История радиостанций Хампшира: от Radio Victory до Heart Hampshire

Former British radio station

Heart Hampshire (formerly Ocean FM and Ocean Sound) was a British Independent Local Radio station serving South Hampshire, West Sussex and Isle of Wight primarily for Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and Chichester. The station served an area of England with a high proportion of commuters to London and a higher than average disposable income from middle class families and people over 45. Its target age range was 25–45.

Ocean Sound's predecessor, Radio Victory provided the first local commercial radio service in the South of England in 1975, with its small transmission area around Portsmouth. The station was disliked by the then regulator the Independent Broadcasting Authority, and when it re advertised the Portsmouth licence to include Southampton and Winchester, Victory lost out to a new consortium called Ocean Sound Ltd. Ocean Sound proposed an expanded coverage area taking in Southampton. Radio Victory ceased operations in June 1986, three months earlier than the expiry date of its franchise, with a test transmission informing listeners of the unprecedented situation. Ocean Sound took over programme provision that October from a new purpose built broadcast unit in a business park at Segensworth West on the western outskirts of Fareham, Hampshire. Ocean Sound debuted on 12 October 1986, initially with two services – Ocean Sound (West), covering Southampton, Winchester and much of the Isle of Wight, and Ocean Sound (East) serving Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Ocean Sound (West) used 103.2 MHz FM and 1557 kHz AM. Ocean Sound (East) used 97.5 MHz FM and 1170 kHz AM. The East service underwent a change of frequency from that inherited from Radio Victory (from 95.0 MHz to 97.5 MHz FM). Both services shared breakfast and evening programmes with daytime output and specialist programmes broadcasting uniquely on each service – for instance on Saturday evenings, an Isle of Wight programme with Jean Paul Hansford would air on Ocean Sound (West)'s FM frequency, while an alternative, Guy Hornsby's Saturday Soul Club would air on Ocean Sound (East) and the AM transmitter of Ocean Sound (West). This was prior to the termination of simulcasting programmes on FM and AM, which would see both services transformed. The reason that two stations launched, rather than an expanded solo station is that then managing director David Lucas identified two potential audiences: one familiar with commercial radio (in the East area), and one largely acquainted with the BBC (the West area, of which the majority of local listening was to BBC Radio Solent). Ocean Sound (East) therefore sounded livelier than its West counterpart, which took on a softer sound.

With fiercely loyal listenership to BBC Radio Solent, direct competition from Original 106, Wave 105 and BBC Radio 2, Dream 107.2, Radio Hampshire (formerly SouthCity FM & The Saint) and a failed revival of Radio Victory (later 107.4 The Quay), Ocean was still a well known brand and regularly featured among the better performing local music stations. It was such a strong name that GCap Media bosses refused to re brand the station as Century FM along usual radio network lines, and the station only broadcast special network shows. Ocean went digital in 2003, airing on DAB digital radio in South Hampshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight, along with sister stations Power FM and Capital Gold; competitors Wave 105, The Saint, BBC Radio Solent; and new stations Capital Disney and XFM. In May 2006, Ocean dropped the 'FM' from its previous 'Ocean FM' name to become just 'Ocean', simultaneously introducing a new set of logos and the tagline Hampshire's Greatest Hits. In June 2007 the use of 'Ocean FM' was introduced back into the output in addition to a new tagline Classic Hits and the Best New Songs. However the website still used the Hampshire's Greatest Hits tag. Around the same time, Ocean did not renew the contracts of long term Presenters Richard Williams, Pippa Head, James Macdonald and Australian import Warren Kay and more automation and networking was implemented. Ocean also had their own charity, Help a Local Child. It launched in 2003 with a commitment to helping local children and young people up to the age of 18, who experience the negative effects of poverty, abuse, neglect, homelessness, violence, crime, illness and disability in the area. They frequently held fund raising events from car boot sales to themed discos with competitions.

In 2008 it was announced that Ocean FM, along with 30 other stations in the One Network, would be rebranded Heart by owners Global Radio. Ocean FM was amongst the final phase of stations to be rebranded, becoming Heart Hampshire on 22 June 2009.

On 21 June 2010, Global Radio announced plans to merge Heart Hampshire with Heart Dorset & New Forest as part of plans to reduce the Heart network of stations from 33 to 16. The new station, Heart South Coast, began broadcasting from Fareham on 30 July 2010.