Absolute Radio 60s

Last updated

Absolute Radio 60s
Absolute Radio 60s Logo.svg
  • London
Frequency
  • DAB: 11B Bauer Inverness
BrandingAbsolute Radio 60s
Programming
Format Non-stop music from the 1960s
Network Absolute Radio Network
Ownership
Owner Bauer Radio
History
First air date
22 November 2011 (2011-11-22)
Links
Webcast Planet Radio
Website absoluteradio60s.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Absolute Radio 60s is a national Digital radio station in the United Kingdom owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts locally on Bauer's 11B Inverness DAB Multiplex. It broadcasts nationally via Smart Speaker streaming and online web streaming. Its output is non-stop classic 1960s hits, followed by hits of the 1950s played alongside.

Contents

History

Details of Absolute Radio's plan to extend its decade-themed radio stations were released in October 2010, following the success of Absolute Radio 80s and Absolute Radio 90s, the former of which was ranked eleventh in terms of listener numbers. [1] Two new stations were announced on the same day, 18 October, Absolute Radio 60s and Absolute Radio 70s, both of which would be dedicated to the music of their respective decades. A holding website went live at absoluteradio60s.co.uk following the announcement, with basic information including the proposed station schedule. It was later revealed that Absolute Radio 60s would share some of the DAB multiplexes used by Absolute Classic Rock, with the latter reducing its broadcast capacity on each multiplex to make space available for Absolute Radio 60s. [2] The 60s service began broadcasting from 22 November 2011 on various DAB multiplexes around the country and online. [3] Absolute Radio 70s launched a week later. [4] Upon its launch the station was more widely available than its 70s counterpart, airing on DAB in London, the north and west of England, and Scotland. [1]

On 23 April 2013, the Radio Today website reported that Absolute Radio had removed Absolute Radio 60s and Absolute Classic Rock from several DAB platforms in England and Wales, but the stations continued to broadcast in London and online. [5]

On 18 September 2014, it was reported that Absolute Radio 60s would be removed from London and the few other remaining local DAB multiplexes but would be added to Inverness DAB. The space freed up by this move was to allow Bauer to increase the coverage of its Kisstory station. [6] This final reconfiguration of Absolute Radio 60s occurred on 5 January 2015.

Format

Although a separate entity, Absolute Radio 60s takes a limited amount of programming from the main Absolute Radio station, chiefly The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show and the weekend programmes The Frank Skinner Show and Jason Manford. From 23 September 2019, weekday afternoon drivetime show Hometime with Bush and Richie has also been syndicated. The weekday shows are simulcast live, with weekend shows broadcast on a delay; all replace the music played with 1960s tracks using a split playlist system. Outside of these programmes, the station no longer has any regularly presented shows. [4] Absolute 60s plays a broad mix of music from the decade, although it tends to be geared towards the genre of music heard on Absolute Radio. Tracks typically to be heard on the station include those from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground and Motown. However, other bands and artists who enjoyed success during the 1960s, such as The Searchers and Cliff Richard are not included on the playlist. [3] [7] During an interview prior to the station's launch, Pete Mitchell, who would be presenting on Absolute Radio 60s, stressed that the station would not adopt a "gold" format, but would instead play tracks by those who had had an influence on the musicians of the present day. [7] According to The Guardian the Absolute Radio 60s aim is to combine "the "swinging 60s" with "the sound of young America"." [3]

Cliff Richard

During the launch of Absolute 60s, it was announced that Cliff Richard would not be played on the station, according to presenter Pete Michell, because he "doesn't fit the cool sound of the swinging sixties we're trying to create on the new station" and he's not one of the 'timeless acts of the decade that remain relevant today.'

In response to this, Richard said the station "is lying to themselves and the public."[ citation needed ] He also stated that he sold more singles than The Beatles, and started five years before them as well.

On 16 November 2011, Geoff Lloyd (an original Absolute Radio drive presenter) posted a video on YouTube to explain this more systematically. He said that the music of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Motown "still resonates today" and when new bands are created today, "they're listening to those records and getting inspired", but that doesn't happen for Richard because "he has no artistic integrity or credibility" and he's just "a singer who sings other's materials." [7]

Absolute Radio Pirates

This was a day of programming on Absolute Radio 60s [8] [9] to coincide with anniversary of the offshore pirate radio stations being banned in the 1960s with the introduction of the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act 1967. Absolute Radio Pirates was a one-off broadcast on 12 August 2022, with original pirate presenters Tony Blackburn and Johnnie Walker joining Absolute's Leona Graham [10] and Shaun Keaveny, [11] [12] [13] plus radio historian David Lloyd. In addition, Absolute Radio Pirates repeated Tommy Vance’s Fabulous 40 from 6 August 1967 alongside other archive clips featuring Kenny Everett and The Beatles.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Essex</span> BBC Local Radio service for Essex, England

BBC Essex is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio</span> British Independent National Radio station

Absolute Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via digital audio broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerrang! Radio</span> British digital radio station

Kerrang! Radio is a British specialist digital rock music radio station related to Kerrang! magazine. It is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of the Kiss Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio Classic Rock</span> Radio station in London

Absolute Classic Rock is a national digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. Its music output is non-stop classic rock hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bauer Media Audio UK</span> UK-based radio division of the Bauer Media Group

Bauer Media Audio UK is a UK-based radio division of Bauer Media Group owning several brands including Absolute Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, Jazz FM, Scala Radio, Hits Radio, KISS, Planet Rock, Magic, Kerrang! Radio and Heat Radio.

Planet Rock is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Kiss Network. The station broadcasts classic rock music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio Network</span> British digital radio network

The Absolute Radio Network is a network of ten radio stations owned and operated by Bauer Radio. Bauer purchased the TIML Radio Limited network of stations in 2013. Most of the Absolute Radio stations are decade-themed services, alongside the flagship station and classic rock and country-formatted stations. The network is aimed at 35 to 54 year olds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Absolute Radio 00s</span> Radio station in London

Absolute Radio 00s is a national digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts locally on Bauer's Inverness DAB Multiplex. It broadcasts nationally via smart speaker streaming and online web streaming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio 2</span> British national radio station

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth 70s</span> Radio station in London

Smooth 70s was a British radio station dedicated to music from the 1970s. Launched by GMG Radio as a sister station to Smooth Radio, it first aired on 27 December 2011, replacing a temporary station GMG had launched for the Christmas period. The station was broadcast through DAB on the Digital One multiplex and was also available online, where it could be accessed using Radioplayer. The station operated largely on an automated basis, but there was also some presenter input. Although Smooth 70s was not the first UK radio station to be dedicated solely to music from the decade, it was the first to be broadcast nationally. Audience data released by Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR) in October 2012 indicated 749,000 listeners were tuning into the station on a regular basis. Global Radio–which bought GMG in June 2012–announced on 3 October 2013 that Smooth 70s would cease broadcasting from the early hours of 6 October.

Absolute Radio 70s is a national Digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts locally to parts of the UK on DAB radio multiplexes. It broadcasts nationally via Smart Speaker and online web streaming. Its output is non-stop 1970s hits.

Kisstory is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Kiss Network. Playing "old skool and anthems", it is a sister station to Kiss.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2016.

A timeline of notable events relating to Absolute Radio and its spin-off stations, and its predecessor Virgin 1215/Virgin Radio.

A timeline of notable events relating to Kiss, a British commercial radio station operated by Bauer Radio.

This is a list of notable events in the timeline of digital audio broadcasting in the UK.

This is a list of events taking place in 2021 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boom Radio</span> UK commercial radio station targeted at baby boomers

Boom Radio is an independent, commercial, national radio station in the United Kingdom. Owned by Boom Radio Ltd, the station is aimed at baby boomers, the generation of people born between 1946 and 1964, and is the first radio station in the UK to specifically target this age demographic. Launched on 14 February 2021, Boom Radio broadcasts nationally on the Sound Digital DAB multiplex and is also available online.

This is a list of events taking place in 2022 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. 1 2 "Absolute Radio readies '60s and '70s stations". Digital Spy. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Ofcom radio broadcast licensing update for October 2011". Office of Communications. HM Government of the United Kingdom. 1 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Plunkett, John (18 October 2011). "Absolute Radio 60s and 70s prepare for launch". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Absolute Radio launches 60s and 70s". Radio Today. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Absolute Radio stations dropped from DAB". Radio Today. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bauer to remove Absolute 60s from DAB radio". Radio Today. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Geoff Lloyd on why Absolute Radio 60s is banning Sir Cliff". YouTube. 16 November 2011.
  8. ↑ "Introducing... Absolute Radio Pirates | News – Absolute Radio" . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Absolute Radio 60s plans one-day tribute to pirate stations". 26 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  10. ↑ "Leona Graham | Presenter Biography – Absolute Radio" . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Shaun Keaveny to narrate Rockanory on Absolute Radio | Complete Music Update" . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Shaun Keaveny joins Absolute Radio for comedy series". 23 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Listen to Shaun Keaveny's Absolute Radio comedy series Rockanory" . Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Johnnie Walker to join Boom Radio on 14th August to celebrate the pirates". 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Johnnie Walker to host a special show on Boom Radio reflecting on the days of the offshore pirates". 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.