Total Star is the brand name of a radio station formerly based in Cheltenham broadcasting in Gloucestershire owned by Storm Radio Ltd. The original station was taken over by Celador in 2013 when they ceased use of the brand and added it to their 'Breeze' network.
In 2017 Total Star was re-launched and is currently available online with a view to launching the station on DAB.
The head office is based in South Gloucestershire
2017
Total Star as a radio station and brand returns in a very similar format to the original station accompanied by an 'oldies' version of the product.
History
Total Star (Gloucestershire) (formerly Star 107.5, CAT FM, Cheltenham Radio, Boss 603 603 Radio and CD 603) was a UK radio station based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in England.[1]
Although its official broadcast area was Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, it could clearly be heard across a large part of both Gloucestershire and The Malverns and due to this fact the station chooses to service these areas.
The station launched in April 2002 (From 7 September 1998 to 2002, it was known as CAT FM which operated from the Regent Arcade in Cheltenham. Until the summer of 2008 it was owned by UKRD Groupand named Star 107.5. Prior to 1998 the station was known as Cheltenham Radio and broadcast on 603AM a frequency freed up by BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Once the FM licence was awarded the AM frequency was closed.
In March 2013 it was taken over by Celador Radio and was re-launched as The Breeze on April 15th [2]
It was based at Tewkesbury Road in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and plays a variety of music from the 80s and 90s as well as contemporary hit music.
The station operated a team of promotional staff along with a fleet of vehicles that it inherited from its new owners including outside broadcast units, 2 x 17 ton events units, articulated events truck and mobile on air studio. The station no longer partakes in the official audience figure surveys carried out for the UK radio industry by Rajar. Its last reported listening figures showed it had 12000 listeners, following this result the station was under new ownership and underwent a complete change in image, staff and output. The station pulled out of Rajar.
Presenters currently working on the station: Gregg Upwards, Andy Henley, Joe Lemer and Drew Haddon
Former Radio 1 presenter Mike Read broadcast his weekday show exclusively on the station for the first week in November 2009. Mike Read is one of four former Radio 1 names that featured on the station in 2009, the others are Paul Burnett, Pat Sharp and The Emperor Rosko.[3][4]
Continuing their addition of various heritage features the station held a charity auction on 6 December 2009 with 100% of the proceeds being given to the Pied Piper appeal to help sick children in Gloucestershire. One of the Star lots was an all expenses paid holiday to Jamaica which follows on from the Mike Read Special.
Star 107.5 played host to top pop group McFly who performed at the 2006 Christmas lights turn-on.
The Cheltenham based station later became the network home of the 5 former South West Radio Stations following the purchase of Brunel FM, Bath FM, 3TR FM, QuayWest 102.4 and QuayWest 107.4 which were all rebranded as Total Star.[5][6] Following alterations to the licences - the readvertising of the Bath FM licence and its subsequent award to The Breeze, and the later acquisition of the Total Star Somerset licences (formerly QuayWest and BCR) by The Breeze[7] - Total Star reverted to a solely Cheltenham/Gloucestershire station. Total Star Swindon and its sister station Total Star West Wiltshire were rebranded as More Radio in June 2011, but on 2 November 2011 Celador recuired the Warminster licence and More Radio in West Wiltshire has relaunched as The Breeze.[8]