Slogan The Most Hit Music Format CHR Website Fire Radio Founded 1999 Broadcast area Christchurch | Frequency 107.6 MHz + DAB Owner Celador Motto The Most Hit Music Audience share 4.1 First air date June 26, 1999 | |
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Parent organization Westward Broadcasting Limited Profiles | ||
Fire Radio is a United Kingdom radio station broadcasting to Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch, Dorset, based in Southampton, Hampshire.
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The station was launched on 26 June 1999 by founding Directors James Bromley and David Harber as The NRG FM 107.6, but changed name a year later following a dispute with French radio station NRJ. The station is now part of Celador's radio division.
History
The NRG (Nerve Radio Group) was born out of the Bournemouth student station Nerve* Radio. The launch team included David and Emily at Breakfast, Max Hailey, James "Lloydie" Lloyd and Dan Lodge on the schedule. A range of specialist DJs were included in the schedule, such as Jay Ratchett, Ross EB, Jon Langford, Michael Artwell and Jez Welham. Specialist programmes also included Club Versive hosted by Boy George, and the Ministry Of Sound Dance Party.
Name change
French broadcaster NRJ challenged "The NRG" over the use of the name as the pronunciation was the same. In discussion with the station's solicitors (Stephens Innocent) the station management agreed that although there was a "chance" that the Bournemouth station could win the challenge - and even if not, they could go to Appeal and "almost certainly" win - the costs involved in challenging one of Europe's biggest radio brands would be too high for a small station on the South Coast of the UK. Despite the notion of 'borrowing station names', Managing Director David Harber renamed the station "The Fire" after a Chicago-based station "WFYR" which had been 'off-air' for a number of years. The station changed name on Bonfire Night, 2000.
Studios
The station moved from the original studios in the Quadrant Shopping Centre, to purpose-built studios at the Picture House on Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth in June 2007. The station now broadcasts from the Celador studios in Southampton.
Ownership
The station was sold by its original founders in October 2001 to Radio Investments Limited, which later became known as The Local Radio Company.
The Local Radio Company then sold Fire 107.6 to Westward Broadcasting in June 2009.
Celador Radio purchased Fire in July 2014.
DJs and shows
Maxine Knight
Jason Webster
Jules Mayne
Matt Rogan