Signal 2


Signal 2 is a local radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Staffordshire and Cheshire.
The station is due to be merged and rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio in September 2020.

History

The station began as Signal Radio which first broadcast at 6 am, 5 September 1983, with DJ John Evington selecting Neil Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" as its first track. The station initially broadcast on 104.3 MHz and 1170 kHz, changing to 102.6 MHz soon after. The station's name is derived from "Signal" the name of the newspaper in Arnold Bennett's local novels.
In the late 1980s broadcast regulators the IBA ordered stations to provide different services on their FM and AM outputs. Due to this, in 1992 a "Golden Breakfast Show" started on the 1170 AM frequency while for the rest of the day it would take the main Signal Radio service and on 18 January 1993 a full-time station, Signal Gold, was launched.

Station rebrand

On 8 February 2019, Signal 2 and the Wireless Group's local radio stations were sold to Bauer Radio. The sale was ratified in March 2020 following an inquiry by the Competition and Markets Authority.
On 27 May 2020, it was announced that Signal 2 will join Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio network.
On 13 July 2020, local programming outside weekday breakfast was replaced by networked output from the GHR network, with Signal 2 retaining its own branding.
In September 2020, the station will rebrand as Greatest Hits Radio and merge with three stations in the Midlands. The station's local breakfast show will be replaced by a regional drivetime show. Localised news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising will be retained.

Technical

Signal 2's 1170 AM transmitter is at Sideway, near to the A500 D Road, just south of the A50 junction. It transmits 0.2 kW of power and can be heard throughout most of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Signal 2 also broadcasts on the local Stoke and Stafford DAB multiplex 12D, from transmitters at Alsagers Bank, Pye Green BT Tower, Sutton Common BT Tower and Tick Hill.

Programming

Local programming is produced and broadcast from studios in Stoke-on-Trent from 6am–10am on weekdays.
Networked programming originates from the network's Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow studios and from Bauer's Golden Square headquarters in Soho.

News

Signal 2 broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6am to 6pm on weekdays, from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and from 8am to 12pm on Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows. The station also simulcasts hourly Sky News Radio bulletins at all other times.