If you didn’t like one record you'd flick to another station and then back again. It was amazing. Jazz and soul programmes at the weekends were well received by listeners. [5], RAJAR figures for Q2 2007 showed Capital 95.8 slipping to fourth place in the London local radio market ratings, recording the lowest-ever share of the London audience and for the first time falling behind Emap-owned station Magic and Heart, now owned by Global. Find all Capital London radio shows and presenters: Roman Kemp and Ant Payne. 1976 saw the launch of the Flying Eye, a traffic-spotting light aircraft, which could see traffic congestion below on the streets of Central London. They could have made it so good that everywhere you went you took your transistor radio – you know, how it used to be when I was at school. Capital started in the, literally, dark days of the three-day week when electricity was rationed because of a miners' strike. Capital FM's broadcasts are available on the digital ways, we recommend the online radio stream. The studio complex is shared with many other stations, including Heart, Smooth Radio, Classic FM, Capital XTRA, Radio X, LBC and Gold. The Tories, under leader Edward Heath, won and swiftly introduced the Sound Broadcast… Scott Muller came from the Nova group in Australia, and the station saw another tweak in style. Need help on listening to Capital? Capital XTRA (originally called Choice FM) is a Global-owned radio station that broadcasts in London on 96.9 and 107.1 MHz FM; and nationally on DAB Digital Radio, Freesat, Sky, Virgin Media and online. You can listen to Capital XTRA nationwide on DAB. The station also changed its on-air name to 95.8 Capital Radio, incorporating the frequency of "95.8" back into the station since it was dropped at the January 2006 re-launch. Capital XTRA plays a mixture of black music genres, including Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, Grime and Afro-Bashment. London's No. A brand new breakfast show started in 1987 and was presented by former Tiswas presenter Chris Tarrant. The Independent Broadcasting Authority advertised local radio licences in certain locations in the United Kingdom under the umbrella term of Independent Local Radio (ILR). In 2010 Global Radio announced[3] that the Galaxy network stations would be networked with 95.8 Capital FM, leaving Choice as a standalone brand again. Following their takeover of Choice, Capital Radio Group merged with GWR to form GCap Media in 2005. Capital commenced regular transmissions with the British national anthem "God Save the Queen", then a message from director Richard Attenborough "...This, for the very first time, is Capital Radio" followed by the Capital Radio theme jingle, made by Blue Mink: Simon & Garfunkel's song "Bridge over Troubled Water" followed the jingle. GCap were subsequently taken over by Global Radio, who already owned the Galaxy Network of dance/urban music stations. Many industry commentators consider the station's output in the 1980s represented Capital Radio at its broadcasting peak. [9], In September 2019, a new weekday morning show was launched, hosted by former evening presenter Yinka Bokinni, and Shayna-Marie Birch-Campbell.[10]. We've just written a new song called Capital Radio and a line in it goes "listen to the tunes of the Dr Goebbels Show". One becomes two: the frequency split (1989–96), List of radio stations in the United Kingdom, "Obituary: Barclay Barclay-White – Dentist who was instrumental in the launch of London's commercial broadcaster Capital Radio", "Dave Kelly to replace Neil Fitzmaurice at Radio City, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capital_London&oldid=981691337, Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2018, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016, Articles needing cleanup from February 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 October 2020, at 21:26. Toni Phillips The IBA awarded Capital Radio the "London General Entertainment" service, while "London News" was awarded to the London Broadcasting Company, LBC. We almost didn't make ends meet. Output was concentrated on its core playlist of contemporary chart music with the specialist music rescheduled to evenings. They say "Capital Radio in tune with London". Both stations received brand-new jingle packages from Californian jingle house Who Did That Music (later Groove Jingles.) In the days before its launch, staff worked in the gloom to get the station ready to go on air. Having launched with 850k listeners, Capital XTRA now reaches 1.9 million people across the UK.[12]. Joined by Kara Noble, the partnership proved very popular and the Breakfast Show eventually became one of the most listened to radio programmes on British radio. Although one can say it now, one couldn't at the time, there were some weeks when the viability of the whole operation was in question and we might have had to close down. The charity appeal went on to become one of the longest-running in broadcasting and the most recognised in British radio. London 95.8; Birmingham. However, ratings, particularly in London, suffered, leading to a move back towards the mixture of primarily black music genres that is now heard on the station, which has since proved a success in the UK radio listening measurement system, RAJAR. [4][5] A number of high-profile signings were made, at launch including former BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ Tim Westwood,[6] and subsequently Kiss FM DJ Jez Welham for the station's flagship show, Capital XTRA In The Morning.[7]. Previously the Lots Road site gained Capital and LBC the semi-humorous nickname of "Radio Clothesline" however both stations could be heard as far away as the Midlands. As of April 2019 only weekday drivetime is exclusive to Capital London. Find the frequency to listen to us on FM and DAB in your area right here... London. The station launched its website in September 1996 resulting in high demand which led to it crashing within a few hours. The so-called 'needle-time' restrictions on playing music had been lifted, which meant it could play more music during the day as well as in the evenings where the eight hours were concentrated. Not in London? Immediately after going on air, Capital Radio suffered co-channel interference from Radio Veronica, a pirate radio station off the coast of the Netherlands. I hate them. Listening OnlineThrough your TVFM and DABGlobal Player on Mobile and Smart Speakers, Cardi B apologises for 'disrespectful' Hindu goddess, Octavian accused of shocking physical and verbal abuse by, Global Player on Mobile and Smart Speakers. The changes continued seeing Capital re-branded back to "London's Hit Music Station", a play on the station's earlier brand of "London's Number One Hit Music Station" with noticeable improvements – leading to a rise in audience figures at the end of 2006. Here's how you can tune in with your DAB radio. Charlie Gillett had his world music programme The World of Difference on Sunday evenings. Capital London availability: You can tune to Capital London on the traditional analogue radio way in London on 95.8 FM, and Capital's local radio stations cover the whole UK - For the detailed FM/AM allocation, check the Frequencies section below, and the Frequency Map! Veronica began broadcasting in the 1960s and it was suggested that the allocation of 539 metres to ILR may have been an attempt to block reception of overseas broadcasts – a battle which preceded the launch of BBC Radio 1. The station has also lent its support to London-based orchestras, choral societies, the British Film Institute Children's Film Festival and many other ventures. Programmes include a mixture of playlisted shows and specialist strands, hosted by a number of respected, well known DJs and experts in their field. Capital XTRA (originally called Choice FM) is a Global-owned radio station that broadcasts in London on 96.9 and 107.1 MHz FM; and nationally on DAB Digital Radio, Freesat, Sky, Virgin Media and online. IBA transmission tests commenced in January 1973 and Capital Radio went on air on 16 October that year,[2] eight days after LBC, using the following FM and AM frequencies: 95.8 MHz FM from the Croydon transmitter and 557 kHz (539 m) MW from London Transport's Lots Road Power Station, Chelsea. [1] David Maule-Ffinch was a member of the board of Capital Radio and its largest stockholder until 1994, when he sold his controlling interest to Information et Publicite, a subsidiary of Havas, the French media conglomerate. In December 2005, a new policy started of two advertisements in each break to win favour with listeners, though there were more frequent breaks as a result. [citation needed] Richard Attenborough intimated in the 1990s in a "Capital Facts" sheet that the station almost contemplated closing down, as the start-up capital had all been spent:[citation needed]. Beginning in late 2005, the station went through a number of changes. [1], By 12 October 2004, Capital had received and implemented a merger of their FM licences, operating a service across the capital on the two frequencies and cutting back on the North London-specific music requirements.[2]. It was Britain’s first 24-hour black music radio station with a licence, covering South London. Another application came from a consortium headed by broadcaster Hughie Green, who had openly voiced the need for commercial broadcasting, having previously worked for Radio Luxembourg. Capital's aircraft was originally a Piper Seneca model, and, later, a twin-engined Grumman Cougar.