[12] The Competition Commission published its final report into the acquisition on 21 May 2013, requiring Global to sell radio stations in seven locations.

[14] Global announced in December that it would not contest the decision, and would instead begin the process of selling the assets as directed by the commission.

[15] On 4 February 2014, the Radio Today website reported that Ofcom had given Global permission to remove Smooth from the Digital One platform, and to replace it with a service playing music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

[16] Under this agreement, Smooth would continue to broadcast on its regional frequencies, but would be required to provide seven hours of local output per day.

[17][18][c] Under a franchising agreement between the two firms, these stations would retain the Smooth Radio name, but relaunch airing a mixture of both regional content and networked programming from London.

[23] On 5 March 2018, Global added the former Lakeland Radio station to the network as Smooth Lake District following its purchase from the CN Group for an undisclosed fee.

[27] On 30 June 2023, Global switched off the AM frequencies which carried Smooth in Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth, with Sussex following suit three months later.

[28] In late April 2024, the Hampshire and Kent medium wave frequencies were also switched off[29] and it was announced (inaccurately) that the North Wales and Cheshire relay would follow later in 2024.

The one surviving AM station in Wales carries networked programming content as broadcast from London, with the exception of a local opt-out programme from noon to 4pm on weekdays, as it had done under Gold.

In several areas, local Smooth services have ceased transmitting on AM (usually due to the closure of transmitter sites) but continued to be provided on digital radio.

These variants, being the siblings of Heart/Capital stations which remain available on FM, continue to follow the AM model of localised advertising and information alongside networked programming content, rather than taking Smooth UK as heard in other areas served only via digital radio.

In addition, the former Gold in Exeter/Torbay, which continued to operate on DAB after the closure of its AM transmission, transitioned to Smooth with the rest of the AM network in 2014.

[41] Following the conversion of Classic FM to DAB+ the prior week, capacity became available for the addition to Digital One on 8 January 2024 of a new soft adult contemporary service under the Smooth network.

The station transmitted its own non-stop music output from 10am to 6pm every day, and relayed Smooth London at other times.