Programme controller Craig Denyer introduced the Greatest Memories Latest Hits format in the late eighties.

Commercial producers included John Calvert, Carolyn Rogers, Lisa Rutherford, Scott Young, Chris Slack & Pete Sipple.

Since GWR bought Essex FM in 2000 and following the merger of GWR and the Capital Radio Group in 2005 to form GCap Media, Essex FM started to take some network programmes, like the weekday evening new music show Music Control.

They also broadcast their own jingles – made by ReelWorld in Seattle, based on their package for Hallam FM.

However, in June 2008 new owners Global Radio, in spite of the station just obtaining its best listening figures for 5 years with a music format slightly more skewed to new music, decided to include Essex FM in their plans for a huge radio shake-up.

The station was forced to drop its non-peak time local programming, including weekdays mid-mornings and late night.

96.3 MHz FM comes from Benfleet, which covers Basildon and most of southern Essex with an ERP of 1.3 kW.

97.5 MHz FM comes from Maitland House in central Southend with an ERP of 100 W. This was launched in the late 90s to fill a gap in the town centre.