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was added to the Radio
Authority's list of locations where so-called 'Sallie' (Small Scale Alternative Location Licence) licences would be advertised. This brought new impetuous and further RSLs were run in June and November 1995. Throughout this period, programming followed a mainstream commercial
314:
The move to FM saw a step change in the popularity of the station with the audience and advertisers. It was decided to repeat the broadcast during
November 1994, and the decision was made to change the station name from WFMR to Warrington FM. It was renamed again as Wire FM, to reflect Warrington's
301:
The decision was made to move 'indoors', sever the link with the
Festival, and switch to FM. This had significant risks, as costs for FM licences were higher, and new transmitters and studio equipment had to be bought. However, the broadcast went ahead during June 1994 from a 'Community House' on
297:
During 1994, the attraction of the caravan had waned. Funding for the
Warrington Festival of Music had also decreased with the demise of its main supporter, the Warrington & Runcorn Development Corporation. In the 1994 broadcast presenters were also heard to refer to WFMR as Warrington's
289:
The station was duly organised and went on air as
Warrington Festival of Music Radio (WFMR) for two weeks in May 1991. It broadcast from a borrowed portable cabin located behind the Warrington Town Hall Gates on 1602 kHz, with Matthew Newton & Mark Gabler among the presenting team.
350:
Kris
Burford and Ande McPherson. Competition for the licence was expected to be strong and significant resources were allocated to the bid resulting in more than 250 letters of support being received and comprehensive research being undertaken and analysed by the most respected research
293:
The station was successful in both audience response and commercial respects, and further RSL broadcasts were made in the spring of 1992 and 1993. Stephen
Armstrong-Smith and David Duffy joined the management team and a 14' touring caravan was converted into a mobile studio.
408:
was to another user. But Orange were in the process of securing planning permission for a new, higher tower on close by land owned by
Warrington Golf Course. A deal was struck and Orange were able to offer the station the prime antenna location at the top of the tower.
345:
During 1996, Cheshire was advertised as the location for two potential radio stations. The remaining members of Wire FM's management team, Philip
Houltby and David Duffy, assembled the bid in conjunction with IRG's licence bid team consisting of
558:
https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/cma-today-clears-the-acquisitions-of-lincs-fm-celador-radio-ukrd-and-wireless-local-stations CMA today clears the acquisitions of Lincs FM, Celador Radio, UKRD and
Wireless local
363:(Widnes and Runcorn) in the intended coverage area. To strengthen the bid in Halton, John Grindley (known on air as Phil Johnson) was invited to join the bid and bring his experience of the Halton FM RSL broadcasts to the team.
342:
by Tony Dewhurst and Jeff Graham, who also authored the licence application. By this point, Stephen Cooper had left the team, and Stephen Armstrong-Smith had joined IRG as their regional engineer.
541:. The station's local breakfast show was replaced by a regional drivetime show. Localised news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising were retained. The station's Orrell studios were closed.
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later indicated this was a key factor in awarding the licence. Application documents were submitted during May 1997 and the Radio Authority awarded the licence to Wire FM during November 1997.
557:
404:
Following the licence award, problems with securing an antenna site caused a six-month delay in getting on-air. The original space secured on the High Warren tower operated by
988:
534:
On 13 July 2020, local programming outside weekday breakfast was replaced by networked output from the GHR network, with Wire FM retaining its own branding.
359:
Following a review of the coverage pattern predicted for the High Warren Reservoir transmitter site, the strategic decision was made to include the
274:
Wire FM's origins began in 1990 when two presenters at Warrington's hospital radio station, Stephen Cooper and Philip Houltby, decided to run an
446:
In 1999, the owners of Wire FM, the Independent Radio Group, were brought by The Wireless Group in 1999. Six years later, TWG was taken over by
435:
465:
In early 2007, the station's owners approached UK media regulator OFCOM to ask permission to move the station's base from Warrington to the
582:
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424:
Phil Johnson was the first voice on the station, presenting its weekday breakfast show. The first track to be played on the station was
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During 1995, with the licence application pending, the Wire FM management team had initially formed an alliance with the
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The original plan was abandoned but from the autumn of 2009, all three stations were based at studios in the
208:
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In September 2020, the station merged with several in the North West of England and North Wales, as
498:
910:
397:
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45:
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There was much discussion on Widnes and Runcorn's acceptance of the name 'Wire', however, the
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to bid for Warrington. However, Marcher were dropped in favour of the Independent Radio Group
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978:
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338:(IRG), following their formation and subsequent successful bid for Wigan and St. Helens as
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The station launched under programme director Simon Wynne, who at the time was also PD of
8:
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On 8 February 2019, Wire FM and the Wireless Group's local radio stations were sold to
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347:
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as part of a plan to co-locate with two other stations from the Wireless Group group:
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360:
126:
434:. Other launch presenters included Pete Pinnington (drive), Lee McGrath (evenings),
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In February 2019, Wire FM was sold, along with Wireless's other local stations, to
821:
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425:
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Warrington – Radio Warrington (Warrington Collegiate Institute-led bid backed by
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41:
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Following its sale to Bauer Radio, the station was closed and merged with the
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format, along with regular community features and local news supplied by the
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Warrington – Warrington FM (local consortium, supported by David Rodgers of
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Bauer starts to roll out Hits and Greatest Hits to new radio stations
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52:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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520:. The sale was ratified in March 2020 following an inquiry by the
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On 27 May 2020, it was announced that Wire FM will join Bauer's
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Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West (Warrington)
84:
Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West (Warrington)
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Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio
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Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio
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station for the town. Cooper had previous RSL experience via
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Nora Street in the Howley area of Warrington, borrowed from
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438:, John Seddon (sport) and Tony Johnson (Sunday night).
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421:in Manchester, and sales director Mark Collins.
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989:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom
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615:
597:Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 27 May 2020
585:Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 9 July 2020
573:Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 27 May 2020
354:
68:Learn how and when to remove this message
265:
257:
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17:
378:Competing applications were :
262:Wire FM logo used from 2010 to 2016
13:
974:Radio stations established in 1998
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270:Final logo used from 2016 to 2020.
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522:Competition and Markets Authority
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539:Greatest Hits Radio North West
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1:
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315:wire manufacturing heritage.
717:Republic of Ireland local FM
561:, Bauer Media, 12 March 2020
7:
916:Radio in the United Kingdom
396:Halton – Fun FM (backed by
250:network in September 2020.
48:the claims made and adding
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969:Radio stations in Cheshire
318:At the beginning of 1995,
304:Warrington Borough Council
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188:1 September 1998
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450:(later Wireless Group).
911:Havelock House, Belfast
701:Northern Ireland DAB/FM
298:Favourite Music Radio.
225:Independent Local Radio
80:Radio station in Orrell
945:53.539099°N 2.699343°W
800:Great Britain local FM
769:Great Britain local AM
406:Mercury Communications
355:Extended coverage area
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263:
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950:53.539099; -2.699343
687:Virgin Radio Chilled
682:Virgin Radio Anthems
227:station serving the
984:Greatest Hits Radio
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868:Sport (UK magazine)
692:Virgin Radio Groove
529:Greatest Hits Radio
332:Marcher Radio Group
325:Warrington Guardian
248:Greatest Hits Radio
209:Greatest Hits Radio
157:Greatest Hits Radio
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391:The Wireless Group
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33:possibly contains
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419:1458 Lite AM
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147:Classic Hits
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979:Bauer Radio
948: /
891:UTV Ireland
861:Other media
729:Cork's 96FM
672:Times Radio
668:talkSPORT 2
518:Bauer Radio
455:Bauer Radio
436:Bobby Prior
367:Licence bid
136:Programming
121:: 107.2 MHz
963:Categories
933:53°32′21″N
832:Signal 107
545:References
475:Merseyside
461:Relocation
384:Orchard FM
229:Warrington
219:(formerly
192:1998-09-01
42:improve it
936:2°41′58″W
664:talkSPORT
659:TalkRadio
531:network.
487:St Helens
448:UTV Media
284:Peterhead
239:areas of
163:Ownership
114:Frequency
46:verifying
904:See also
878:UTV Live
852:The Wolf
837:Tower FM
827:Signal 1
807:The Wave
781:Signal 2
559:stations
491:Tower FM
473:area of
320:Cheshire
280:Waves AM
241:Cheshire
221:Wire FM)
131:GRT_HITS
107:Cheshire
847:Wish FM
842:Wire FM
817:Pulse 1
812:Peak FM
776:Pulse 2
744:Live 95
479:Wish FM
467:Haydock
398:The Bay
340:Wish FM
254:History
237:Runcorn
205:Website
190: (
178:History
153:Network
40:Please
762:Former
506:Orrell
495:Bolton
489:) and
233:Widnes
223:is an
142:Format
105:North
93:Orrell
739:FM104
645:Radio
483:Wigan
200:Links
172:Bauer
168:Owner
886:u.tv
749:LMFM
734:C103
708:U105
499:Bury
497:and
485:and
235:and
873:UTV
501:).
469:or
428:'s
336:PLC
282:in
276:RSL
127:RDS
44:by
965::
524:.
457:.
327:.
306:.
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243:.
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119:FM
630:e
623:t
616:v
493:(
481:(
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71:)
65:(
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56:(
38:.
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