View Full Version: GCap Media selling off stations

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sp1
22 February 2006, 10:52
GCap Media are selling off the following stations:
QUOTE

MFM 103.4
Wirral's Buzz 97.1
Coast 96.3
Champion 103
Lantern FM
Orchard FM
Gemini FM
Plymouth Sound


but who will buy them??

Absolute Radio, TLRC and Macquarie are all in the running to buy them, but nothing has been confirmed yet!

Shame they're selling off Orchard FM, it suits the Mix Network perfectly!!
LocalRadioGuy
22 February 2006, 11:00
lol, TLRC will probably 'musicfunlife' MFM, Buzz, Coast and Champion!
Maybe also the same for Orchard, Gemini, Lantern! ohmy.gif

Shame UTV won't buy them!

Steve
22 February 2006, 11:14
I think MFM/Buzz/Coast/Champion will probably go to Tindle, and Orchard/Lantern/Gemini/Plymouth Sound sold off to TLRC.

Steve
22 February 2006, 11:15
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LocalRadioGuy:
lol, TLRC will probably 'musicfunlife' MFM, Buzz, Coast and Champion!
Maybe also the same for Orchard, Gemini, Lantern! ohmy.gif

Shame UTV won't buy them!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would have thought EMAP, or UBC Media, as buyers, but I'm wrong....
Maybe Adventure Radio who own Mercury 96.6 could buy them??
mattyp06
23 February 2006, 04:13
QUOTE (Steve @ Feb 22 2006, 04:14 PM)
I think MFM/Buzz/Coast/Champion will probably go to Tindle, and Orchard/Lantern/Gemini/Plymouth Sound sold off to TLRC.

Coast 96.3/Champion 103 - probably go to Tindle who own bridge fm here in South Wales!
MFM/Buzz - maybe to UTV, or TLRC. Lol, when I'm in Wiltshire/Somerset I can get a fair few TLRC stations! unsure.gif

I'm not sure I'd like to see a 'Musicfunlife' theme on them.... they're like Northern versions of Red Dragon FM, one of my favourite stations (Invicta's my second favourite!)
Chris Rudd
23 February 2006, 04:16
QUOTE (mattyp06 @ Feb 23 2006, 09:13 AM)
QUOTE (Steve @ Feb 22 2006, 04:14 PM)
I think MFM/Buzz/Coast/Champion will probably go to Tindle, and Orchard/Lantern/Gemini/Plymouth Sound sold off to TLRC.

Coast 96.3/Champion 103 - probably go to Tindle who own bridge fm here in South Wales!
MFM/Buzz - maybe to UTV, or TLRC. Lol, when I'm in Wiltshire/Somerset I can get a fair few TLRC stations! unsure.gif

I'm not sure I'd like to see a 'Musicfunlife' theme on them.... they're like Northern versions of Red Dragon FM, one of my favourite stations (Invicta's my second favourite!)

The former Marcher stations would fit in well with UTV/Absolute Radio's portfolio, same for Orchard, Gemini, Plymouth Sound etc. which are heritage stations.

It will be a shame to see Music Control and Late Night Love go, they've got a following in Plymouth and Devon/Somerset!

Orchard FM is sounding better than it used to!! I'm enjoying the new line-up!
Shame GCap are selling them off. Oh well.... as long as they keep it similar, then I'll still enjoy it! biggrin.gif

Same for Gemini/Plymouth Sound too, and Lantern, to a lesser extent.
Martin Adams
23 February 2006, 05:38
When GCap sells off the former Marcher and Orchard Media stations, will they continue the networking??

I don't believe GCap are "killing local radio".

Networking can, and usually does, sound good.

I would rather listen to Late Night Love which is done well, than some real amateur who is stuck on nightime because that's all he's good for.

GCap provide good training programmes for their presenters and sales teams, and if you check the Rajar figures you'll find that most of the GCap stations are doing better now than they did before they were bought.

It will be interesting to see what happens though.... I'd say we'll see more networking, or maybe semi-networking/semi-automation.

All speculation at this point, however....
surnden
25 February 2006, 14:59
Will 102.7 Mercury FM ever get sold off?? I hope not!
Blobby
11 March 2006, 16:32
Well, at least Trent, RAM, Leicester Sound and Mercia FM aren't being sold off.... cool.gif biggrin.gif
pse1
13 March 2006, 07:01
I actually doubt it will happen, if you believe this headline:
QUOTE
BIDS for GCap Media’s regional radio assets have come in at such a low level that Britain’s largest commercial radio group may abort the sale.

This would mirror a similar move by the Daily Mail & General Trust, which pulled the sale of its Northcliffe regional papers after failing to receive an acceptable price for the 120 titles.

For GCap, a failure to raise the £70m (E102m, $122m) it expected for the nine radio stations would be another blow to the group which has been suffering from a slump in advertising revenues. Industry sources say GCap has six months to show signs of improvements before shareholders start pushing for more management changes.

Last Monday was the deadline for regional bids for the nine radio stations which include CoastFM in Wales, Gemini FM in the south-west and Plymouth Sound.

Interested parties fell away with most of the venture-capital firms dropping out because of the poor cashflow. Industry sources suggest the Local Radio Company and Absolute Radio, which were tipped as interested parties, struggled to raise funds. Ulster TV, which bought the Wireless Group last year, and the Swansea Bay Radio consortium have also shown interest. Bids have struggled to hit £35m.

The sale process of its regional radio assets has not been helped by the process being conducted in-house by its own legal and corporate finance team to save money. Those involved in the bidding process suggest there was a lack of detailed information.


I guess if the bids weren't there, then they weren't there.

Good news for me, I like Plymouth Sound - it would be a shame to see Music Control and Late Night Love go, they're always on there - whether it be McDonald's, the local arcades, it's on!!!

I hope they don't get sold off.... good news for me the bids failed!!