Greatest Hits Radio

About Greatest Hits Radio

Greatest Hits Radio is the United Kingdom's most listened-to commercial radio station, a national network owned by Bauer Media Audio UK. Playing the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s, it was built from dozens of heritage local stations and transformed by the arrival of star presenters, most notably Ken Bruce, into a commercial powerhouse. It broadcasts nationally on DAB, FM and digital platforms.

History and Launch

Greatest Hits Radio began on 7 January 2019, when Bauer rebranded Key Radio in Manchester as Greatest Hits Radio Manchester. Key Radio had itself evolved from Magic 1152, part of Bauer's City 2 network of former AM stations, and the Manchester frequency carried a broadcasting heritage stretching back to Piccadilly Radio. In 2020 Bauer announced that the majority of the local radio licences it had acquired from UKRD, the Wireless Group, Lincs FM and Celador in 2019 would become Greatest Hits Radio: 49 of the 56 FM licences were rebranded from early September 2020, with the nineteen former Wireless and Celador stations joining the network in July 2020 and carrying local breakfast shows until the full relaunch on 1 September 2020. The network continued to expand through acquisitions, including Radio Plymouth in September 2020, The Revolution in Oldham in October 2020, and Imagine Radio in June 2021, each folded into regional GHR services. On 1 September 2020 Bauer closed the Leeds station Radio Aire so its frequency could switch from the Hits Radio network to Greatest Hits Radio as part of a merger with twelve stations across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and in November the Suffolk station Ipswich 102 took the GHR brand and network programming.

Ownership

Greatest Hits Radio is owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK, the UK radio division of the German Bauer Media Group. Bauer assembled the network through a series of acquisitions in 2019, buying local radio portfolios from UKRD, Celador, Lincs FM Group and the Wireless Group's local stations, and it has continued to add licences since. The station is regulated by Ofcom and operates as a network of local FM licences carrying shared national and regional programming with local news, travel and advertising opt-outs.

Format and Programming

The station's format is the greatest hits of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, targeting adults with a diet of classic pop and rock. Most programming is networked nationally from Bauer's studios, with regional afternoon programmes and localised news, weather and travel bulletins preserving a local feel. The weekday schedule runs from a national breakfast show through mid-mornings, afternoons and Simon Mayo's drivetime show, with specialist and themed programming at weekends. Scotland has its own Greatest Hits programming, opting into the England network overnight.

Flagship Shows and Presenters

The station's line-up reads like a who's who of British radio. Ken Bruce joined in April 2023 after 31 years at the BBC, taking the 10am to 1pm mid-morning slot and bringing his celebrated PopMaster quiz with him; his show debuted with 3 million weekly listeners and reached a record 3.8 million by the end of 2023. Simon Mayo hosts drivetime, the UK's number one commercial drivetime show with a record 2.5 million listeners. Rossie presents breakfast to a record 2.8 million weekly listeners, and the roster also includes Martin Kemp, Kate Thornton, Jenny Powell and Debbie Mac. The late Janice Long, who presented her final show on 11 December 2021, was among the station's much-loved voices.

Broadcast Area and Frequencies

Greatest Hits Radio broadcasts nationally across the UK on DAB digital radio and through a patchwork of FM frequencies inherited from its constituent local stations. A London FM service launched on 17 May 2021 on 105.8 FM, using the frequency previously occupied by Absolute Radio's London relay after Ofcom approved the change. The network's FM footprint covers regions including the North West, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the Midlands, the East, the South, the South West and Wales, with separate services for Scotland. In April 2021 Bauer switched off its medium-wave frequencies in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Leeds and Humberside following the launch of Greatest Hits Radio on FM in those areas. The station was withdrawn from satellite and cable television in December 2023, and its remaining medium-wave transmissions in Scotland and northern England ceased at the end of 2023, leaving DAB and FM as its broadcast platforms alongside streaming.

Audience and Ratings

According to RAJAR, the Greatest Hits Radio Network reaches 6.8 million weekly listeners, as recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023, making it the UK's most listened-to commercial radio station. That figure represented growth of 69.8 per cent year on year, driven by the Ken Bruce effect and the expansion of the network's frequencies: Bruce's arrival added hundreds of thousands of listeners, with the network jumping from around 5.1 million to 5.9 million in his first quarter. In London, Greatest Hits Radio on 105.8 FM grew to a record 1.14 million listeners. The station's audience gains came substantially at the expense of BBC Radio 2, which lost around a million listeners in the same period.

Digital and Streaming

Greatest Hits Radio streams live on the web, through apps and on smart speakers, and it is available on DAB across the UK. Bauer has extended the brand digitally with spin-off stations including Ken Bruce's Secret 60s, launched in August 2023 to capitalise on the presenter's popularity. The station's social media and online presence support its national shows, with PopMaster clips and presenter content generating significant engagement. Its availability on connected devices has been central to its audience growth among listeners who have migrated from traditional radio sets.

Sister Stations

Within Bauer Media Audio UK, Greatest Hits Radio sits alongside the Hits Radio network, the Absolute Radio network, Magic, KISS, Jazz FM, Kerrang! Radio, Planet Rock and Heat Radio. The Hits Radio Network reaches 6.3 million listeners a week, and the combined Hits Radio Portfolio offers advertisers access to the audiences of both networks. The Absolute Radio Network reaches 5.3 million weekly listeners, while the KISS Network reaches 4.2 million, making Bauer the largest commercial radio group in the UK by reach.

Cultural Impact

Greatest Hits Radio's rise is one of the defining stories of recent British radio. By uniting dozens of heritage local stations under a single national brand, Bauer demonstrated how local radio could be reinvented for the digital age, preserving local news and identity while delivering star-powered national programming. The defection of Ken Bruce from the BBC in 2023 was a cultural moment in itself, symbolising the shifting balance of power between public-service and commercial radio. The station's success has shown that there is a vast audience for expertly curated classic hits presented by broadcasters at the top of their game.

Recent Developments

The network continues to evolve its FM and DAB footprint. In 2023 the seven heritage Scottish names, including Clyde 2, Forth 2, MFR 2 and Tay 2, rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio, and Radio Borders followed suit, giving the network a unified identity across Scotland. Localised versions launched in Kent and Northern Ireland, and the station's remaining AM transmissions were switched off at the end of 2023 as Bauer completed its move to FM and digital distribution. With record audiences and a line-up of Britain's most popular presenters, Greatest Hits Radio has consolidated its position at the top of commercial radio.