A timeline of notable events relating toAbsolute Radio and its spin-off stations, and its predecessor Virgin 1215/Virgin Radio.

1990

• TheBroadcasting Act 1990 paves the way for the launch ofIndependent National Radio (INR) stations in the United Kingdom.^[1] TheRadio Authority is mandated to award three licences, awarding each licence to the highest cash bidder, providing that the applicant meets criteria set down in the Broadcasting Act.^[2]

1991

• October – The secondIndependent National Radio licence is advertised.^[3] It will broadcast on MW, using the 1197 kHz and 1215 kHz frequencies, which will be relinquished byBBC Radio 3.^[4]

1992

• 29 February –BBC Radio 3 stops broadcasting on 1197 kHz and 1215 kHz MW.
• April –The Radio Authority awards the secondIndependent National Radio licence to Independent Music Radio, a consortium jointly owned byTV-am and Virgin Communications.^[5] There had been four other applicants for the licence.

1993

• Ahead of its launch on MW, Virgin campaigns to broadcast nationally on FM. It spends 1993 lobbying to broadcast onBBC Radio 4's FM frequencies.^[6]
• March –TV-am sells its stake in Virgin Radio^[7] toApax Partners,JP Morgan Investment Corporation andSir David Frost.^[8][9]
• 30 April – The station launches as Virgin 1215 at 12.15 pm on 30 April 1993.^[10]Richard Branson was the first voice to be heard, live from theVirgin Megastore in Manchester, withRichard Skinner the first voice back in the London studios. The first song to be played is a cover version of theSteppenwolf song "Born to be Wild", recorded by Australian groupINXS.
• Summer – Virgin 1215 begins broadcasting in stereo on theAstra 1A satellite on an audio sub-carrier of theSky News channel.^[11][12]
• 2 May – As part of its launch schedule, the first edition ofVirgin 1215' album chart show is broadcast, airing at 4pm on Sundays, in direct competition with the charts shows broadcast on bothBBC Radio 1 and commercial radio.
• July –Jonathan Coleman becomesRuss Williams breakfast show co-host. Also,Kevin Greening moves from weekend slots to the weekday afternoon show.
• December –Kevin Greening becomes the first presenter to leave Virgin 1215.

1994

• January –Gary Davies joins the station to present the Sunday morningClassic Tracks show. AlsoGraham Dene moves to weekday afternoons andGary King joins to take on weekend breakfast.
• Having been unsuccessful at trying to obtainBBC Radio 4's FM frequencies, the station tries to persuadeThe Radio Authority to allocate the recently available 105–108 MHz part of the FM waveband to a fourth INR licence as part of a renewed bid to broadcast nationally on FM.^[13]
• 29 June – Following its failure to persuade The Radio Authority to use 105–108 MHz FM for a new commercial national station, Virgin Radio applies for one of the new licenses to broadcast to London.^[14]
• 8 October – Virgin Radio is awarded one of the new London-wide FM licences.^[15]

1995

• 10 April –Virgin Radio starts broadcasting on FM in London. The station is a full simulcast of the national service apart from a 45-minute weekday early evening programme, presented initially byRowland Rivron.^[16][17]
• April – To coincide with the launch of Virgin London, the national station is renamed as Virgin Radio.
• 3 December – Following a brief sabbatical,Gary Davies returns to take over the Sunday late show.

1996

• 7 March – Virgin Radio launches its first website.^[18][19]
• 15 March –Alan Freeman joins the station to present a new Friday night rock show.
• 3 August –Lynn Parsons joins the station to present the weekend early evening show.
• October –Richard Skinner, who presented the first show, leaves the station.Graham Dene replaces Richard as the presenter of the weekday morning show.

1997

• May – It is announced thatCapital Radio has agreed to acquire Virgin Radio in an £87 million deal.^[20] Capital's plans included moving Virgin Radio from 1Golden Square to Capital'sLeicester Square building and splitting programming between the AM and FM services.^[21] The Radio Authority approved the acquisition,^[22] butNigel Griffiths, the Consumer Affairs Minister, referred the takeover to theMonopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC).^[23] The MMC report into the takeover would not be issued until January 1998, and would recommend that the deal could only go ahead ifCapital Gold was sold or Virgin's London FM licence was left out of the deal.^[24] The delay in approval of the Capital acquisition ultimately leads to the deal not going through.
• 26 September –Alan Freeman presents his final rock show for Virgin Radio.^[25]
• 13 October –Chris Evans rejoins the station to take over the breakfast show fromRuss Williams who moves to Drivetime before being transferred to the mid-morning show in early 1998.
• 9 December – Chris Evans's media production company,Ginger Media Group, buys Virgin Radio fromRichard Branson for £85m. Branson had planned to sell the station toCapital Radio, but Evans, who had not wanted to work for the station, launched a rival bid.^[26][27]

1998

• August –Virgin Radio launches a new Saturday afternoon football show calledRock 'n' Roll Football.^[28]
• 5 October – Virgin Radio starts simulcasts of the breakfast show onSky One each morning for an hour between 7.30 and 8.30 am. When a track was played on the radio, viewers see the track's video at the same time.^[16][29]
• Lynn Parsons leaves.

1999

• January –Gary Davies takes over the weeknight late show.
• 7 February –Danny Baker joins the station to present a Saturday morning show. He replacesJonathan Ross.
• 15 November – Virgin Radio starts broadcasting onDAB digital radio following the launch of the UK's first national commercial multiplexDigital One.
• 17 December – Britain's first millionpounds prize is given away, on a segment ofChris Evans's Virgin breakfast show calledSomeone's Going to be a Millionaire (a reference to ITV'sWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which at the time has not had a million pound winner).

2000

• March –Scottish Media Group (nowSTV Group plc) buys Virgin Radio for £225 million. The Scottish Media Group, which ownedScottish Television and theHerald newspaper, fought off other bidders includingClear Channel,NRJ andGuardian Media. Evans personally made £75 million out of the sale.^[30]
• April –Leona Graham joins.
• 26 June –The Groove launches.Virgin Radio Classic Rock also launches in 2000.
• October –Clive Warren joins to present the Sunday afternoon show.
• 14 December –Gary Davies leaves^[31] and in the new yearClive Warren replaces him as presenter of the weeknight late show.
• Danny Baker leaves.

2001

• 28 June –Chris Evans is dismissed for repeatedly failing to arrive at work. Evans is replacedSteve Penk.^[32]
• 1 July – Virgin Radio stops broadcasting via Sky's analogue satellite service.

2002

• 28 January – Less than a month after joining the station,Daryl Denham takes over the breakfast show fromSteve Penk.^[33]
• 1 July –Jeremy Kyle joins the station to present a weeknight show calledJezza's Virgin Confessions. He is the permanent replacement forClive Warren who had left the station at the start of 2002.

2003

• 6 January –Pete and Geoff take over the breakfast show. They replaceDaryl Denham who moves to the Drivetime show.

2004

• Richard Skinner rejoins the station to present forVirgin Radio Classic Rock. He also provides holiday cover on the main station.
• Soul,Motown and disco spin-off station The Groove is renamedVirgin Radio Groove.
• June –Jeremy Kyle andDaryl Denham leave.

2005

• 5 September –Virgin Xtreme launches. The station plays modern rock music.
• December –Richard Skinner leavesVirgin Radio Classic Rock when the station dispenses with live programming.
• 16 December –Pete and Geoff present the breakfast show for the final time.

2006

• 3 January –Geoff Lloyd launchesThe Geoff Show. It runs Monday to Thursday late evenings.
• 23 January – Former XFM presenterChristian O'Connell joins to presentThe Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show.^[34]
• 13 June – SMG plc signs a deal with YooMedia to make Virgin Radio available onFreeview.^[35]
• 15 June – Virgin Radio Party Classics launches. The station was a full-time spin-off ofSuggs'Party Classics show.
• 13 October – Virgin Radio Party Classics closes.

2007

• 3 August –Tony Hadley replacesSuggs as host of Virgin Radio'sParty Classics show.^[36]
• 30 November – Less than a year after taking over the afternoon show,Suggs leaves the station. He is replaced by Drive presenter Neil Francis with Nick Jackson moving from weekends to take over Drivetime.^[37]

2008

• 6 January –Iain Lee^[38] andJK and Joel^[39] join the station to present weekend shows.
• 4 April –Virgin Radio Groove stops broadcasting.
• 30 May – SMG sells Virgin Radio to TIML Golden Square Limited, a subsidiary ofThe Times Group for £53.2 million with £15 million set aside for rebranding. As part of the deal, Absolute Radio International, which operates two FM licences inOxford, will manage the station.^[40][41]
• 1 September – The station's new owners announce that Virgin Radio will be rebranded as Absolute Radio at the end of the month.^[42]
• 25 September – The final edition ofThe Geoff Show is broadcast.JK and Joel also leave at around the same time.^[43]

2008

• 29 September – At 7:45 amVirgin Radio is relaunched as Absolute Radio and sister station Virgin Classic Rock is renamedAbsolute Classic Rock.

2009

• March –Frank Skinner joins the station to host the Saturday breakfast show. The programme has initially only been planned to last 12 weeks but was extended due to its popularity.^[44] The show is still running with both Emily Dean and Alun Cochrane.^[45][46]
• 1 October –Absolute Xtreme closes and a 'user-controlled' station calledDabbl launches.^[47]
• 12 November –Iain Lee replacesBen Jones as presenter of the weeknight late show. ConsequentlySunday Night Show ends.
• 4 December –Absolute Radio 80s launches although DAB carriage is restricted to a part-time slot in London.^[48]

2010

• 14 May –Absolute Radio 80s launches on theDigital One multiplex.^[49]
• 21 June –Absolute Radio 90s launches. It uses the part-time London slot previously occupied by Absolute 80s.^[49]
• 16 July –Absolute Radio Extra launches as an opt-out service from Absolute Radio.^[50] It broadcasts on Saturday afternoons to provide football coverage following the station's acquisition of rights to somePremier League football matches.^[51]
• August –Absolute 90s launches on theDigital One multiplex, initially as a two-month test. Two months later the carriage agreement was made permanent.
• 25 August –dabbl closes.^[52]
• 10 December –Absolute Radio 00s launches.^[53]

2011

• 29 July –Ben Jones leaves after a decade at Virgin Radio/Absolute Radio.^[54]
• 18 October –Iain Lee leaves.^[55]
• 1 NovemberFrank Skinner's Saturday morning show starts to be simulcast across the decades-only stations andAbsolute Classic Rock with different music played on each station between the links.^[56]
• 22 November –Absolute Radio 60s launches.^[57]
• 29 November –Absolute Radio 70s launches. The first show is presented byRichard Skinner, who had launched Virgin 1215 18 years earlier.

2012

• 13 August – To celebrateTeam GB'sOlympic success atLondon 2012 Absolute Radio'sbreakfast show hostChristian O'Connell playsSpandau Ballet's 1983 hitGold 29 times between 6.00am and 10.30am, matching the number of gold medals won by Britain's athletes.

2013

• 23 April – TheRadio Today website reports thatAbsolute Radio has removedAbsolute Radio 60s andAbsolute Classic Rock from several DAB platforms in England and Wales, but the stations continue to broadcast in London and online.^[58]
• 29 July –Bauer Media Group announces that it intends to purchase Absolute from current owner,The Times Group for an amount believed to be between £20m-£25m, pending regulatory approval of the sale.^[59]
• 23 December – The deal for Bauer to buy Absolute Radio is cleared by theOffice of Fair Trading.^[60]
• Absolute Radio acquires rights to broadcast theAmerican football'sNational Football League. The station only held the rights for a single season.

2014

• No events.

2015

• 5 January –Absolute Radio changes from broadcasting in stereo to mono to make way for Magic on theDigital One multiplex.^[61] Also,Absolute 90s is removed from theDigital One multiplex.
• 9 February –Absolute 70s starts broadcasting on free-to-air satellite.
• 2 April –Absolute 80s announces that it will begin airing classic charts from the 1980s in the 4.00–7.00pm Sunday slot vacated by Radio 1. The show, hosted byMartyn Lee, will begin in May.^[62]
• 28 April –Russ Williams announces that he will be leaving his mid-morning show on Absolute Radio after presenting the programme for 20 years.^[63]
• July –Danielle Perry joins the station to present the weekday mid-afternoon show.^[64]
• 7 September –Absolute Radio starts broadcasting on FM in theWest Midlands, replacingPlanet Rock.^[65]

2016

• 29 February –Absolute 80s moves fromDigital One to the newly launchedSound Digital multiplex although it continued to broadcast on Digital One until the end of April 2016.^[66]
• May – One of the station's original presentersRuss Williams leaves at the end of the 2015/16 football season. He had ended his 23 years at the station presenting the Saturday afternoon programmeRock and Roll Football which ends following Absolute Radio's decision to drop its coverage of Premier League football.

2017

• 18 January –Absolute Radio presentersGeoff Lloyd andAnnabel Port leave the station.^[67] They leave in April.
• 2 October –Dave Berry joins the station to present the weekday drive time show.^[68]

2018

• 29 January –Absolute 90s returns to theDigital One multiplex.
• May – Bauer announces that it will switch off a number of Absolute Radio's filler transmitters and reduce power at five of its main transmitters. This will reduce the station's reach on MW from 90% to 85%.
• 18 May –Christian O'Connell presents the breakfast show for the final time.^[69][70]
• 21 May –Pete Donaldson replacesDave Berry as presenter of the weekday "Hometime" show. Dave is to become the new breakfast show presenter.
• 23 May –Absolute 70s ends radio transmission and becomes an on-line station. It had previously been available on DAB in London and on free-to-air satellite.^[71]
• 4 June –Dave Berry takes over the breakfast show.
• 24 September – Andy Bush and Richie Firth replace Pete Donaldson as presenters of the Hometime show.^[72]
• 23 October – Launch of Jack Radio on DAB, a station from the Absolute Radio team and the first radio station to have a playlist made up entirely of female artists. Jack will also feature female sports and material from female stand-up comedians.^[73]
• 17 December – Absolute Radio stops broadcasting on FM in the West Midlands. The frequency will be transferred toGreatest Hits Radio.^[74]

2019

• 7 January –Absolute Classic Rock starts broadcasting on MW inBirmingham,Wolverhampton andShropshire.
• 18 November –Absolute Radio 10s launches. Unlike the other decades-only stations, Absolute 10s operates exclusively online.^[75]
• 22 December –Pete Donaldson leaves.^[76]

2020

• 24 February –Absolute Radio 20s launches and also operates exclusively online.^[77]
• 8 May – A one-off pop up station called Absolute Radio 40s broadcasts on 1215 MW and online to mark the 75th anniversary ofVE Day.^[78] The service was also made available over DAB+ in London, replaced the following day byAbsolute Radio 00s.
• 18 October –Skunk Anansie singerSkin joins the station to present "The Skin Show", which airs Sunday nights 10pm-12am.^[79]

2021

• 26 April –
  • Ahead of the cessation of Absolute Radio on FM in London, Absolute Radio (London feed) is removed from the CE London DAB multiplex. It is replaced byAbsolute Radio 10s.
  • Absolute Radio 70s is reinstated to the Switch London DAB, converting to a stereo DAB+ service on 28 April.
• 17 May –
  • Following permission from Ofcom,^[80] Absolute Radio is removed from 105.8 FM in London and is replaced byGreatest Hits Radio.^[81] Absolute Radio, and its predecessor Virgin Radio, had been available on FM in London since 1995.
  • Country Hits Radio becomes part of theAbsolute Radio Network when it is rebranded as Absolute Radio Country.^[82]
• 11 June –Absolute Radio launches the pop-up station Absolute Radio Noel to celebrate the release of theNoel Gallagher's High Flying Birds compilation albumBack the Way We Came. The station is on air until 18 June.^[83]
• 6 September – Absolute Radio broadcasts its first scripted comedy series,Rockanory. Short episodes were broadcast Monday to Thursday at 11pm for the next six weeks.^[84]
• 29 September –Absolute Radio launches a week-long pop-up station Bond 24/7 to mark the release of the 25th film in theJames Bond seriesNo Time to Die and plays music from the James Bond films.^[85]

2022

• 14 July –Bauer Media launches a subscription service for Absolute Radio called Absolute Radio Premium which allows listeners to access commercial free content for a monthly fee.^[86] Five stations are launched. Two are Absolute Radio spin-offs – Absolute Radio Acoustic and Absolute Radio Classic Country – with the other three based on programmes and segments on the main station – Andy Bush's Indie Disco 24/7, Through The Decades and Haven't Heard It For Ages.^[87]
• 12 August –Absolute Radio 60s dedicates a day of programming topirate radio stations on the anniversary of theMarine Broadcasting Offences Act 1967 which made them illegal.^[88]
• 14 November – Launch of Absolute Radio Terrace Anthems, Absolute Radio Movies and Absolute Radio 50s on Absolute Radio Premium.^[89]

2023

• 20 January – Absolute Radio stops broadcasting on AM.^[90][91] Consequently, Absolute Radio becomes a digital-only station.^[92]A retune loop is active from midnight on this day.
• 10 February – Launch of Absolute Radio Kevin, a station showcasing debut hits from the past and present.^[93]
• 14 February – Ofcom revokes the mediumwave licence from Absolute Radio following Bauer's decision to cease broadcasting on its AM frequency.^[94]
• 1 June – Bauer Media is fined £25,000 by Ofcom for turning off Absolute Radio's mediumwave frequency.^[95]
• 1 August – Absolute Radio adds the new station Forgotten 80s to its subscription service.^[96]
• 16 October – Absolute 80s and Absolute 90s move to the DAB+ format, broadcasting in stereo. This gives Bauer the space on the semi-national SDL multiplex to carry more stations, and these include Absolute Country and Absolute Classic Rock.^[97]
• 12 December – Absolute Radio and Absolute Radio 80s were removed fromFreesat.^[98]
• 13 December – Absolute Radio, Absolute Radio 80s, Absolute Radio 90s and Absolute Radio Classic Rock were removed fromSky (all four stations) andVirgin Media (all except Absolute Radio 90s), along with every other radio station owned by Bauer Media. Bauer stations will continue to be available on Freeview.^[99]

2024

• 23 March –Frank Skinner announces he is leavingAbsolute Radio after 15 years, and after his contract was not renewed.^[100]
• 13 August – Absolute Radio have signed up comedianJon Richardson to present a Saturday morning show from September.^[101]

2025

• 31 March –Absolute Radio will begin broadcasting via DAB+, and in stereo.^[102]

Bibliography

• Evans, Chris (2010).Memoirs of a Fruitcake.HarperCollins.ISBN 978-0-00-734568-7.

• Absolute Radio
• United Kingdom radio timelines

• CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list
• Articles with short description
• Short description with empty Wikidata description
• Use dmy dates from July 2019