Buzz FM
Encyclopedia
Buzz FM was a United Kingdom
radio station which was on the air between 1990 and 1994. It was broadcast to Birmingham
on 102.4 MHz, and was launched as the city's fourth radio station after BBC WM
, BRMB
and Xtra AM
. The signal came from a transmitter which was located on the roof of Metropolitan House
, a tall office block at Five Ways
in the city's Edgbaston
district.
, contemporary jazz
, hip hop
, reggae
, calypso
and classical music
.
The first show, the Breakfast Show, was hosted by Welsh broadcaster Mark Williams, and there were high hopes for Buzz, but within a year, the station was experiencing difficulties. A massive shortfall in advertising revenue meant that it was losing money, and there were also problems with reception. The frequency that had been specified by the Independent Broadcasting Authority
coupled with the relatively low output of its transmitter (when compared to its rivals) made listening a frustrating business. Listeners living on the fringes of its catchment area could expect interference from stations in neighbouring areas, while motorists (part of the station's target-audience) also experienced difficulties in receiving the signal.
A number of attempts were made to rectify the station's problems, but without success. There were several management shake-ups, and Buzz was even sold on to the businessman Muff Murfin in 1993. However, audience figures and revenue failed to improve significantly. Not even the recruitment of some former BRMB presenters (including Brandan Kearney and Graham Torrington
) helped to improve the station's fortunes, and the end finally came in 1994.
The station's licence was due to expire at the end of 1994, but despite an application for it to be renewed, the Radio Authority declined the request. The licence was actually awarded to Choice FM, and Buzz FM ceased broadcasting at midnight on 31 December 1994. Choice FM began a few moments later.
Because of the reception difficulties experienced by listeners to Buzz FM, a new frequency had been specified for its replacement (102.2 MHz) together with a stronger signal output. Choice FM Birmingham was on the air for four years before being taken over by the Chrysalis Group in January 1999, who changed the station's name to Galaxy Birmingham it is now known as 102.2 Capital FM Birmingham.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio station which was on the air between 1990 and 1994. It was broadcast to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
on 102.4 MHz, and was launched as the city's fourth radio station after BBC WM
BBC WM
BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on 9 November 1970 as BBC Radio Birmingham, it broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet...
, BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
and Xtra AM
Xtra AM
Xtra AM was a United Kingdom radio station which was on the air between 1989 and 1998. It was broadcast to much of Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire and was the 'oldies' station which took over the mediumwave frequencies of both BRMB and Mercia FM...
. The signal came from a transmitter which was located on the roof of Metropolitan House
Metropolitan House
Metropolitan House is a commercial building in Birmingham, England. It is situated on the A456 Hagley Road at Five Ways...
, a tall office block at Five Ways
Five Ways, Birmingham
Five Ways is an area of Birmingham, England. It takes its name from a major road junction, now a busy roundabout to the south-west of the city centre which lies at the outward end of Broad Street, where the Birmingham Middle ring road crosses the start of the A456 .-History:The name of Five Ways...
in the city's Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
district.
History
The station began broadcasting on 14 May 1990 with a view to providing Birmingham with a locally orientated service that would give priority to the city. In addition, Buzz FM promised to offer listeners a wide range of music that it felt was being ignored by other stations. Daytime programming would be taken up with shows that catered for a multi-ethnic audience, while night time broadcasting would be given over to specialist shows. Listeners to Buzz FM could expect to hear music as diverse as easy soulSoul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, contemporary jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
The first show, the Breakfast Show, was hosted by Welsh broadcaster Mark Williams, and there were high hopes for Buzz, but within a year, the station was experiencing difficulties. A massive shortfall in advertising revenue meant that it was losing money, and there were also problems with reception. The frequency that had been specified by the Independent Broadcasting Authority
Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television - and commercial/independent radio broadcasts...
coupled with the relatively low output of its transmitter (when compared to its rivals) made listening a frustrating business. Listeners living on the fringes of its catchment area could expect interference from stations in neighbouring areas, while motorists (part of the station's target-audience) also experienced difficulties in receiving the signal.
A number of attempts were made to rectify the station's problems, but without success. There were several management shake-ups, and Buzz was even sold on to the businessman Muff Murfin in 1993. However, audience figures and revenue failed to improve significantly. Not even the recruitment of some former BRMB presenters (including Brandan Kearney and Graham Torrington
Graham Torrington
Graham Torrington is a British radio presenter and broadcaster.-BBC Radio:Torrington hosted the mid-morning talk-based radio programme on BBC Radio Bristol from 2009 to 2011.In May 2010 Graham Torrington's Late Night Relationship Show, which is a new take on the previous "Late Night Love"...
) helped to improve the station's fortunes, and the end finally came in 1994.
The station's licence was due to expire at the end of 1994, but despite an application for it to be renewed, the Radio Authority declined the request. The licence was actually awarded to Choice FM, and Buzz FM ceased broadcasting at midnight on 31 December 1994. Choice FM began a few moments later.
Because of the reception difficulties experienced by listeners to Buzz FM, a new frequency had been specified for its replacement (102.2 MHz) together with a stronger signal output. Choice FM Birmingham was on the air for four years before being taken over by the Chrysalis Group in January 1999, who changed the station's name to Galaxy Birmingham it is now known as 102.2 Capital FM Birmingham.