WILTSHIRE RADIO "WR" and GWR

Your Guide to GWR FM in 1988

BRUNEL RADIO

In 1988 GWR, as with many other ILR stations at that time, split VHF / FM and Medium Wave / AM frequencies creating two distinct radio stations; GWR FM and a new service called Brunel Radio. Brunel Radio used 1260 kHz (238 meters) in Bristol, Bath and Avon, 1161 kHz (258 metres) in Swindon and north and east Wiltshire and 936 kHz (321 metres) AM on medium wave. The age demographic of Bunel Radio was higher than GWR FM, the launch being publicised in both print and locally on regional television. There were also a few local TV news reports carried on ITV and BBC..

Brunel Radio launched on 15th November, six months before the new BBC local radio station Wiltshire Sound.

The End Of The Line for GWR

GWR underwent many changes over the years.

In 2001 GWR vacated its original premises in Bristol (Radio West), at the Watershed Centre, Canons Road and moved to Passage Street, Bristol.

In 2005 GWR also vacated its original premises at The Lime Kiln in Wootton Basset (Wiltshire Radio), and moved to a new location in west Swindon - at Chisledon House Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon, SN5 7HB. The Lime Kiln Studios were later taken over by a new radio station Brunel FM in 2007.  Brunel FM soon failed and in October 2008 the site became the Lime Kiln Business Centre. The Lime Kiln Business Centre retained some of the former local radio studio facilies and offer them for rental as commercial studio space. http://www.limekilnbusinesscenter.co.uk

GWR bought up a large number of other local commercial radio stations around the UK, imposing its own branding on them. Later, on May 9th 2005, GWR merged with Capital Radio in London to form GCAP Media, which brought about further consolidation of programming format. Then in 2008 GCAP merged with Chrysalis Radio, owners of Heart FM,  to form Global Radio.

By 2009 real local programming had been largely abandoned by the big radio groups. On 23rd March 2009 GWR disappeared as a radio station name, to be replaced with Heart Wiltshire, Heart Bristol and Heart Bath.

On medium wave Brunal Radio quickly gave way to Brunel Classic Gold, a largely networked station, then Classic Gold and by 2009 Global's nationally broadcast 'Gold' station.

In April 2010 Global decided to consolidate the position of Heart Bristol and Heart Bath by merging them with neighbouring Heart Somerset (Formerly Orchard FM). Programming for Bristol, Bath and Somerset was merged to form Heart West Country. The local studio centre at Haygrove House, Shoreditch, Taunton, Somerset was closed.  http://www.davemason.tv/training/OrchardFMGallery-theearlyyears.php




Haygrove House For Sale
Property Type    Offices - Office
Tenure    For Sale Freehold, For Sale Leasehold or To Let
Size    2150.02 sq ft
Price    £560,000.00 (GBP)
Location    Haygrove House, Shoreditch, Taunton. TA3 7BT
Haygrove House is a 3 storey detached office building is grounds of approximately 1 acre formerly used for radio broadcasting studios and offices for Heart FM.
There are two telecommunication masts within the grounds, providing a annual income of 18,515: 1) A lease to Arqiva for 21 years from 21 April 1997 at a rent of £6,500 per annum. The lease includes provisions relating to income generated from sharing the mast with other providers. This provides an additional rental income to the landlord and 2) A lease to Vodafone Ltd for 15 years from 22 December 2004 at a rent of £4,500 per annum.
The Property includes 28 parking spaces and 2 storage buildings.