View source for Capital Manchester

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name            = Capital Manchester
| logo            = Capital FM Manchester.png
| logo_size       = 200px
| city            = [[Manchester]]
| area            = [[Greater Manchester]], [[Cheshire]] and [[Lancashire]]
| branding        = Manchester's No.1 Hit Music Station
| airdate         = 16 October 1994
| frequency       = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: 102.0 [[Hertz|MHz]]<br />[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]:<br>12C <small>(Manchester)</small><br>12A <small>(Lancashire)</small>
| rds             = CAPITAL
| format          = [[Contemporary hit radio]]
| sister_stations = [[Heart North West]]<br>[[Smooth North West]]
| owner           = [[Global Group|Global]]
| website         = [http://www.capitalfm.com/manchester Capital Manchester]
}}
'''Capital Manchester''' was a local [[radio broadcasting|radio station]] owned and operated by [[Global Radio]] as part of the [[Capital (radio network)|Capital]] radio network. The station broadcast from their studios at Global's Manchester HQ in the XYZ Building in [[Spinningfields]], Manchester.

In April 2019, the station was merged with [[2BR]] in Lancashire to form [[Capital Manchester and Lancashire]].

==History==

The 102&nbsp;MHz frequency in Manchester has a chequered background. Initially it was occupied by [[Sunset 102]] which included regular shows from [[house music]] innovators [[808 State]] and a Saturday evening [[rave]] show from Sammy B; both were cited by [[Dave Haslam]] in City Life to have been instrumental in reflecting and developing the early rave culture in the city. However, due to occasional threats of violence on air and other breaches of the licence the station was closed.

The licence was re-advertised and quickly won by [[Faze FM]] who launched [[Kiss 102]] on 16 October 1994. The licence win was spearheaded by Eugene Perera's Level Broadcast, aided by [[Mike Powell (UK radio entrepreneur)|Mike Powell]]'s Infinity Radio consultancy, and included shareholders [[UKRD Group|UKRD]], Eastern Counties Newspaper Group and [[3i]]. Gary Burton, who had presented at [[Radio Trent]] for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, was Kiss 102's first breakfast presenter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.justin-case.co.uk/simon/gburton.htm|title=GARY BURTON|website=www.justin-case.co.uk|access-date=2018-09-25}}[https://letsgomanchester.com]</ref>

The station became a victim of its own success when just months after opening a second station, [[Kiss 105]] in Yorkshire, the station's board accepted a £17.6 million takeover bid from the [[Chrysalis Group]] in 1996 for a company that had cost just £600k to set up three years earlier.

Chrysalis rebranded the station as Galaxy 102 in 1997. Eleven days after the transfer of ownership, as a direct result of EMAP, the Kiss brand owners refused to franchise the Kiss name to Chrysalis. The music policy was toned down, integrating R'n'B into the playlist and dispensing with many of the specialist programmes and presenters. Nevertheless, their investment in advertising and change of music policy was able to grow the audience further.

The station was rebranded as Capital on 3 January 2011 as part of a merger of Global Radio's [[Galaxy (radio network)|Galaxy]] and [[The Hit Music Network|Hit Music]] networks to form the nine-station Capital network.<ref>[http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1028137/Global-Radio-takes-Capital-national/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH Global Radio takes Capital national], Brand Republic, 13 September 2010</ref>

On 1 June 2017, local programming moved from Salford to new studios at the XYZ Building in the Spinningfields district of Manchester City Centre. Capital Manchester shares facilities with sister station [[Heart North West]] and two [[Communicorp]]-owned stations, [[Smooth North West]] and [[Radio X (United Kingdom)#Radio X 90s|Radio X 90s]].

On 26 February 2019, Global confirmed the station would be merged with [[2BR]] in East and Central Lancashire. As of April 2019, local output consists of a three-hour Drivetime show on weekdays, alongside news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/02/lancashires-2br-to-join-capitals-new-national-radio-network/ Lancashire’s 2BR to join Capital’s new national radio network], RadioToday, 26 February 2019</ref> Capital Manchester's local breakfast and weekend shows were replaced with network programming from London.

==Technical==
The transmitter is on top of the [[City Tower, Manchester|City Tower]] in [[Piccadilly Gardens|Piccadilly]] in Manchester, the same place as the transmitter for [[Radio X (United Kingdom)|Radio X]] and [[Radio X (United Kingdom)#Radio X 90s|Radio X 90s]]. All 3 services share the same broadcast antenna system which is located on the centre tower and is illuminated with red [[Aircraft warning lights]] at night.

=== Breakfast show presenters ===
'''Capital Manchester (2011–2019)'''

* Rob Ellis (''Capital Breakfast with Rob Ellis'', 2011–2019)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitalfm.com/manchester/radio/shows-presenters/breakfast/|title=Capital Manchester Breakfast With Rob Ellis|website=Capital Manchester|language=en|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>

'''Galaxy 102 (1997–2011)'''

* Rob Ellis (''The Rob Ellis Show'', 2007 - 2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2007/06/breakfast-changes-at-galaxy/|title=Breakfast changes at Galaxy – RadioToday|website=radiotoday.co.uk|date=21 June 2007 |language=en-GB|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>
**Co-presented with Rachel Burke-Davies, Nigel "Wingman" Clucas, and 'Stand Up' Alex Boardman<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://alexboardman.co.uk/bio/|title=Biography|date=2010-06-21|work=Alex Boardman - Stand Up Comic, Writer and Performer|access-date=2018-09-25|language=en-GB}}</ref>
* Wes Butters (2005–2007)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/sep/27/commercialradio.radio|title=Butters back north with Galaxy|last=Day|first=Julia|date=2005-09-27|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-09-26}}</ref>
**Co-presented with Alex Boardman and 'Irish Alan' Toner
*Simon "Nicksy" Nicks (''Nicksy in the Morning'', 2000–2005)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music/breakfast-dj-is-axed-1085513|title=Breakfast DJ is axed|last=News|first=Manchester Evening|date=2005-09-26|work=men|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>
**Co-presented with Lynsey Horn and 'Irish Alan' Toner
*Adam Cole (1997–2000)

'''Kiss 102 (1994–1997)'''

*Adam Cole (1997)
*Gary Burton (1994–1996)

==Notable presenters==
<!--Any non-notable presenters (those without Wikipedia articles) added here are liable to be removed - if someone is considered notable (red linking is not enough), write a Wikipedia article on them first, or provide multiple reputable independent sources to show they deserve an article and are associated with the station-->
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
* [[Mike Cartwright]] Radio CK travel reporter
* [[Sacha Brooks]] 
* [[Wes Butters]] 
* [[Richard Clarke (radio personality)|Rich Clarke]] 
* [[Andi Durrant]]
{{col-2}}
* [[Stephanie Hirst]] 
* [[Darryl Morris (presenter)|Darryl Morris]]
* Dave Kelly<ref>[http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/capital-fm%92s-dave-kelly-to-replace-neil-fitzmaurice-at-radio-city-2011041110739 Dave Kelly to replace Neil Fitzmaurice at Radio City] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120802210324/http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/capital-fm%92s-dave-kelly-to-replace-neil-fitzmaurice-at-radio-city-2011041110739 |date=2 August 2012 }} at How-do.co.uk</ref>
* [[Adele Roberts]] 
* [[Steve Sutherland (DJ)|Steve Sutherland]] 
*[[Margherita Taylor]]<ref>[http://radiotoday.co.uk/2011/12/margherita-taylor-swaps-capital-for-new-heart-show/ Margherita Taylor swaps Capital for Heart] Radio Today, 22 December 2011</ref>
* [[Tiësto]]
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.capitalfm.com/manchester Capital Manchester]
* [http://www.wesbutters.com ''Wes@Breakfast'']

{{Capital (radio network)}}
{{Manchester radio}}

{{coord|53.480543|-2.253398|display=title|name=102 Capital FM Manchester|type:landmark}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capital Manchester}}
[[Category:Capital (radio network)|Manchester]]
[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Manchester]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1994]]
[[Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2019]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:2019 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]