The stations were bought by Orion Media, headed by Phil Riley, former Chief Executive of Chrysalis Radio.
On 25 June 2012, Global acquired GMG Radio for a sum thought to be between £50 and £70 million; it continued to be run separately while a regulatory review was conducted.
[6] The appeal was based on three grounds: (a) Real and Smooth as alternatives to the Greater Manchester stations, (b) reliance on "significant adverse effects" in the North-West (c) Global's remedy proposal (see above).
The appeal was rejected on all grounds and the company must sell the seven stations it was ordered to in the original judgement,[7] Global said it was disappointed with the decision and was considering it further.
[8] On 6 February 2014, it was announced that a number of stations would be sold to the Irish broadcaster Communicorp, with programming generally to be supplied by Global under contract.
[15] At the beginning of October, Ofcom opened a consultation following Quidem's request for its six stations to make significant changes to their formats.
[17] On 22 February 2022, Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel announced they were joining Global to launch a new podcast.
[18] On 30 August 2022, The News Agents launched as a daily podcast presented by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall.
[20] On 29 September 2023, Global announced a further spin-off podcast, The News Agents Investigates, would launch on 1 October and be presented by Goodall.
Additional spin-off stations of Heart, Capital, Radio X and Classic FM would be introduced on the 12th September 2024.
[23] The Capital network consists of eleven contemporary hit stations which currently broadcast in numerous areas of England, Wales and central Scotland, alongside a digital UK-wide version.
Programming outside local hours originates from Capital's network studios in Leicester Square, London.
Until Summer 2010 it was sold as part of the Galaxy network for marketing purposes only, but retained its own separate branding and programming.
On 7 October 2013 Choice FM was rebranded as Capital XTRA and made available nationally via DAB radio.
[24] Capital Xtra Reloaded broadcasts from Birmingham and is available on DAB+ on Sound Digital and online via Global Player.
Heart is a contemporary radio station which currently broadcasts in numerous areas of England, Wales and central Scotland, alongside a digital UK-wide version.
On 11 April 2023, it was announced that Heart Scotland would reintroduce local breakfast, daytime and weekend shows as part of an expansion of Global's Scottish radio operations.
[25] Sister station Capital Scotland (owned and operated under a brand licence by Communicorp) has also reintroduced local programming.
On 3 January 2024 it was announced that Dan Walker was joining to host Classic FM's breakfast show.
LBC is a news and talk radio station, focusing on stories and issues from across the UK and internationally by phone-in discussion programmes.
It has reverted to a 24-hour station, dropping its simulcast of LBC, but otherwise keeping the same format of rolling twenty minute bulletins, but with a UK wide focus.
It began officially in 1997 as an independent London station, it was purchased by Capital Radio Group (now Global) in 1998.
Three Gold areas where Smooth is already provided on FM – London, Manchester and the East Midlands – retained a reduced Gold service on AM and (bar Manchester, where capacity is unavailable) local DAB, with most presented shows (aside from a daily morning show) ceasing.
[28] However these were subsequently switched off as part of Global's decision to withdraw from AM broadcasting - the last to go being Greater Manchester at the end of April 2024.
PopBuzz is a cultural platform of interviews, articles, podcast, videos, and GIFs, combined with a music stream of the fastest trending tracks in social media with digital goodness from around the web.
In terms of weekly audience reach, Global's Newsroom is the second largest news broadcaster in the UK, second only to the BBC.
Every year Global's Make Some Noise has an annual appeal day where its radio stations come together to raise money for small projects supporting youngsters and their families living with illness, disability or lack of opportunity, in their local communities.
The broadcast itself was described as irresponsible by David Aaronovitch in The Times, and LBC and Barnett were specifically identified in a critical Early Day Motion by Norman Lamb MP.
[53] In July 2020, Global was criticised for failing to investigate multiple online allegations that Capital Xtra DJ Tim Westwood had behaved inappropriately with young female fans.