Capital South Wales

Capital South Wales
Cardiff;
Broadcast area	South East Wales
Frequency	DAB: 12C NOW SE Wales; FM: 97.4 MHz Newport; FM: 103.2 MHz Cardiff; RDS: Capital;
Branding	South Wales' No.1 Hit Music Station
Programming
Format	Contemporary hit radio
Network	Capital
Ownership
Owner	Communicorp UK
Operator	Global Radio
Sister stations	Capital Cymru; Capital Liverpool; Capital Manchester and Lancashire; Capital Mid-Counties; Capital Midlands; Capital North East; Capital North West and Wales; Capital Scotland; Capital South; Capital Yorkshire; Capital UK; Capital Xtra; Heart South Wales;
History
First air date	11 April 1980
Former names	CBC (Cardiff Broadcasting Company) (1980–1985); Red Dragon Radio (1985–1990); Red Dragon FM (1990–2011);
Former frequencies	96.0 MHz; 104.0 MHz; 1359 kHz; 1305 kHz
Links
Webcast	Global Player
Website	www.capitalfm.com/southwales/

Capital South Wales is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global as part of the Capital network. It broadcasts to Cardiff and Newport and the surrounding areas from studios in Cardiff Bay.^[1]

History

The station originally took to the air in Cardiff only. Known as CBC (Cardiff Broadcasting Company), the station launched on 11 April 1980 on broadcasting on 96.0 MHz FM and 1359 kHz AM. Following the closure of neighbouring Gwent Broadcasting in April 1985, CBC began relaying its service as a temporary measure to southern Gwent on 104.0 MHz FM and 1305 kHz AM. This became permanent when CBC re-launched as Red Dragon Radio on 14 October 1985. Initially, there were separate drive time shows for Glamorgan and Gwent, but these were dropped for a single service by the early 1990s.

Simulcasting on 1305 kHz and 1359 kHz AM ended in 1990, with the launch of Touch AM.

On 3 January 2011, the station was rebranded from Red Dragon FM to Capital South Wales as part of a merger of owners Global's Hit Music and Galaxy networks to form the Capital FM network. On 6 February 2014, Global Radio announced it would be selling Capital South Wales to Communicorp. Capital's network programming and brand name are retained under a franchise agreement. Global's Heart South Wales station shares facilities at the Capital studios in Cardiff Bay.^[2]

On 26 February 2019, Global confirmed the station's local breakfast and weekend shows would be replaced with networked programming from April 2019. The weekday drivetime show was retained alongside news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising.^[3]

Coverage area

Initially, CBC broadcast to Cardiff on 96.0 MHz and Newport on 104.0 MHz FM. These frequencies were switched to 103.2 MHz and 97.4 MHz respectively in 1987, following a national reorganisation of UK FM frequencies.

The 103.2 MHz signal, which is the stronger of the two, comes from the transmitter at Wenallt near Cardiff, with the 97.4 MHz signal being transmitted from Christchurch in Newport. The signals reach as far out as the South Wales Valleys to the north and part of Bridgend to the west.^[4]

Capital South Wales also broadcasts on the NOW Digital South East Wales DAB multiplex and online.

Programming

All networked programming originates from Global's London headquarters, including Capital Breakfast.^[5] Local programming is produced and broadcast from Global's Cardiff Bay studios from 4-7pm,^[6] presented by Josh Andrews and Kally Davies. ^[7] ^[8]^[9]

News

Global's Newsroom broadcasts hourly regional news updates from 5am-7pm on weekdays and 8am-12 midday at weekends.

The bulletins are produced for Communicorp by Global's Cardiff Bay newsroom, which also produces bulletins for Heart South Wales, Heart North and Mid Wales and Smooth Wales.^[6]

Former presenters

Sacha Brooks (now at Capital XTRA Reloaded)
Rich Clarke (now at Heart South)
Andi Durrant (now at Kisstory)
Carl Emms (now at Heart 70s)
Jason Harrold (now at Smooth Wales)
Polly James (now at Radio X)
Dave Kelly^[10]
Bobby McVay
Matt Spokes
Gareth James
Damien St. John
Mike Parker
Vaughan Roderick (now at BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru)
Noel Sullivan

References

^ "Broadcast Radio MCA maps". Ofcom.
^ Martin, Roy (6 February 2014). "Communicorp buys 8 Global stations". Radio Today. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
^ Martin, Roy (11 March 2019). "Roman Kemp, Vick Hope and Sonny Jay to go national on Capital". Radio Today. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
^ "Analogue Broadcast Radio Measured Coverage Area (MCA) Maps" (PDF). Ofcom. 28 September 2004.
^ "Waking up with the new nationwide Capital Radio breakfast show | Source Magazine". 19 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Public Files - South Wales". Capital FM.
^ "Capital FM". Capital.
^ "Regan Talent Group | Josh & Kally".
^ "New RSPCA store in Cwmbran to be officially opened by Capital FM DJs". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
^ Dave Kelly to replace Neil Fitzmaurice at Radio City Archived 2 August 2012 at archive.today at How-do.co.uk

External links

[1] "Broadcast Radio MCA maps". Ofcom.

[2] Martin, Roy (6 February 2014). "Communicorp buys 8 Global stations". Radio Today. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

[3] Martin, Roy (11 March 2019). "Roman Kemp, Vick Hope and Sonny Jay to go national on Capital". Radio Today. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

[4] "Analogue Broadcast Radio Measured Coverage Area (MCA) Maps" (PDF). Ofcom. 28 September 2004.

[5] "Waking up with the new nationwide Capital Radio breakfast show | Source Magazine". 19 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2023.

[pfile-6] "Public Files - South Wales". Capital FM.

[7] "Capital FM". Capital.

[8] "Regan Talent Group | Josh & Kally".

[9] "New RSPCA store in Cwmbran to be officially opened by Capital FM DJs". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 20 March 2023.

[10] Dave Kelly to replace Neil Fitzmaurice at Radio City Archived 2 August 2012 at archive.today at How-do.co.uk

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v t e Capital
National stations	Capital UK Capital Chill Capital Dance Capital Xtra Capital Xtra Reloaded
Regional stations	Cymru Liverpool London Manchester and Lancashire Mid-Counties Midlands North East North West and Wales Scotland South South Wales Yorkshire
Related topics	Capital Breakfast Capital TV Communicorp Galaxy Galaxy Digital Global List of Global Group stations The Hit Music Network The One Network Timeline of Capital Radio

v t e Radio in Wales
BBC Cymru Wales national stations	BBC Radio Cymru Cymru 2 BBC Radio Wales
Regional commercial stations	Gold Heart North and Mid Wales Heart South Wales Kiss Nation Radio Wales
Local commercial stations	Hits Radio South Wales Radio Pembrokeshire Bridge FM Capital Cymru Capital North West & Wales Capital South Wales Swansea Bay Radio Radio Carmarthenshire Smooth Wales Sunshine Radio Greatest Hits Radio South Wales
Community, charity & non-profit stations	Bro Radio Calon FM GTFM Môn FM Newport City Radio Radio Cardiff Radio City 1386AM Radio Tircoed Sound Radio
Student stations	Bay Radio (Aberystwyth) Radio Noize Storm FM Tequila Radio Xpress Radio Xtreme Radio
Defunct local stations	BRfm Heart Cheshire and North East Wales Heart North Wales Coast Point FM Radio Ceredigion Radio Hafren Radio Maldwyn Tudno FM Valleys Radio XS
Welsh DAB multiplexes	Cardiff and Newport Mid and West Wales North Wales Severn Estuary Swansea SW Wales
UK national BBC services	BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 5 Live
UK national commercial services	Absolute Radio Classic FM Talksport
UK national DAB multiplexes	BBC National DAB Digital One Sound Digital
See also List of radio stations in the United Kingdom Portals: Radio Wales