[Ash101]

The whole Breakfast / Drive thing is a bit of a mess amongst that Network.

As they’ve had “Hits” branded stations taking the Fleur East Breakfast show with a local drive, whereas the heritage named stations have a local Breakfast with the networked drive.

At least with this it means the Drive show is everywhere. But a shame to lose Tom Green who works the format well.

[BBI45]

On which note, Hits in Bristol and the South Coast are moving their local shows from Drive to mid-mornings in order to carry Mike Toolan's Drivetime show across the whole network.

radiotoday.co.uk 

I'm surprised Bauer haven't decided to move all their local Hits Radio programmes to the mid-morning slots. It'd allow them to push their main talents in both the breakfast and drive-time slots, whilst having their local shows go out back to back on Hits/Greatest Hits.

[Ash101]

I'm surprised Bauer haven't decided to move all their local Hits Radio programmes to the mid-morning slots. It'd allow them to push their main talents in both the breakfast and drive-time slots, whilst having their local shows go out back to back on Hits/Greatest Hits.

I think the issue here is still the naming of Heritage brands, meaning 'The Hits Radio Breakfast Show' doesn't quite work!

It's probably about time they just rebrand all of them as 'Hits Radio' anyway, so they can sit alongside 'Greatest Hits Radio' in each area and then yeah, move the local show to 10am till 1pm.

Competition wise, I'm guessing this doesn't effect things because Bauer seem to run the cash register game where they just make 1 call later in the day, compared to Heart/Capital that did a cue to call style mechanic throughout the daytime hours.

[Spencer]

I'm surprised Bauer haven't decided to move all their local Hits Radio programmes to the mid-morning slots. It'd allow them to push their main talents in both the breakfast and drive-time slots, whilst having their local shows go out back to back on Hits/Greatest Hits.

I think it’d be a massive risk to do this. I suspect many of the breakfast shows on their heritage stations are the only reason why many people listen, and pretty much the only thing they’ve got going for them.

[BBI45]

I think it’d be a massive risk to do this. I suspect many of the breakfast shows on their heritage stations are the only reason why many people listen, and pretty much the only thing they’ve got going for them.

I don't doubt that, but it doesn't seem to have been much of a concern for them before now.

[Spencer]

I don't doubt that, but it doesn't seem to have been much of a concern for them before now.

Very true. Bauer always seem to know best, despite what the listening figures may say.

[London Lite]

The two stations rebranded to Hits outside Manchester have lost share. Bristol especially is a disaster.

[Spencer]

The two stations rebranded to Hits outside Manchester have lost share.  Bristol especially is a disaster.

Meanwhile the one Hits station not outside Manchester has also lost share… and reach… and hours.

Surely at some point, they’ll realise that they’re flogging a dead horse with the Hits Radio brand. They always should have rolled out Kiss instead.

[lookoutwales]

I'm pretty sure DC Thomson has no intention of selling up. It's their print division that they're cutting back on (Beano and Sunday Post are safe but they recently shuttered a bunch of magazines).

And to bring the story up to speed - and to frankly no one's surprise - Pure Radio quietly ceased broadcasting yesterday.

Its FM relay in Dundee and Perth now carries Original 106 from Aberdeen (albeit with Robin Galloway remaining in a behind the scenes role)

radiotoday.co.uk 

Pure Radio in Scotland closes citing disappointing figures – RadioToday
DC Thomson has closed its Scottish station PURE Radio after four years.The compa…
  Source: radiotoday.co.uk

[Torpido]

Some of the heritage stations they don't fully own