GCap Media plc
Type	Public (LSE: GCAP)
Founded	2005
Headquarters	London
Key people	Ralph Bernard (Chairman & CEO)
Industry	Media
Products	Broadcasting
Website	www.gcapmedia.com

GCap Media plc is a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in May 2005. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A public company is a company owned by the public rather than by a relatively few individuals. ... The Source by Greyworld, in the new LSE building Paternoster Square. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... This page as shown in the AOL 9. ... Capital Radios headquarters Capital Radio was, until May 2005, a London-based British radio group. ... GWR Group was a British radio company, until its merger with Capital Radio Group in May 2005 to form the new company GCap Media. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Source by Greyworld, in the new LSE building Paternoster Square. ... The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation weighted index of 250 companies on the London Stock Exchange. ...

For the first five months the group was run by Ralph Bernard (ex-GWR) as Executive Chairman, and David Mansfield (ex-Capital Radio Group) as CEO. David Mansfield stepped down on the afternoon of September 19th 2005, with Ralph Bernard taking over both roles.

Capital Radio Group

Capital Radio Group was, until May 2005, a London-based British radio group. The company was originally set up to operate a General Entertainment Independent Local Radio service in October 1973. Capital Radio was the second legal commercial radio station to launch in the UK, a few days after London news station LBC. In the 1980s the station was allowed to operate separate services on AM and FM. London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Logo used by the Independent Broadcasting Authority for promoting Independent Local Radio services. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... The Capital Radio building in Leicester Square, London. ... LBC Radio (originally the London Broadcasting Company) operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Changes to media ownership laws meant that Capital Radio Group was able to acquire other stations throughout the UK, becoming a powerful player in the UK's commercial radio industry; before the merger with GWR, Capital Radio Group controlled 22 analogue and 59 digital radio licences. In July 1998, Capital Radio Group bought the financially troubled "alternative" radio station, XFM. Xfm is a brand of commercial radio stations focused on current and unsigned alternative music and owned by GCap Media in the United Kingdom. ...

In the early 21st Century, Capital Radio Group expanded its range of FM stations, and also started broadcasting digital-only stations such as Capital Disney and Capital Life. Capital Disney is a radio station aimed at 8 to 16 year olds. ...

GWR Group

GWR Group was a British radio company with major assets including the nationwide station Classic FM and an extensive network of independent local radio stations. Classic FM is the United Kingdoms first national commercial radio station, broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style. ...

Between 1996 and 1999 GWR was a major shareholder in London News Radio, which owned and operated London's LBC and News Direct radio stations. These stations were sold to Chrysalis Radio in 2002. This article is about the London radio station LBC 97. ... LBC Radio (originally the London Broadcasting Company) operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

GWR was owned by Daily Mail and General Trust plc (majority share), various asset management firms, Sir Peter Michael and other small shareholders. Until the merger, the group was chaired by Ralph Bernard and its head office was in Passage Street, Bristol. Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT) is one of the UKs largest media companies and has interests in national and regional newspapers, television and radio. ... Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London and located at With a population of 400,000, and metropolitan area of 550,000, it is Englands sixth, and the United Kingdoms ninth, most populous city...

GWR attempted to revolutionise local radio with its policy of branding its stations with similar phrases, initially "today's better music mix", later "today's best mix" and "the best mix of the 80s, 90s and today." This allowed it to syndicate a number of programmes across its network of radio stations. It currently has four main syndicated programmes: Music Control (previously Core Control, weekdays 7pm to 10pm (and 7 to 9 on Fridays)), Late Night Love (Sunday to Thursday 10pm to 1am) presented by Graham Torrington, Party Friday/Saturday (previously Vibe Nation and then Ministry of Sound) presented by Howard Ritchie (Friday and Saturday nights) and James Clayton (Music on Demand) on Monday to Thursday overnights. The stations are usually the commercial market leader in the areas in which they operate, and GWR enjoyed much financial success as a result. Ministry of Sound (MoS) is one of the most famous nightclubs in the world of electronic music, said to be to London what Studio 54 was to New York, and whose fame goes far across English borders. ...

GCap - The Merger

The two groups officially tied the knot in May 2005, with GCap employees being given branded 'GCap' digital radios to commemorate the launch. Within weeks of the merger rumours abounded about disagreements between Executive Chairman Ralph Bernard and Chief Executive David Mansfield about the future direction of the company and this was compounded by a £184m loss in the stock market capitalisation of the two combined entities by the time merger was sealed. Many market commentators felt that the savings brought about by cost cutting and elimination of duplicated departments across the company were far outweighed by large drops in audience and advertising revenue across the newly formed group. Over the following months, amid rumours of a GWR putsch and continuing dissatisfaction from the City, a stream of executives from the former Capital Radio Group side of the business left the company, including David Mansfield himself. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Wikimedia Commons has media related to: May 2005 Deaths in May May 26: Eddie Albert May 25: Ismail Merchant May 25: Sunil Dutt May 25: Graham Kennedy May 22: Thurl Ravenscroft May 21: Howard Morris May 21... Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB is a technology for broadcasting audio programming in digital form that was designed in the late 1980s but which is now being introduced in many countries. ... Chief Executive may refer to: Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive of Macau Chief Executive Officer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... David Mansfield (born c. ... The New York Stock Exchange A stock market is a market for the trading of company stock, and derivatives of same; both of these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. ... This article is about capitalization in written language. ... Chicago from the air. ... Capital Radios headquarters Capital Radio was, until May 2005, a London-based British radio group. ...

Restructure and the 'failed sale'

In October 2005, GCap Media announced around 100 job losses and the sale of nine non-core radio stations as part of a restructuring initiative. By this time, over £300m had been wiped off the market capitalisation of GCap Media and the group was frequently touted as a take over target by City commentators. The nine stations, which included the Marcher Group stations in North Wales and Orchard FM in the West Country, came with a price tag of £75m. Eventually, after bids as low as £25m were placed and interest waned, GCap Media called off the sale. Marcher Radio Group is a former British media organisation which owns several radio stations in North Wales and North West England. ... Approximate extent of North Wales North Wales (known in some archaic texts as Northgalis) is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales. ... Orchard FM is a radio station broadcasting from Somerset, England. ... The West Country is an informal area of southwestern England, roughly corresponding to the administrative region South West England. ...

As for programming, some of the former stations owned by the Capital group are now taking some of the networked programmes that previously ran exclusively to GWR stations. All ex-Capital stations except Capital FM now take Late Night Love, and a small number of these stations now take Music On Demand either during the week or at the weekend (or both), and BRMB takes Party Friday/Saturday. On the other hand, many of the One Network stations, particularly those on the old GWR side with slightly older audiences, have either dropped the Party show on the Friday, the Saturday, or both. Instead they are taking networked programmes from Century FM Network (owned by Capital at the time of the GCap merger) from Century FM's Manchester studios. On Friday nights they have Skool Daze with David Heane, which is purely 80s tunes, while on Saturday nights some take Hairbrush Divas with Jo Lloyd, a show focused on sing-along tunes like Duran Duran, Sister Sledge, Kylie Minogue, etc. All former One Network stations take a show called Entertainment Weekly (formerly Seven) from Capital Radio studios on a Sunday evening, along with Cash Call, a premium phone-in quiz show on Sunday nights and the Vodafone Live Hour on Monday nights, a one hour show focusing on live music. The One Network is the collective name for the thirty-eight of GCap Medias local radio stations, broadcast at various locations in the United Kingdom It was previously known as The Mix Network and coincided of stations owned by GWR Group, but upon the merger of Capital Radio Group...

Stations owned by GCap Media

National radio stations

• Classic FM

Classic FM is the United Kingdoms first national commercial radio station, broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style. ...

Local radio stations

• 2CR FM
• 2-Ten FM
• Beacon Radio
• BRMB FM
• Radio Broadland
• Buzz 97.1
• Capital Radio
• Capital Gold
• Champion FM 103
• Choice FM London
• Choice 107.1 FM
• 96.9 Chiltern FM
• 97.6 Chiltern FM
• Coast FM
• Essex FM
• FOX FM
• Gemini FM
• GWR FM (Bristol & Bath)
• GWR FM (Swindon)
• Hereward FM
• FM 103 Horizon
• Invicta FM
• Lantern FM
• Leicester Sound
• Mercia FM
• Mercury FM
• Marcher Sound
• Northants 96
• Ocean FM
• Orchard FM
• Plymouth Sound FM
• Power FM
• Q103 FM
• RAM FM
• Red Dragon FM
• Severn Sound
• SGR-FM
• SGR Colchester
• South Hams Radio (with UKRD Group)
• Southern FM
• Ten 17
• Trent FM
• Wyvern FM
• Xfm London
• Xfm Manchester
• Xfm Scotland (formerly Beat 106)

2CR FM (Two Counties Radio) is a commercial radio station broadcasting from Bournemouth. ... 2-Ten FM is an Independent Local Radio station serving Berkshire and North Hampshire with studios in Reading. ... Beacon Radio is the name of an Independent Local Radio station in the Midlands of England, previously known as Beacon FM, and Beacon Radio 303 before that. ... BRMB was Birminghams first commercial radio station and began broadcasting in the 1970s. ... Radio Broadland (formerly Broadland 102) is part of the GCap Media national radio network. ... Buzz 97. ... The Capital Radio building in Leicester Square, London. ... Capital Gold, started in London in 1988 on Capital FMs AM frequency. ... Champion FM 103 is an ex-GWR station broadcasting to Anglesey & Gwynedd from the Arfon transmitter. ... Choice FM London See also Choice 107. ... Choice 107. ... Chiltern FM is an Independent Local Radio station based at Goldington Road in Bedford. ... Based on Chiltern Road in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. ... Part of the largest radio group in Europe - G-Cap Media Categories: United Kingdom broadcasting stubs | Radio stations in the United Kingdom ... Essex Radio launched on September 12th 1981 from Southend-on-Sea, Essex. ... Fox FM is a radio station broadcasting to Oxfordshire, United Kingdom on the frequencies 102. ... Gemini FM is a Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Exeter and Torbay in Devon, United Kingdom. ... GWR FM is the name of three pop Independent Local Radio stations based in Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. ... // Overview GWR FM is the name of three pop Independent Local Radio stations based in Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. ... Hereward FM is the Independent Local Radio station for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. ... FM 103 Horizon is the name of the local pop station for Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire. ... Invicta FM is an Independent Local Radio station which broadcasts to the county of Kent in England. ... Lantern FM is an independent local radio station in the North Devon area. ... Leicester Sound is a radio station in Leicester, England. ... Mercia FM is an Independent Local Radio broadcasting from Coventry. ... MFM 103. ... Northants 96 Categories: Station stubs | UK Radio Stations ... // Overview Ocean FM is a British commercial radio station serving South Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight primarily for Portsmouth and Southampton. ... Orchard FM is a radio station broadcasting from Somerset, England. ... Plymouth Sound is a FM radio station broadcasting to Plymouth in Devon, United Kingdom. ... Power FM (or 103. ... Q103 Q103 Cambridge is a radio station broadcasting to Cambridge on 103. ... Ram FM is a commercial radio station broadcasting to Derby and surrounding areas including Burton-upon-Trent and Matlock. ... Red Dragon FM is the commercial radio station serving the Cardiff and Newport areas. ... Severn Sound is a commercial radio station that broadcasts throughout Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom. ... The Radio Orwell logo SGR FM evolved from Suffolk Group Radio which was the parent company for two Independent Local Radio stations serving the county of Suffolk in England. ... SGR Colchester is a radio station broadcasting to Colchester in the United Kingdom. ... South Hams Radio Categories: Station stubs | UK Radio Stations ... The UKRD Group Ltd is a British media company, that owns the license to 13 commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. ... Southern FM Categories: Station stubs | UK Radio Stations ... Ten-17 FM is an Independent Local Radio station, based at the Ladies Bush Centre in Harlow. ... 96 Trent FM is an Independent Local Radio station which broadcasts from Nottingham in the United Kingdom. ... Wyvern FM Categories: Station stubs | UK Radio Stations ... Xfm is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom. ... Xfm Manchester was awarded the FM radio licence to broadcast to the city of Manchester in North West England on June 9, 2005. ... XFM Scotland is a regional radio station broadcasting to Scotlands Central Belt, an area surrounding the two cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. ...

Digital-only stations

• Capital Disney
• Capital Life — National Digital Station
• Chill
• Core — National Digital Station
• Fun Radio (with HIT Entertainment)
• Planet Rock — National Digital Station
• The Storm — replaced with XFM in most areas

Capital Disney is a radio station aimed at 8 to 16 year olds. ... Chill is the name of a digital-only radio station in the UK. It broadcasts on the DAB digital radio platform in several locations in mid and southern England. ... Core is a digital radio station broadcasting across the UK on the Digital One multiplex. ... FUN radio is a childrens radio station in the UK. Its operated by Childrens Radio UK Ltd which is owned by GCap Media, Hit Entertainment and the childrens radio campaigner Susan Stranks. ... The new HIT Entertainment logo, introduced in June 2006. ... This article is about the UK radio station. ... The Storm was a digital-only, modern rock music radio station broadcasting in parts of Central and Southern UK, and owned by GCap Media. ...

Television stations

• Classic FM TV

Classic FM TV is the world’s first 24-hour Classical Music Channel, available free-to-air on satelite, Sky Digital and Cable TV services, the channel is also available on the Internet. ...

See Also

• The One Network

The One Network is the collective name for the thirty-eight of GCap Medias local radio stations, broadcast at various locations in the United Kingdom It was previously known as The Mix Network and coincided of stations owned by GWR Group, but upon the merger of Capital Radio Group...

External link

• GCap Media corporate home page