Hits Radio South Yorkshire

Hits Radio South Yorkshire
Broadcast areaSouth Yorkshire and Chesterfield
FrequencyFM:
97.4 MHz (Sheffield)
102.9 MHz (Barnsley and Rotherham)
103.4 MHz (Doncaster)
DAB: 11C
RDSHITS_S_YORKS
BrandingSouth Yorkshire's Hits Radio
The Biggest Hits, The Biggest Throwbacks
Programming
FormatCHR/Pop
NetworkHits Radio
Ownership
OwnerBauer Media Audio UK
Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire
History
First air date
1 October 1974; 50 years ago (1974-10-01)
Former names
Radio Hallam
Hallam FM
Former frequencies
95.2 FM
95.9 FM
96.1 FM
1548 MW
Links
WebcastHits Radio South Yorkshire Player
WebsiteHits Radio South Yorkshire

Hits Radio South Yorkshire, formerly Hallam FM, is an Independent Local Radio station based in Sheffield, England, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to South Yorkshire and Chesterfield.

As of September 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 330,000 listeners according to RAJAR.[citation needed]

History

[edit]
Hallam FM logo used from 2007 to 2015.

The station started broadcasting on 1548 kHz/194m AM, 95.2 and 95.9 MHz FM under the name of Radio Hallam from its studios at Hartshead in Sheffield city centre on 1 October 1974. The first presenter heard on air was ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ Johnny Moran – the first record he played was I've Got the Music in Me by Kiki Dee, which stuck after a minute and a half.

On 1 October 1985, Radio Hallam's broadcast area significantly increased when it began to broadcast to all of South Yorkshire. In 1987, Radio Hallam merged with neighbouring Yorkshire stations Pennine Radio in Bradford and Viking Radio in Hull to form the now-defunct Yorkshire Radio Network.

The frequencies were changed during the 1980s to 96.1 FM for Rotherham, 97.4 FM for Sheffield, 102.9 FM for Barnsley, and 103.4 for the remainder of South Yorkshire. After a take-over of the parent company YRN by the Metro Radio Group, the AM frequency became Great Yorkshire Gold. As part of Hallam's licence agreement, the Rotherham transmitter ceased to be used by the station in the 1990s. Hallam also moved its studio facilities to 900 Herries Road, close to Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground. The office space at Hartshead was formerly used by the Sheffield Star newspaper.[citation needed]

As the Metro Radio Group was bought by EMAP, Hallam FM also became part of the Big City Network in Northern England. In 2011, Bauer Media's Big City Network was replaced by the Place Portfolio, containing the group's local radio stations.

In 2016, Hallam FM was the "Station of the Year" at that year's ARIAS Radio Awards.[1]

From late 2019 until early 2020 Hallam FM's Sheffield studios were shared with sister Yorkshire station Viking FM, following the closure of Viking's studios in Hull. Viking FM was then moved to co-locate with Pulse 1 in Leeds.[2]

Hits Radio rebrand

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On 10 January 2024, station owners Bauer announced Hallam FM would be rebranded as Hits Radio South Yorkshire on 17 April 2024, as part of a network-wide relaunch involving 17 local radio stations in England and Wales.[3] The announcement signalled the end of the Radio Hallam brand after nearly 50 years of broadcasting.[4]

The station's local programming was not affected by the relaunch.

Broadcasting

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The station broadcasts on three analogue frequencies. Almost the whole region is covered on 103.4 FM from a transmitter at Clifton, near the M18 as well as on 97.4 FM (Tapton Hill, Sheffield) and 102.9 FM (Ardsley) which boosts reception in Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. The station also broadcasts via DAB on the Bauer Radio South Yorkshire multiplex, and online via their app.

Programming

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Networked programming originates from Bauer's Manchester studios.[5][6]

The station's only remaining local programme is the long-running Big John @ Breakfast, which is produced and broadcast from Bauer's Sheffield studios and airs weekdays from 6–10 am.[7] The show has been on air since 2000[8] and is presented by "Big" John Harrison and Liesl Soards. During its time on air, the show has been recognised by the wider radio industry, most notably as winner of the "Best Breakfast Show" Gold award at the 2002 New York Radio Awards [9] and as "Breakfast Show of the Year" at the 2015 Arqiva Radio Awards.[10]

News

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Bauer's Sheffield newsroom broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6 am–7 pm on weekdays, and from 7 am–1 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside traffic bulletins.

National bulletins from Sky News Radio are carried overnight with bespoke networked bulletins on weekend afternoons, usually originating from Bauer's Leeds newsroom.

Big John @ Breakfast

[edit]
Big John @ Breakfast
GenreComedy, Talk, Music
Running time240 minutes
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationHits Radio South Yorkshire
Starring"Big" John Harrison
Liesl Soards
Produced byJames Crookes
Recording studioSheffield
Original release31 August 2000 –
Present
WebsiteBig John on the Hallam FM website

Big John @ Breakfast is the current breakfast show on Hits Radio South Yorkshire, and has been on air since 2000.[11] It is presented by "Big" John Harrison and Liesl Soards, along with producer James Crookes. The show is broadcast live across South Yorkshire weekdays from 6am to 10am and it is now the only locally produced programme on the station.

Awards

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  • 2002 New York Radio Awards - "Best Breakfast Show" - Gold [12]
  • 2005 Sony Radio Awards - “Promo Award - Get Me To The Church On Time” [13]
  • 2015 Arqiva Radio Awards - “Breakfast Show of the Year” [14]
  • 2016 ARIAS Radio Awards - “Hallam FM - Station of the Year” [15]
  • 2018 ARIAS Radio Awards - “Best Music Presenter at Breakfast” Nomination [16]
  • 2020 ARIAS Radio Awards - “Best Music Breakfast Show” Nomination [17]

Notable past presenters

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ "2016 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Viking FM is moving out of Hull to join Hallam FM". Radio Today. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Fifteen local stations get set for Hits Radio rebrand". Bauer. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Bauer to rebrand heritage FM stations in England and Wales to Hits Radio". RadioToday. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  5. ^ Hits Radio Network stations drop local weekend programmes, Radio Today, 30 May 2019
  6. ^ Bauer to network drivetime across 11 licences in North and Midlands, Radio Today, 5 August 2019
  7. ^ Hallam FM – Public File
  8. ^ Quine, Sam (26 August 2022). "Big John @ Breakfast makes return to Sheffield's Hallam FM". The Star. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Press - New York Festivals". radio.newyorkfestivals.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards 2015 – Winners". RadioToday. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  11. ^ Quine, Sam (26 August 2022). "Big John @ Breakfast makes return to Sheffield's Hallam FM". The Star. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Press - New York Festivals". radio.newyorkfestivals.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Sony Awards – the results". RadioToday. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards 2015 – Winners". RadioToday. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  15. ^ "2016 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  16. ^ "2018 Gallery". Radio Academy. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  17. ^ "2020 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Spoof hits funny bone". Sheffield Telegraph. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Blades to support tragic DJ's worthy cause". Sheffield Telegraph. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Daryl Denham back at Hallam". RadioToday. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
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Media related to Hallam FM at Wikimedia Commons

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