40 radio station names across the UK to disappear

Some will close, others will be rebadged

Forty radio stations names across the UK are to disappear in a major shake-up by owner Bauer Mesia.

Some stations will be closed and others will be rebranded under the 'Hits Radio', 'Greatest Hits Radio' and 'Country Hits Radio' titles.

Bauer is also in talks to close, merge or sell 10 of its print titles.

The titles affected are music magazines Q and Planet Rock, car brands Modern Classics and Car Mechanics, “true-life” title Simply You, Mother and Baby, Golf World, Practical Photography, Sea Angler and Your Horse, reports The Mirror.

Bauer Group managing director, Dee Ford, said: "Audiences love and trust radio. Expanding the Hits Radio Brand Network will ensure listeners to these acquired stations benefit from multi-platform digital distribution meaning they can continue to broadcast in an increasingly competitive, digital and voice-activated world.

"This ensures the provision of local news and information, traffic and travel as well as access for advertisers to highly valued audiences."

It admitted the move has placed a number of workers on consultation - though declined to state the exact total.

Under the changes, Lincs FM, Celador Radio, UKRD and Wireless will rebrand to Greatest Hits Radio from September.

"We are committed to ensuring the future of radio in local markets and serving the needs of our listeners and advertisers. However, our top priority right now will be to support those affected through this period."

Stations rebranding as Greatest Hits Radio

The Beach (Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft)
The Breeze (Alton, Petersfield, Haslemere & Bordon)
The Breeze (Andover)
The Breeze (Basingstoke)
The Breeze (Bath)
The Breeze (Bridgwater & West Somerset)
The Breeze (Bristol)
The Breeze (Cheltenham)
The Breeze (Newbury)
The Breeze (Reading)
The Breeze (Shaftesbury)
The Breeze (Torbay)
The Breeze (Warminster)
The Breeze (Weston super Mare)
The Breeze (Yeovil)
Compass FM (Grimsby)
Dearne FM (Barnsley)
Dream 100 (Tendring)
Eagle Radio (Guildford)
KLFM (Kings Lynn)
Minster FM (Northallerton)
Minster FM (York)
Mix 96 (Aylesbury)
North Norfolk Radio (North Norfolk)
Peak FM (Chesterfield)
Pulse 2 (Bradford & Huddersfield)
Radio Norwich (Norwich)
Ridings FM (Wakefield)
Rother FM (Rotherham)
Rutland Radio (Rutland)
Sam FM (Swindon)
Spire FM (Salisbury)
Signal 107 (Kidderminster)

Signal 107 (Shrewsbury & Oswestry)
Signal 107 (Telford)
Signal 107 (Wolverhampton)
Signal 2 (Stoke-on-Trent)
Spirit FM (Chichester)
Stray FM (Harrogate)
Swansea Sound (Swansea)
Tower FM (Bolton & Bury)
Trax FM (Bassetlaw)
Trax FM (Doncaster)
Wave 96.5 (Blackpool)
Wessex FM (Weymouth)
Wire FM (Warrington)
Wish FM (Wigan)
Yorkshire Coast Radio (Bridlington)
Yorkshire Coast Radio (Scarborough)

Rebranding as Greatest Hits Radio

Sam FM South Coast (Solent regional) – owned by Nation Broadcasting
KCFM (Hull) – owned by Nation Broadcasting

Rebranding as Hits Radio

The Breeze (Portsmouth)
The Breeze (Southampton)
The Breeze (Winchester)
-all owned by Nation Broadcasting

Stations that are closing down

Encore (DAB)
Suffolk First (DAB)
Pirate 70s (online)
Pirate 80s (DAB)
Escape to Cornwall (online)
Eagle 70s (online)
Eagle 80s (DAB)
Signal 80s (DAB)
Pulse 80s (DAB)
Wave 80s (DAB)