New Radio Station Woos Older Listeners

POP star David Essex will flick the switch to launch Smooth Radio which hits the North-East airwaves next week.

Essex, best known for seventies hits such as Gonna Make You A Star and Hold Me Close and now a star of West End musicals, will be joined by presenters and staff to celebrate the station’s first day on-air.

Smooth Radio will play a broad mix of easy-listening tracks from the last five decades.

GMG Radio’s new station will broadcast from new studios in Gateshead on 97.5FM and 107.7FM and reach two million adults across Tyne and Wear and Teesside. It will become the sixth Smooth Radio in the UK, alongside sister stations in London, North-West England, Glasgow and the East and West Midlands.

Three familiar voices have signed up to present shows on the station which is launched by Essex on Tuesday at 8am.

Former BBC Radio Newcastle presenters Paul Wappat and Tom Davies, along with Steve Wells who presented on Metro Radio as Steve King for 12 years, will be broadcasting on Smooth Radio. Targeted at the 40 and over listener, the station will showcase music from Abba to The Beatles, Rod Stewart to The Carpenters and Diana Ross to Simply Red.

Until recently Paul, aged 45, broadcast as the midmorning presenter on the BBC station, but from the New Year will be hosting the drive-time show on Smooth Radio. Tom, aged 39, who presented BBC Radio Newcastle’s Summer of Fun events this year and has also hosted shows on Century FM, will be the new voice of breakfast from 6- 10am.

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