Absolute Radio, (previously known as Virgin Radio), is one of the UK's thre… Read Full Bio ↴Absolute Radio, (previously known as Virgin Radio), is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.
Originally called Virgin 1215, it was launched nationally on 1215 kHz (although some regional transmitters used other frequencies) at 12.15pm on 30 April 1993.

The first song was a special version of the Steppenwolf song "Born to be Wild", recorded by Australian group INXS. Richard Branson and Russ Williams were the first voices to be heard, live from the Virgin Megastore in Manchester, with Richard Skinner the first voice back in the London studios.

Some months later after the station launched, it also began broadcasting in stereo on satellite via Sky Television. This has continued with the switchover to digital broadcasting. Virgin Radio later acquired a local FM franchise for London, allowing it to broadcast on 105.8 FM in that area. This service launched on 10 April 1995 and initially carried regional programming for the London area, although this has now ceased.

Ginger Media Group, SMG & Times Group

The station was then sold to Ginger Media for around £85m, owned by Chris Evans, who was a mainstay on the station, presenting a breakfast show from 1997 until 2001. Evans sold Ginger Media to SMG plc (now STV Group plc) for £225 million GBP in March 2000 and was subsequently fired by his new employer in 2001 for failing to report into work for 5 consecutive days while reportedly partying with his then wife Billie Piper.

On 13 June 2006 SMG plc signed a deal with YooMedia to make Virgin Radio available on Freeview. It has always placed a great emphasis on other methods of transmission than medium wave, as the 1215 kHz frequency suffers from considerable interference, particularly after dark – BBC Radio 1, which used 1215 kHz for its first eleven years on air, moved to higher-quality medium wave frequencies (now used by talkSport) in 1978 mainly for this reason.

On 1 June, Bennett, Coleman & Co. aka Times Group (an Indian media conglomerate) agreed to buy Virgin Radio (sans the Virgin brand) for $104 million with British radio consultancy firm and radio operator Absolute Radio UK as its British partner, although the financial backing for the deal comes from Bennet, Coleman & Co. The deal was expected to be formalised at a meeting of shareholders of owners STV Group plc (formerly SMG plc) in July.

Sale to TIML Golden Square ltd
No 1 Golden Square with Absolute Radio branding.

On 12 April 2007, it was announced that SMG plc were to sell Virgin Radio, to enable the company to focus on its television station, STV. On 30 May 2008 SMG sold Virgin Radio to TIML Golden Square Limited, a subsidiary of the Times of India Group for £53.2 million with £15 million set aside for rebranding. TIML were given 90 days grace in which to rebrand the station.

On 1 September 2008 it was announced that Virgin Radio would be rebranded as Absolute Radio at the end of the month (28 September). At the same time some changes to the line-up were made known with JK and Joel, Robin Burke, Tony Hadley and John Osborne leaving the station and Allan Lake, Joanna Russell (of Trent FM's Jo & Twiggy) and Tim Shaw joining, though Osbourne would return shortly after. However Listening figures revealed an the last Quarter of 2008 has revealed that almost 1/5th of former Virgin Radio listeners have been lost since the rebranding to Absolute Radio.