96.9 Viking FM

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Viking FM

Broadcast area	East Riding & North Lincolnshire
First air date	April 17, 1984
Frequency	96.9 MHz
Format	Contemporary
Owner	EMAP

Viking FM is an Independent Local Radio station which has broadcast music and local information to the East Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire counties of England since 1984. Based in Kingston upon Hull, it has had several corporate owners but is currently run by media empire EMAP and is part of their Big City Network of stations.

It began as Viking Radio on 102.7FM and 1161MW. The station's name was earlier planned to be Humber Bridge Radio. In spring 1986, the radio station had to move to 96.9FM, the then residence of arch-competitor Radio Humberside, which moved to 95.9FM. In summer 1986, the station hit the showbiz big time by signing up the pop music connoisseur Paul Gambaccini. In 1988, Viking Radio transformed into Viking FM with medium wave going its own way into what is now Magic 1161.

In 1990, the owners, Yorkshire Radio Network (who also owned Radio Hallam and Pennine Radio), were bought by Metro Radio Group, who were ultimately bought by Emap Radio Group in 1996.

It is transmitted from the High Hunsley transmitter on the Yorkshire Wolds, near North Cave, sharing the 200 ft tower with Galaxy 105 and BBC Radio Humberside, as well as on the EMAP Humberside DAB multiplex from three transmitters, located at High Hunsley, Buckton Barn near Bridlington and Grimsby town centre.

It is also streamed over the Internet via Viking FM's website (listed in the external links), making it accessible to listeners from all across the UK. Worldwide webcasting has been suspended for licensing reasons.

Notable former members of staff include BBC Radio 1's JK and Joel, former hit40uk presenter Simon Hirst, broadcaster Harriet Scott and impressionist Jon Culshaw.

Current weekday presenters include Sam Heywood & Mark Somers at Breakfast, Paul Foster (Mid morning), James Piekos (afternoons), Matthew Smith (drive), Ian Skye (evenings) & Neil Rudd (late show)

Current management: Regional MD - Alexis Thomson, Station Director - Steve Allbones, Programme Director - Craig Beck.

In 2005 the station won its first Gold Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for "Happy Hour"; a news investigation into binge drinking in the region. The won a Bronze award in 2006 for their series of programmes on subjects like ASBO's and street crime.

The studio has a Webcam. This allows listeners to watch the goings on inside studio 1 (the main studio) at Viking on the Internet. This can be found on the Viking FM website and refreshes every 30 seconds. A further pioneering development, and a UK first was the installation of a new "fish cam", recording the wacky antics of the Viking FM goldfish.

[edit] Jingles

For many years Viking only used voice over sweeper production produced in house, recently a new sung package has been commissioned. The new station idents are from Jones TM in Dallas, U.S.A Previously, Viking have had packages produced by Cath Baxter, Jam Creative productions, Alfasound and Reelworld.