Key 103, launch - 1988
Episode 541, Sep 02, 2012, 01:04 PM
As the first tranches of commercial radio stations were given the strong steer to split their AM and FM frequencies, most chose to put a Gold station on AM; and keep the heritage brand on FM, adding a CHR twist to what had been a full-service format. There was even debate at the time as to which of the frequencies was the ‘lead’ one, given even Radio 1 was on AM-only back then.
The oldies brands fared well across the UK, some exceptionally so. In truth, the challenge lay in the FM brands as they leaped all over the place, leaving territory for the focused regional formats to claim.
A few stations defied the trend, launching a new service on FM. So, in Manchester in 1988, the old 1974 Piccadilly name remained on AM; and the upmarket Key 103 launched on FM, before hastily adjusting to a more sensible format. Key 103 became Hits Radio in 2018.