Bauer Media is set to launch an exciting new national digital radio station. Hits Radio will sit alongside the market-leading distinctive Absolute Radio, Magic and KISS brands – offering opportunities for the music industry to reach a huge new radio audience.

Hits Radio will be the first major national commercial digital radio station to broadcast out of Manchester, offering a genuine alternative to what is currently in the market - broadcasting from the regions, to the rest of the UK.

Aimed at a family-focused national audience aged 25-44, Hits Radio will offer listeners an entertaining and fun escape, combined with original, authentic presenters with great, relatable banter and a brilliant playlist. The station values and brand personality will be built around warmth, a love of life, family and friendship, community spirit and a sense of fun. 

This will be focused around a soundtrack of the biggest hits of the day, alongside treasured favourites featuring artists such as Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Little Mix, Ellie Goulding, Rag N Bone Man, P!nk, Craig David, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Coldplay and Katy Perry to name a just a few.

The station will have a sparkling new national Breakfast Show hosted by Gethin Jones, who is best known for his TV work including Blue Peter, Strictly star Gemma Atkinson and Dave Vitty (Comedy Dave from BBC Radio 1’s Chris Moyles Show). The show promises to be a great combination of relatable real life conversation, brilliant banter and great music.  Drivetime will be hosted by Wes Butters and the station will have an evening show fronted by Sarah-Jane Crawford (The Xtra Factor) – a destination for early evening radio listening across the UK with celebrity guests and topical updates from the day.

This launch will see Hits Radio become the flagship station of the Bauer City Network which will be renamed the Hits Radio Network, and expand the network nationally at a huge scale to reach an additional 55% of the UK not currently targeted by the network. It will offer both national and local audience advertising targeting to commercial partners using smart broadcasting technology which offers a unique advertising opportunity into the market.

The Hits Radio Network will incorporate Bauer’s much loved local heritage brands and their strong audiences. These include Nottingham‘s Gem, Newcastle’s Metro Radio, Liverpool’s Radio City, Glasgow’s Clyde 1 and Edinburgh’s Forth, in addition to Hits Radio broadcasting across the UK. This launch will see Key 103 evolve to become a localised version of Hits Radio, Hits Radio Manchester which will provide news, traffic and travel, as well as local information for Manchester residents.

Dee Ford, Group Managing Director Bauer Radio said, “Hits Radio has been informed by audience insight, combined with our talented programming instinct that unearthed a need for a fresh, exciting national radio brand. This family-friendly audience seek a brilliant alternative to what is currently on offer, and the new Hits Radio station and expanded Hits Radio Network offers an amazing opportunity for the music industry to reach them”.

Gary Stein, Group Programme Director, Hits Radio Network, said “Manchester is fast becoming a central media hub of the UK. We are extremely excited to be launching a new national digital radio station based in this incredible city - it offers something really distinctive.”

Hits Radio and Hits Radio Network will launch on Monday 4th June at 6am. Chris Pegg is appointed as Hits Radio Content Director. The network will be overseen by Graham Bryce who becomes Group Managing Director of the Hits Radio Network. 

Hits Radio will broadcast on DAB Digital Radio, Freeview, online and on listen apps across the UK. In Manchester, the station will also broadcast on FM.