Jazz FM (London) launch commentary - 1990

Radio in London was not competitive for many years. Capital and LBC had the City to themselves for a decade and a half, until London Jazz Radio, came on air as Jazz FM in 1990. Back then, the new regulator, the Radio Authority saw 'broadening listening choice' as a matter of licensing music new formats, rather than allowing any appreciable competition and choice in the mainstream. Like many stations in that tough climate, not least a lone specialist station, this project of love struggled, being taken over by Golden Rose Communications the following year.

In a bid to broaden the appeal, the station re-branded as JFM, reverting to Jazz FM after just over a year. As the station extended to the North West, but failed to win other UK FM licences, or acquire licences with which it might broaden the scope of its business, it was then sold to GMG in late 2002, which re-branded the station as Smooth in 2005.

Jazz, nevertheless, had acquired a reputation and a following which was exploited as platforms grew. The format lives on now on DAB and online .