Heart Essex (Chelmsford & Southend)
| File:Essex Fm Logo.jpg | |
| Broadcast area | Essex |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 96.3 MHz, 102.6 MHz, 97.5 MHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | GCap Media |
| History | |
First air date | 12 September 1981 |
| Links | |
| Website | www.essexfm.co.uk |
Essex FM is a British radio station. It was originally launched as Essex Radio on September 12,1981, broadcasting from Southend-on-Sea and since 2004 from Chelmsford, both in Essex. It is known throughout the area for its informative and up-to-date content of music and chat. The Essex Radio Group owned and launched several nearby stations, including Ten-17 FM in Harlow in 1993, oldies station Breeze (now Classic Gold Essex) in July 1989, and dance station Vibe FM (now renamed Kiss 105-108) in 1997. Essex FM became part of the GWR Group (now GCap Media) in October 2000 from the Daily Mail and General Trust (who bought the Essex Radio Group in 1998). Essex Radio was relaunched as Essex FM in January 1994.
Famous presenters on Essex Radio in the 1980s and 1990s included Graham Bannerman, Jon Scragg, Tim Lloyd (Timbo), Keith Rogers, Dave Gregory, John Leech, Peter Holmes, Dave Gilbee, Terry Davis, Caesar the Boogeyman and many others.
On October 27, 2004, the station moved from Southend-on-Sea to Chelmsford. The 102.6FM signal comes from Baker's Wood to the west of Chelmsford, 96.3FM comes from Benfleet, and 97.5FM comes from Maitland House in central Southend-on-Sea.
Martin Day is the station's most well-known and longest-serving presenter (since 1995), who since July 1996 has presented the station's 5am to 10am breakfast show with Su Harrison (his sidekick since the GWR takeover of 2000). He can also be heard on Sunday's Best 80s Show In The World Ever! between 9am and 12pm. Martin began his broadcasting career on LWR thanks to his friend Simon Lee. Since then he has been arrested as a pirate DJ on Radio Jackie and had stints at Chiltern Radio and on KIMN in Greely, Northern Colorado. Martin was regularly the subject of national attention in 1998 after a BBC1 weekly series called Lakesiders (looking at life in and around the shopping centre), partially focussed on life for Martin at Essex FM and away from the "mike".
As well as Martin Day, the station's presenters include Su Harrison (breakfast sidekick), Chris Skinner (weekday mornings and also Saturday hitlist from 11am), Angela Johnson (weekday afternoons), Paul Gillies (Drivetime), Mike Porter (long serving presenter who recently returned to do Saturday breakfast) Dominic Atkins (weekday travel man and Saturday breakfast co-host), Alex Williamson (Morning Crew apprentice), Wyatt Wendels (Late Night Essex presenter), Jay-Louise Knight (Saturday overnights and Martin's co-host on the Sunday am 80s show), Pete Chapman (Friday overnights), and Tim Murphy (weekend presenter and weekday cover).
Saturday nights on Essex FM are home to Club Essex, with DJs Mark Elliott, Paul "Kitch" Kitchener and Dan Mills. The show has featured on the station since March 1997, making it one of the longest continuously running dance music shows on UK radio. The roots of the show can even be traced back to 1990 when it was featured in a spot on John Leech's prominent evening show on Essex Radio.
In a somewhat unexpected move, the station announced, in late May 2006, that it will discontinue to play hit singles by James Blunt, although Blunt is found regularly in the radio airplay chartlist. This was thought to be a PR stunt, to help promote the station more, due to the lack of high audience share. James Blunt has since been heard on Essex FM which suggests this was a PR job.
Towards the end of 2006, Essex FM started broadcasting newly-sung radio jingles. These were made my Reelworld Productions in New York, and are very similar to those of Hallam FM. In August 2007, Essex FM took the One Network group's jingle package, but retained some of the Reelworld jingles, and craftily mixing some cuts of them with the new set.
In March 2007, drivetime presenter James Bassam left Essex FM after 12 years to join Capital Radio in London to do the Early Breakfast. His farewell show was broadcast live from Chicago Rock Cafe in Chelmsford with the entire on-air team joining him to send him off. James was best known for getting a public on-air ticking off from Victoria Beckham in 1999 for insulting her husband David's new haircut and its implications for his business deal with Brylcreem. Victoria happened to be listening that Sunday morning and called James to vent her fury at the presenter.