand became part of GCap Media, however, the terms of the merger forced the sale of 106 Century FM to Chrysalis Group. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group Chrysalis Group is a UK media company It was founded by Chris Wright who remains chairman Under the ownership of Chrysalis Group, 106 Century FM relaunched as Heart 106 at Midnight on Friday 26 August 2005. Heart 106 is a regional Radio station broadcasting to the East Midlands. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Later in 2005, Ocean FM also began to move away from the Century format dropping Century branding, straplines, and networked programming for a more individual approach.

Finally, on 18 October 2006, it was announced that the two remaining Century stations had been sold to GMG Radio. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. The group is based in Laser House Salford Quays in Manchester along with Century Radio Perhaps ironically, GMG Radio is run by Myers and Simons who created the original Century brand in 1994. ^[2]

Century Digital was replaced by Real Radio on DAB, a GMG Radio brand, in London on 23 March 2007, leaving Birmingham as the only area with Century Digital available, it finally closed a few days later. GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. The group is based in Laser House Salford Quays in Manchester along with Century Radio Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

James Rea is Group Head of News, controlling all of the GMG Radio's news output. In 2008, Century FM changed its name to Century Radio and adopted a new logo, matching that of sister station Real Radio. Real Radio is a brand of Independent local radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio.

Century branded stations

• 100-102 Century Radio (North East England)
• 105.4 Century Radio (North West England)

References

External links

• Century Radio Official Website