In 1993 and 1994, three restricted service licences in Lowestoft were operated and run by local radio volunteers, including some freelance radio professionals, with proceeds being donated to local charities. The station was called "Lowestoft Town Radio". LTR presenters included Martyn Lee and Steve Smart. Following 30-day trial broadcasts, along with similar efforts in Great Yarmouth, The Radio Authority created a new licence for the area. They granted the licence to the group behind the LTR, re-branded as "The Beach". The Beach started broadcasting on Sunday 29 September 1996. It has been voted The Eastern Region Radio Academy Station Of The Year three times. It formerly broadcast from studios at the junction of Hollingsworth Road and Oulton Road, in Lowestoft, Suffolk until 8 January 2017 when it was transferred to central hubs in Norwich and Ipswich along with sister stations. From 9 January 2017, all 103.4 The Beach's programming was shared with North Norfolk Radio, Town 102, Dream 100 and Radio Norwich 99.9, although the five stations now keep separate branding with programmes broadcast from the studios in Ipswich and Norwich. On 31 January 2017, it was confirmed that Celador had completed the purchase of Anglian Radio group.
Station rebrand
On 8 February 2019, The Beach and Celador's local radio stations were sold to Bauer. The sale was ratified in March 2020 following an inquiry by the Competition and Markets Authority. On 27 May 2020, it was announced that The Beach 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 The Beach retaining its own branding. In September 2020, the station will rebrand as Greatest Hits Radio and merge with its sister stations in the East. The station's local breakfast show will be replaced by a regional drivetime show. Localised news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising will be retained. The station's Norwich studios will be retained.
Transmission
Transmitters are located at Mobbs Way, Oulton Broad on 103.4 FM and on 97.4FM from a transmitter located at a water tower in Blythburgh, Suffolk. A transmitter is also located at Havenbridge House office block in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk which also broadcasts on 97.4 FM. The Beach is also available on DAB through the Norfolk multiplex.
Programming
The station carries primarily a schedule of automated programming, produced and broadcast from Bauer's Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow studios, and from Bauer's Golden Square headquarters in Soho. Regional programming consists of weekday breakfast from 6-10am, which is produced and broadcast from Bauer's Norwich studios. This is syndicated with sister stations in the East Anglian Radio portfolio.
News
Bauer's Bristol newsroom broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 06:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and from 07:00 to 13:00 at weekends. Headlines are broadcast on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside traffic bulletins. National bulletins from Sky News Radio are carried at other times.
