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May 2020

Last Updated: 27/05/2020

Harrogate

Harrogate radio station Stray FM to close

by Vicky Carr

| 27 May, 2020

The station, founded in 1994, will become Greatest Hits Radio and broadcast as part of a national network. It is not known whether any of the current Stray FM presenters will be recruited for regional shows.

Bauer Media announced that Stray FM would become Greatest Hits Radio in May.

Stray FM is set to come off the air after owner Bauer Media announced it was making it part of a national network.

The station, which has covered the district since 1994, will become Greatest Hits Radio.

While there will be a regional drivetime show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, most of the schedule is set to be the same as the rest of the national Bauer group. It is not known whether any of the current presenters will be transferred to the regional or national shows, but Bauer said it would use "nationally known presenters".

The company, which bought out former Stray FM owner UKRD last March, has vowed to provide news, travel, weather and other local information, but has not yet revealed how this will be delivered.

The Stray Ferret understands Stray FM will continue to broadcast from its Hornbeam Park station until September. Bauer said some staff roles have been put into consultation for redundancy, and freelance contracts are being reviewed.

While it has not confirmed how many jobs could be lost, industry publication RadioToday has estimated that only 40 of the current 200 presenters across the UK will be needed - and that's without taking into consideration the journalists, engineers, admin, management, sales and other staff currently working at its 56 stations.

Dee Ford CBE, Bauer's group managing director for radio, said:

“Audiences love and trust radio. Expanding the Hits Radio Brand Network will ensure listeners to these acquired stations benefit from multi-platform digital distribution meaning they can continue to broadcast in an increasingly competitive, digital and voice-activated world.

"This ensures the provision of local news and information, traffic and travel as well as access for advertisers to highly valued audiences.”