View source for Smooth North West

{{Infobox radio station
| name             = Smooth North West
| logo             = SMOOTH-LARGE.png
| city             = [[Manchester]]
| area             = [[North West England]]
| branding         = ''Always The Best Music for the North West''
| airdate          = 1 September 1994<br/>(as Jazz FM)<br>2 March 2004 (as Smooth FM)<br>26 March 2007 (as Smooth Radio 100.4)
| frequency        = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: 100.4 [[megahertz|MHz]] ([[Winter Hill transmitting station|Winter Hill]])   <br/>[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: <BR>10C Liverpool <br/> 12A Lancashire <br/> 12C Manchester
| format           = [[Soft Adult Contemporary]]
| network          = [[Smooth Radio (2014)|Smooth Radio]]
| power            =
| erp              = 
| class            = 
| callsign_meaning = 
| owner            = Communicorp UK
| operator         = Global
| sister_stations  = [[Capital Manchester and Lancashire]],<Br/>[[Heart North West]],<Br/>[[Radio X (United Kingdom)#Radio X 90s|Radio X 90s]]
| website          = [http://www.smoothradio.com/northwest/ Smooth North West]
| coordinates      =  
}}

'''Smooth North West'''  is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by [[Global Media & Entertainment|Global]] as part of the [[Smooth Radio (2014)|Smooth]] network. The station broadcasts to the North West of England from studios at [[Spinningfields]] in [[City of Manchester|Manchester]].

== History ==

===GMG Radio ownership===

The station was launched by Radio Investments Ltd on 1 September 1994 as [[100.4 Jazz FM|Jazz FM]], but was also known as JFM in an attempt to appeal to listeners who could be put off by the use of the word "jazz". Jazz FM originally played a wide variety of jazz, pandering to more [[smooth jazz]] during the daytime in order to attract the 25- to 45-year-old target market which was required to make the station a success. However, the focus of the music later changed, and by the early 2000s, it was focusing more on [[Soul music|soul]] and softer [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] alongside [[jazz]].

100.4 Jazz FM broadcast its daytime shows from its Manchester station, but specialist shows such as Dinner [[Jazz]] and Legends of [[Jazz]] with [[Ramsey Lewis]] were networked from its London sister station [[102.2 Jazz FM]].

In 2003, the [[Guardian Media Group]] did extensive research into the type of music that listeners in the [[North West England|north-west]] wanted to hear. They concluded that many people were dissuaded by the name "jazz", and as a result, 100.4 Jazz FM closed on 13 February 2004 and relaunched as Smooth FM on 2 March 2004.

The station now began to play more modern music during the day, but continued a mostly [[jazz]] themed output at night. The arrangements for local and networked programming remained for a time, but from March 2005, only Mike Chadwick's ''The Saturday Night Experience'' was networked from [[102.2 Smooth FM]]. All other programming was produced and aired in the North West.

The station was relaunched again as Smooth Radio 100.4 on 26 March 2007. The launch occurred at the same time as London based [[102.2 Smooth FM]], however Smooth Radio 100.4 continued with its own unique soul music based format. On 5 July 2007, GMG Radio announced that it was requesting a change of format from Ofcom, which would bring Smooth Radio 100.4 in line with the rest of the network. It proposed an easy listening music service mixed with speech for the over 50's, coupled with an improved local news service. Ofcom approved the changes on 11 October 2007.

In March 2008, GMG requested a format change to remove its jazz commitments it has in place for Smooth Radio 100.4. Part of the plans included a relaunch of [[100.4 Jazz FM|Jazz FM]] from the [[Jazz FM (UK)|jazzfm.com]] service broadcasting on DAB in [[Glasgow]] and online on the [[MXR North West]] multiplex.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/smoothfmformat/consultation.pdf |title=102.2 Smooth Radio (London) and 100.4 Smooth Radio (North-West England) - Request to Change Station Formats |access-date=2008-06-14 |format=pdf |publisher=Ofcom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003125413/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/smoothfmformat/consultation.pdf |archive-date=October 3, 2008 }}</ref> In a meeting on 22 April 2008 Ofcom denied GMG's request to drop its jazz commitments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/smoothfmformat/statement/|title=Smooth Radio (London and North-West) Formats Change - Request Denied|access-date=2008-06-14|publisher=Ofcom|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204000847/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/smoothfmformat/statement/|archive-date=2008-12-04|df=}}</ref> GMG said that it would be relaunching Jazz FM despite the decision.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2008/04/ofcom-say-no-to-smooth/|title=Ofcom say no to Smooth|date=2008-04-23|accessdate=2008-06-14|publisher=Radio Today}}</ref>

Local and networked programming originated from studios at Laser House in [[Salford Quays]].

In 2010, GMG announced that it would be merging its five Smooth stations in England to create a nationwide Smooth Radio service based in Salford. The new station was launched on 4 October 2010 and could be heard both on DAB and on the locally on the FM frequencies.

===Global Radio franchisee under Communicorp ownership===

{{Further|Smooth Radio (2014)}}

Smooth Radio's output was relocated to new owner [[Global Media & Entertainment|Global]]'s [[Leicester Square]] headquarters from 1 October 2013, a move that coincided with a major overhaul of its schedule, and the closure of Smooth 70s after 21 months on air.<ref name=RT-2013-10-03>{{cite news|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/10/global-welcomes-smooth-radio-to-london-hq/ |title=Global welcomes Smooth Radio to London HQ |publisher=Radio Today |date=3 October 2013 |accessdate=3 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/10/smooth-radio-70s-to-close-after-21-months/ |title=Smooth Radio 70s to close after 21 months |publisher=Radio Today |date=3 October 2013 |accessdate=3 October 2013}}</ref>

Global reached an agreement to sell Smooth North West and seven others to [[Communicorp]], as part of a plan to allay competition fears following Global's purchase of GMG Radio.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sandle |first=Paul |date=6 February 2014 |title=Denis O'Brien buys eight UK radio stations from Global Radio |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-communicorp-global-idUKBREA150LF20140206 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208230909/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-communicorp-global-idUKBREA150LF20140206 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |newspaper=Reuters |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref>

On 4 February 2014, the ''[[Radio Today (website)|Radio Today]]'' website reported that Ofcom had given Global permission to remove Smooth from the Digital One platform, and to replace it with a service playing music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.<ref name=Radio-Today-2014-02-04>{{cite news|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/02/smooth-radio-to-be-removed-from-digital-1/ |title=Smooth Radio to be removed from Digital 1 |publisher=Radio Today |date=4 February 2014 |accessdate=5 February 2014}}</ref> Under this agreement, Smooth would continue to broadcast on its regional frequencies, but would be required to provide seven hours of local output on weekdays (four hours at weekends) and a regional news service.<ref name=Radio-Today-2014-02-04/>

In May 2017, local programming moved from Salford to new studios at the XYZ building in the Spinningfields district of Manchester City Centre. Smooth North West shares facilities with sister station [[Radio X (United Kingdom)#Radio X 90s|Radio X 90s]] and two [[Global Media & Entertainment)|Global]]-owned stations, [[Heart North West]] and [[Capital Manchester and Lancashire]].

In September 2019, following OFCOM's decision to relax local content obligations from commercial radio, Smooth's local Drivetime and weekend shows were replaced by network programming from London.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/05/smooth-radio-poaches-angie-greaves-for-national-drive/ Smooth Radio poaches Angie Greaves for national Drive], Radio Today, 29 May 2019</ref> Local news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising were retained, alongside the station's North West breakfast show.

On 24 February 2025 a fully networked schedule of programming across all Smooth Radio stations in England was reinstated, with the London-based breakfast show hosted by [[Jenni Falconer]] rolled out to the stations in place of local/regional morning programmes; split localised news and advertising were retained. Smooth North West breakfast host at the time, Darren Parks, was retained by Smooth Radio and appointed to host the networked ''Smooth Sanctuary'' strand on weekday evenings.

==Programming==
''The Smooth Sanctuary'' with Darren Parks is produced and broadcast from Global's Manchester studios from 7-10pm on weekdays, for broadcast across the Smooth Radio network. Other networked programming originates from Global's London headquarters, including ''Smooth Breakfast'' with [[Jenni Falconer]] and ''The Smooth Drive Home'' with [[Angie Greaves]].<ref>[https://www.smoothradio.com/public-file/northwest/ Smooth Radio - North West public file]</ref>

===News===
Global's Newsroom broadcasts hourly regional news bulletins from 6am-7pm on weekdays and 6am-12pm at weekends. The bulletins are produced for Communicorp by Global's Manchester newsroom.

National news updates air hourly from Global's London headquarters at all other times.

==Former 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), please 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. Any presenters with Wikipedia articles also need such sources on this page to stay here.-->
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
*[[Emma B]]
*[[Simon Bates]] (now at [[Boom Radio]])
*[[Tony Blackburn]] (now at [[BBC Radio 2]])
*[[Carlos (DJ)|Carlos]] (now at [[Heart 70s]])
*[[Daryl Denham]] (now at [[BBC Radio Kent]])
*[[Mark Goodier]] (now at [[BBC Radio 2]])
{{col-2}}
*[[David Jensen]] (now at [[Boom Radio]])
*[[Lynn Parsons]] (now at [[Magic Radio]])
*[[Andy Peebles]]
*[[David Prever]] (later at [[BBC Radio Oxford]])
*[[Pat Sharp]] (later at Greatest Hits Radio)
*[[Pete Waterman]]
{{col-end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Official website|http://www.smoothradio.com/northwest/}}
*[https://www.smoothradio.com/public-file/northeast/ Smooth North West - Public File]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080407223129/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/smoothfm/ Smooth Format Change Consultation, July 2007] OFCOM

{{Clear}}
{{Manchester radio}}
{{Global Radio}}
{{Smooth Radio}}
{{Coord|
53.480543|N|2.253398|W|region:GB-MAN|display=title}}

[[Category:Communicorp]]
[[Category:Global Radio]]
[[Category:GMG Radio]]
[[Category:Mass media in Salford]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Manchester|Smooth]]
[[Category:Smooth Radio|North West]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1994]]
[[Category:Adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom]]