Capital Birmingham
 | |
| City | Birmingham |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | West Midlands |
| Slogan | Birmingham's No.1 Hit Music Station |
| Frequency |
FM: 102.2 MHz RDS: CAPITAL_ DAB |
| First air date | 1 January 1995 |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio / Urban contemporary |
| Audience share | 7.1% (March 2014, RAJAR) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 52°28′24″N 1°55′10″W / 52.4732°N 1.9194°WCoordinates: 52°28′24″N 1°55′10″W / 52.4732°N 1.9194°W |
| Owner | Global Radio |
| Sister stations |
Heart West Midlands Smooth West Midlands |
| Website | Capital Birmingham |
Capital Birmingham is a local radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Capital radio network. It broadcasts to the West Midlands from studios at Brindleyplace in Birmingham City Centre. Capital Birmingham's transmitter is located at Metropolitan House on the A456. It is also available on DAB via the Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Telford multiplexes.
History
The station began broadcasting as Choice FM on 1 January 1995, after taking over the licence previously operated by Buzz FM. Four years later, Choice was renamed as Galaxy after it was bought out by Chrysalis. Galaxy was sold off to Global Radio in June 2007 in a £170 million deal which saw the group take over The Arrow, LBC and Heart.
The station was relaunched and re-branded as 102.2 Capital on 3 January 2011 as part of a merger of Global Radio's Galaxy and Hit Music networks to form the nine-station Capital radio network.[1] In April 2013, the station along with Heart West Midlands moved to new studios at Eleven Brindleyplace in central Birmingham.
Format
Unlike other stations on the Capital network, the 102.2 Capital licence was to cater primarily for Urban contemporary black music rather than a 'contemporary/chart music-led service'.[2] The radio station format stated that the service should provide 'a rhythmic-based music and information stations primarily for listeners of African or afro-Caribbean origin, but with cross over appeal to young white fans of urban contemporary black music'.[3][4]
On 1 July 2011, Global Radio requested to change the formats of Capital Birmingham and Capital Scotland which have obligations from previous owners - this is to enable all nine Capital stations to be inline.[5] On 17 November 2011 it was announced Ofcom approved two format change requests.[6]
As of February 2014, the station has resumed opting out of networked programming for two hours each Saturday overnight, broadcasting specialist music.
Programming
Local programming is produced and broadcast from Capital's Birmingham studios from 6-10am and 4-7pm on weekdays, 1-3am and 12-4pm on Saturdays and 12pm-4pm on Sundays. All networked programming originates from Global Radio's London headquarters, including the syndicated Vodafone Big Top 40 on Sunday afternoons.
The station's local breakfast team started with Dan Kelly and Katy Poulsom (Capital Breakfast). Dan Kelly left the station and now presents on Free Radio Birmingham drivetime 3-7pm. Rob Howard joined from Capital North East to present breakfast whilst longstanding Galaxy presenter Sacha Brookscontinued on Birmingham drivetime.
Capital Reports
Capital Birmingham broadcasts hourly local news updates known as Capital Reports, from 5am-7pm on weekdays and 6am-12pm at weekends with headlines on the half-hour during breakfast and drivetime on weekdays. The Birmingham newsroom also produces bulletins for sister stations Heart West Midlands and Smooth West Midlands.
Former presenters
References
- ↑ Global Radio takes Capital national, Brand Republic, 13 September 2010
- ↑ "95.8 Capital radio station format". Ofcom. February 2008. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ↑ 102.2 Capital radio station format Archived September 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Capital Birmingham Radio Station Format". Ofcom. June 2010. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ↑ Global requests Capital format change Radio Today, 1 July 2011
- ↑ Ofcom approves Capital format change Radio Today, 17 November 2011