ContactPennine Radio and The Pulse
"Pennine Radio... the sound going into your ear'oles"
Pennine Radio and The Pulse
Pennine Radio, Pennine FM, Pulse FM, The Pulse of West Yorkshire, The Pulse
Pennine Radio (Listen with your ears!) was the brainchild of Steve Harris and Terry Bate, the latter being a founder member of Metro Radio in Newcastle and Radio Trent in Nottingham. Pennine Radio launched on September 16th 1975, with legendary Steve Merike as the first voice in a period which can arguably be called the birth of commercial radio.
The station became part of the Viking, Hallam & Pennine "Yorkshire Radio Network", operated by the now defunct Transworld Communications Ltd. The very first form of Classic Gold also came from YRN.
In 1991, EMAP, having just taken control of Metro Radio Group, took a small stake in Transworld, taking over 2 million shares. In the same year, Transworld were forced, by new legislation, to split FM & AM networks - whilst Viking and Hallam continued on FM, Great Yorkshire Gold was heard on the AM frequencies. Pennine FM became The Pulse (Pulse FM, the Pulse of West Yorkshire) in 1991 with Great Yorkshire Gold heard on the old 235 AM frequency.
In 1994, EMAP took full control of all Transworld Communications radio businesses which included Red Rose Radio in Preston and Red Dragon Radio in Cardiff, Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and Radio Aire in Leeds. A year later, in November 1995, moving further towards the creation of their 'Big City' network, it was quite a surprise, (especially as the station had been part of the same group for so long) when EMAP sold both The Pulse and Great Yorkshire Gold to The Radio Partnership for £4.6m.
Earlier the same year, they'd paid £98.7m for the Metro Radio Group. It was evident then that both The Pulse and Great Yorkshire Gold didn't fit in with great EMAP scheme of things. For another four years, The Radio Partnership operated The Pulse without too much drama, until 1999 when The Wireless Group acquired The Radio Partnership. The once swallowing was then swallowed!
The link with Pennine hasn't been lost completely though, as the station continues to broadcast from Pennine House in Forster Square, Bradford, on two frequencies. 97.5 (the original transmitter for Bradford) and 102.5FM (Halifax & Huddersfield) with a format of contemporary and classic hits, with strong commitment to local news and information. Once a voice on the station Steve King is now the Emap group PD for Pennine Radio... Oops, we mean, The Pulse.
The first jingle package, complete with a cut which sang "Pennine two-thirty-five, that's the sound goin' into your ear'oles!", was provided by Emison, the jingle arm of EMI Music. Some jingles in later packages produced by Alfasound, the UK agent for Jam Creative Productions featured the vocal talents of soul singer Jimmy Helms.
Information amended from the excellent Aircheck UK webpage
Pennine Radio Jingles
- Pennine Radio Launch - 16th September 1975, "Welcome to Pennine 235"