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GuyStarkey
theworldwouldbegintoresembleashrinkingglobalmediavillage,theCana-
diancommunicationtheoristMarshallMcLuhan(2001)wasessentiallycorrect
inprinciple,if-inevitably-notalwaysinthedetailofhowitmighthappen.
Stoller(2010:245,251-7)providesamoredetailedaccountoftheboardroom
manoeuvreswhichtookplace,asbroadcastinglegislation,andtheninresponse
tothat,broadcastingregulation,becameevermorepermissive.In2004thereg-
ulator,Ofcom,signalledanewemphasisinradioregulationonthebroadcast
outputofitscommercialradiolicensees,ratherthanontheprocessesrequiredto
producethatoutput.Sincethepublicationofbothbooks,andreflectingthefact
thatthisisadynamicindustryinwhichlittlestandsstillforlong,whatisnow
thelargestoftheUKcommercialradiogroups,GlobalRadio,acquiredthethird
largest,GMG,inJune2012.WithonlyaroutineCompetitionCommissionin-
vestigationtosatisfy,arguablynowGlobalRadiocontrolsoverhalfoftheUK
commercialradiosector,includingmorethaneightyindividuallocalorregional
analogueFMorAMlicences.Itsnearestcommercialrival,Bauer,ownsfewer
thanforty.Global,sapproachtolocalradioisdemonstrablyinsensitivetolocal
distinctiveness,notjustintermsofthecontentwhichiscentrallyproducedand
syndicatedtoasmanydifferentstationsandforasmuchofthebroadcastdayas
eachindividualsetoflicenceconditionswillallow,butalsoinitsaggressivepol-
icyonrebrandingstationsinordertoenableitsportfolioofstationstomaximise
brandrecognition,cumulativeaudienceshareandgroupadvertisingrevenue.
Already,inSeptember2008andJanuary2011Globalhadbegunrebrand-
ingasmanyofitsstationsaspossible,irrespectiveofanyheritagebrand
valueleftinmanyoftheoriginalILRstations.Thefirsttranche,rebranded
asHeart,were:2CR(Bournemouth),2-TENFM(Reading),Champion(West
Wales),Chiltern(LutonandBedford),GWR(SwindonandBristol),Marcher
Sound(WrexhamandDeeside),Gemini(Exeter/Torbay),Q103(Cambridge),
EssexFM,SevernSound(GloucesterandCheltenham),Ocean(Portsmouth
andSouthampton),Invicta(Kent),Lantern(Devon),Coast(NorthWales),Fox
(Oxford),PlymouthSound,OrchardFM(YeovilandTaunton),SouthernFM
(Brighton),TheBuzz(Wirral),SGR(whichhadabsorbedthetwoSuffolksta-
tionsOrwellandSaxonin1992),Horizon(MiltonKeynes),Broadland(Nor-
folk),Northants96(Northamptonshire),andHereward(Peterborough).Then
sixregionalGalaxystationsinScotland,theSouthCoast,Birmingham,Manch-
ester,YorkshireandNorth-EastEngland,aswellasformerILRstationsRed
Dragon(Cardiff),Trent(Nottingham),Ram(Derby)andLeicesterSoundwere
rebrandedasCapital.Somenewsandprogrammestaffremainatsomeof
theoriginalstations(Crisell,Starkey1998:20-21),butasfaraspossible,London
outputisrelayedtooncemainlylocalstationsacrosseachnetworkanddisguised
throughthepre-recordingandvoicetrackingofregionalvariationsinwaysthat