Broadcast area United Kingdom Format Classic rock | First air date 2000 | |
 | ||
Slogan Home of the Great British Guarantee Frequency DAB: 11B (Greater London)
Virgin Media: 952
Sky: 0203 Audience share 0.2% (June 2013, RAJAR) | ||
Absolute Classic Rock is a radio station part of the Absolute Radio network, broadcasting to London via DAB, Virgin Media, Sky and worldwide on the internet.
Contents
Formerly known as Virgin Radio Classic Rock, it originally was an internet-only radio station, and launched in 2000 under the name Virgin Classic by Lee Roberts, SMG Radio Director. On DAB Digital Radio in London, the station launched at 12:15pm with Richard Skinner introducing Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild. The launch time, presenter, and song (though not the artist) were identical to its parent station Virgin Radio.
On 1 September 2008 it was announced that Virgin Radio Classic Rock would be rebranded as Absolute Classic Rock on 29 September 2008.
The station was removed from Freesat channel 725 on 8 December 2011 because of "economic realities".
DAB expansion
On 10 December 2010 Absolute Classic Rock expanded on DAB from London, taking over from Global Radio owned Gold on DAB in the North of England where there were 10 million potential new listeners on DAB in Newcastle, Sunderland, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Hull, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, York, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Harrogate, Bradford, Sheffield, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Bolton, Lancaster, Liverpool, Chester, Wrexham (North Wales) and Warrington
On 20 December 2010 Absolute Classic Rock launched on DAB to a potential new 3 million new listeners in Ayr, Bath, Cardiff, Coventry and Exeter.
In 2011 it was confirmed by Ofcom that to accommodate the launch of new sister station Absolute Radio 60s, the reduction of the broadcast bitrate of Absolute Classic Rock would be permitted on the various multiplexes on which it broadcasts.
Schedule
Monday to Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Former DJs
Richard Skinner, Tommy Vance, Gordon Loncaster, Selena Harrington, Bernard Doherty, Alice Cooper, Guy Jagger and Russ Williams.