Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk
Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk is an Independent Local radio station owned by Nation Broadcasting and operated by Bauer Radio as part of the Greatest Hits Radio Network. It broadcasts to Suffolk and forms part of GHR East.
 | |
| City | Ipswich |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Ipswich & Suffolk |
| Frequency | FM:102 MHz DAB: 10C |
| Branding | Across Ipswich & Suffolk |
| Slogan | The Good Times Sound Like This |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic Hits |
| Network | GHR East (Greatest Hits Radio) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Nation Broadcasting |
| Operator | Bauer Radio |
| History | |
First air date | 1 August 2018 (as Ipswich 102) |
Former names | Ipswich 102 |
| Links | |
| Website | https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/suffolk/ |
History
The licence for the area had previously been held by Town 102 but Ofcom awarded the licence to Ipswich 102.[1] This had been the first time in its history that Ofcom had not awarded a re-advertised licence to the incumbent broadcaster. Ofcom said that it regarded the station's multiplex holdings as reason why the new operator would be able to support the station: "Ipswich FM’s commitment to broadcasting on the Suffolk DAB multiplex means it would have access to a greater number of potential listeners than the incumbent licensee, which does not, and did not indicate any plans to, broadcast on DAB."[2] The launch of the station was led by Paul Morris, formerly a presenter on SGR-FM and until 2017 the programme director for Town 102, the station Ipswich 102 replaced.
Closure
On 15 October 2020, joint shareholders Nation Broadcasting and Bauer announced that the station had agreed a brand licence to rebrand Ipswich 102 to Greatest Hits Radio East from November 2020. The station will take the local drivetime programme that is currently broadcast on the existing neighbouring network stations, with all other programming being networked from Liverpool & Manchester.
Town 102 became Hits Radio Suffolk on 3 November 2020.