View source for Magic (UK radio station)

{{short description|Adult contemporary radio station in London}}
{{for|the former AM radio network|Magic (English former radio network)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo = Magic Radio.png
| logo_size = 150
| name = Magic
| airdate = 9 July 1990 (as [[Melody 105.4 FM|Melody FM]])
| frequency = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: {{frequency|105.4|MHz ([[Croydon transmitting station|London]]}})<br>[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]:<br>11D (England/Wales/N. Ireland)<br>12A (Scotland)<br>12C ([[CE London|London]])
| rds = MAGIC
| city = London
| area = [[United Kingdom]]
| format = [[Adult Contemporary]]
| owner = [[Bauer Media Audio UK]]
| sister_stations = [[Absolute Radio]]<br>[[Greatest Hits Radio]]<br>[[Heat Radio]]<br>[[Hits Radio]]<br>[[Jazz FM (UK)|Jazz FM]]<br>[[Kerrang Radio]]<br>[[Kiss (UK radio station)|Kiss]]<br>[[Planet Rock (radio station)|Planet Rock]]
| webcast = [https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/play/ Rayo]
| website = [https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/ Magic]
}}
'''Magic Radio''' is a [[Radio in the United Kingdom|British]] digital radio station owned and operated by [[Bauer Media Audio UK]]. The station is available on 105.4 FM in [[London]] and across the UK on DAB Digital Radio, via Bauer's Rayo platform, and on [[Smart speaker|Smart speakers]]. It plays "soft adult contemporary classics"<ref>Planet Radio - Public File https://planetradio.co.uk/magic/public-file/</ref> such as [[Elton John]], [[Madonna]], [[Hot Chocolate]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[UB40]], [[Simply Red]], and more.
It had previously been a part of a [[Magic (English former radio network)|network of Magic stations]] broadcast on FM in London and on MW across northern England and began broadcasting across the UK via the Digital One multiplex in January 2015.  On 5 January 2015, Magic Radio launched nationally on DAB and all other Magic stations were dissolved to form the [[Greatest Hits Radio|Bauer City 2]] network.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/09/major-brand-swap-for-bauers-local-stations/|title=Major brand swap for Bauer's local stations|work=RadioToday|access-date=25 June 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref>
According to [[RAJAR]], the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 4.4 million with a listening share of 5.4% as of March 2024.
==History==
{{Further|Timeline of Magic}}
The Magic name was first used in 1990 when [[Leeds]] station [[Radio Aire]] launched an oldies station called [[Magic 828]] on its MW frequency. Seven years later, the Magic brand was rolled out on MW across Yorkshire and north east England and the stations adopted a [[soft adult contemporary]] music format.
In 1998, easy music station [[Melody 105.4 FM|Melody FM]], which had also launched in 1990, was purchased by media group Emap from [[Hanson plc]] for a reported £25 million and rebranded to Magic that December and the change saw Emap introduce [[automation]] for the first time - weekday afternoons were split with a 'non-stop music hour', first sponsored by the now defunct energy company ''Calortex'', and later by the [[Emap International Limited|Emap]]-owned ''Red'' magazine.  Magic was criticised for automating a further eleven hours of its daily output (7pm-6am) given the reach and size of the station.
In an attempt to cut costs, Magic began networking its mid-morning show, hosted by [[Richard Skinner (broadcaster)|Richard Skinner]], and automated overnight output with the eight other [[Magic (English former radio network)|Magic]] stations in the North of [[England]] in January 2002.  Audience figures fell on all nine stations in the twelve months that followed, some arguing a lack of local content had driven listeners to tune away.  Networking was ended in January 2003, although the eight 'northern' Magic stations continued to share a mid-morning show, hosted by Mark Thorburn, and were subsequently networked again, with the exception of local breakfast shows, following a repositioning of the northern Magic group in mid-2006. These stations were later rebranded into the [[Greatest Hits Radio|Bauer City 2]] network in 2015.
The end of networking heralded a programming shift; Magic adopting its 'more music, less talk' ethos. Former [[Capital London|Capital FM]] head and radio consultant Richard Park was brought in to increase the station's audience share.{{CN|date=January 2022}}  In September 2003, Magic saw its first major revamp: live programming replaced automated output in the evening, and [[Independent Radio News]]-employed personnel staffed the station's daytime news output, removing shared presenting/newsreading responsibilities, a legacy from Melody FM.  IRN retained the contract to supply Magic's news bulletins until 2015, when the service was brought in-house.
Later years saw a reliance on weekend celebrity-hosted content and large cash prizes to entice listeners - the award of £110,600 to Nicola Diss, the winner of the popular ''Magic Mystery Voices'' contest on 12 January 2006 was the largest cash prize given away on UK radio since 1999, a sum surpassed just a few months later by the prize collected by listener Dawn Muggleton in the ''Smooth Secret Song'' competition on London rival [[102.2 Smooth FM]], scooping £118,454 on 19 April 2006. However, Magic regained the honour on 30 March 2007 with listener Maria Crosskey winning £168,600 in a six-month-long ''Mystery Voices'' contest, although she was later disqualified (see 'Mystery Voices' below).
In 2008, [[Emap International Limited|Emap]] sold its radio stations, including Magic, to [[Bauer Media Group]].
Magic, along with urban-music station [[Kiss (UK radio station)|Kiss]], rock music station [[Absolute Radio]] and a number of other radio brands, broadcasts from [[Bauer Radio]]'s headquarters in Golden Square. It had previously broadcast from studios on Winsley Street (Mappin House) until September 2014. Bauer's stations including Magic has now moved to the firm's new facilities at The Lantern in Euston.<ref>'[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/06/bauer-to-leave-one-golden-square-for-new-euston-development/ Bauer to leave One Golden Square for new Euston development]', ''Radio Today'', 30 June 2022</ref>
On 2 April 2024, Magic ceased transmitting on the Freeview [[digital television]] platform after 21 years, as it and other Bauer stations completed their withdrawal from linear TV platforms, having dropped satellite transmission in late 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bebroadcast.co.uk/bauer-radio-stations-leave-freeview-transition-digital-listening/|title=Bauer Radio Stations on Freeview|date=12 March 2024}}</ref>
==Sister stations==
=== Magic Chilled ===
Launched March 2016 and playing "laid back hits",{{Quote without source|date=November 2022}} predominantly pop and R'n'B from the 90s to today (which ended up as the slogan for the station: Pop + R'B: 90's-Now);the format originated as an evening programme strand on [[Heat Radio]] (as 'heat Chilled') but moved under the Magic brand to be launched as a full-time station, and as a permanent part of the network. Magic Chilled was Bauer's first DAB+ station. It was originally broadcast on the national [[Sound Digital]] multiplex, moved to local tier DAB, in capacity previously used by [[Absolute Radio 90s]], in early 2019 as part of the reorganisation of space for the launch of [[Scala Radio]], then reverted to broadcast on Sound Digital in DAB+ in October 2023, following the conversion of stations including Scala and Mellow Magic to DAB+. In London, Magic Chilled continued to be broadcast in DAB+ at the same bitrate as before but in stereo
At 7PM (UK) on Monday 16th September 2024, Magic Chilled was formally rebranded and relaunched across all platforms under the new name of Hits Radio Chilled,with the new slogan "Laid-Back Hits & Throwbacks". This tied in to the Hits Radio slogan "The Biggest Hits, The Biggest Throwbacks". This followed an announcement in July, and weeks of jingles being rebranded to the Hits Radio jingle and voices informing people of the change. This move, one of a few shake-ups in the Bauer UK radio portfolio, transferred the station to the Hits Radio Network, another of Bauer Media UK's radio brands and networks. Cian Ducrot presented the first show under the new name, and with his song "All For You" being the first track on the new station.
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/news/scala-radio-to-become-magic-classical/|title=Scala Radio to become Magic Classical|first=Odelia|last=Yu|date=16 July 2024|website=Bauer Media}}</ref>
=== Mellow Magic ===
Mellow Magic is a digital-only service of timeless relaxing classics, launched in March 2016 along with Magic Chilled. It continues to broadcast as part of the Sound Digital national multiplex jointly owned by Bauer. The Mellow Magic station was built on the successful Magic night-time programming strand of the same name. [[Fran Godfrey]] has hosted the breakfast show on Mellow Magic, since the station's official launch; the station previously simulcast the Mellow Magic programmes of the main Magic station, but this ceased when Magic temporarily flipped to a Christmas music format. in autumn 2023; shortly afterward, Mellow Magic switched its digital radio broadcast from mono DAB to stereo DAB+ but ultimately remained active as a permanent part of the network.
=== Magic Soul ===
This was originally a temporary pop-up service, branded as '''Magic Soul Summer''', which launched in the summer of 2016 largely taking over the capacity previously occupied by the temporary Magic ABBA station; the soul service ultimately remained active as a permanent part of the network, truncating its name to '''Magic Soul''' from Autumn 2016 onwards. The station broadcast on local DAB until moving to broadcast in stereo DAB+ in October 2023 along with Magic Chilled, Mellow Magic and Magic at the Musicals.
=== Magic at the Musicals ===
Launched on DAB+ in London on 21 November 2019; the station has since been rolled out to several other areas, chiefly on selected Bauer-owned multiplexes, in standard DAB, moving to broadcast nationally on stereo DAB+ in October 2023, but ultimately remained active as a permanent part of the network. It plays show-tunes and soundtracks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/11/bauer-to-launch-magic-at-the-musicals-on-dab/|last=Martin|first=Roy|title=Bauer to launch Magic at the Musicals on DAB+|website=Radio Today|date=14 November 2019|access-date=16 October 2020}}</ref>
===Pop-ups===
====Magic ABBA====
Following the migration of other Bauer services (including [[Kisstory]] and [[Heat Radio]]) to SDL, some of the vacated space at local level was used during the spring of 2016 for a short-term pop-up, playing ABBA songs (and versions thereof) and related content. It ran as a commercial partnership with ''[[Mamma Mia! (musical)|Mamma Mia!: the Musical]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiocentre.org/magic-radio-launches-magic-abba-a-pop-up-digital-station-in-association-with-mamma-mia/|title=Magic Radio Launches Magic ABBA A pop-up digital station in association with MAMMA MIA!|date=4 May 2016|website=Radiocentre}}</ref>
====Magic Workout====
An online-only sibling, Magic Workout has been made available as one of a suite of streaming-only Bauer services. The temporary service formed part of Magic's partnership with breast cancer charity Walk The Walk's ''Moonwalk'' event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://walkthewalk.org/blog/posts/magic-radio-support-the-moonwalk-london-in-2019|title=Magic Radio support The MoonWalk London in 2019|website=walkthewalk.org}}</ref>
A similar service, [[Cool FM]] Workout, was launched by Bauer in partnership with the Belfast City Marathon in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/08/cool-workout-spin-off-radio-station-launched-by-cool-fm/|title=Cool Workout spin-off radio station launched by Cool FM|date=19 August 2021}}</ref>
====Magic Christmas / Magic 100% Christmas====
In late 2017, a slot on the [[Digital One]] multiplex which had been occupied since the summer by [[Kiss Fresh]] was temporarily used by a Christmas music station under the Magic Christmas banner; it was one of two festive stations available on D1 that year, with [[Heart Extra]] making its annual switch to ''Heart Extra Christmas'' around the same time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/11/heart-magic-christmas-radio-stations-launch/|title=RadioToday, Nov 2017}}</ref> (During 2018, this capacity was used by [[Absolute Radio 90s]], and since February 2019 the space has been occupied by [[Kisstory]]). In December 2018 and 2019, the main Magic station flipped to an all-Christmas playlist, and so a discrete Christmas station was not provided.<ref>[https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/magic-radio-to-flip-playlist-to-100-christmas-in-partnership-with-sky-cinema Bauer Media press release, 2019]</ref>
Magic 100% Christmas was launched online in August 2020, several months earlier than previous Christmas music stations in order to, according to Bauer, help lift the mood of the nation in the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/bauer-media-launches-magic-100-christmas-pop-up-station-to-combat-covid-19-blues,|title=BAUER MEDIA LAUNCHES MAGIC 100% CHRISTMAS POP-UP STATION TO COMBAT COVID-19 BLUES|date=25 August 2020 }}</ref> Unlike the earlier Magic Christmas, this service did not broadcast on DAB.
====Bond 24/7====
Bond 24/7 was a pop-up station which ran from 29 September to 6 October 2021. It was launched to mark the release of the 25th film in the [[List of James Bond films|James Bond series]] ''[[No Time to Die]]'' and would play music from the James Bond films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/bauer-media-launches-bond-24-7-pop-up-radio-station|title = Bauer Media launches Bond 24/7 pop-up radio station| date=30 September 2021 }}</ref>
===Television===
====Magic TV====
There was also a complementary Magic-branded music television channel available on the [[Sky (United Kingdom)|Sky]], [[Freesat]] and [[Virgin Media]] digital TV platforms in the UK, operating as part of [[The Box Plus Network]]. The channel played classic and contemporary melodic pop hits.
==Notable presenters==
<!--Any non-notable presenters (those without Wikipedia articles) added here are liable to be removed - if someone is considered notable (red linking is not enough), please write a Wikipedia article on them first, or provide multiple reputable independent sources to show they deserve an article and are associated with the station. Any presenters with Wikipedia articles also need such sources on this page to stay here.-->
*[[Nicole Appleton]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/nicole-appleton-90/|title=Nicole Appleton's 90's - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Emma B]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/afternoons-with-emma-b/|title=Afternoons with Emma B - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Angellica Bell]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/saturday-mornings-with-angellica-bell/|title=Saturday Mornings with Angellica Bell - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Lemar]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/lemar-soul-summer-nights/|title=Lemar’s Soul Sunday - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Lynn Parsons]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/lynn-parsons-sunday-sunset/|title=Lynn Parsons’ Sunday Sunset - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Tom Price (actor)|Tom Price]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/the-4-till-7-show-with-tom-and-kat/|title=The 4 till 7 Show with Tom and Kat}}</ref>
*[[Harriet Scott (broadcaster)|Harriet Scott]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/magic-breakfast-harriet-scott/|title=Magic Breakfast with Harriet Scott - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
*[[Sonali Shah]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic/shows/sunday-breakfast-with-sonali-shah/|title=Sunday Breakfast with Sonali Shah - Latest Episodes - Listen Now on Magic Radio}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
*{{Official website|https://planetradio.co.uk/magic/}}
{{Bauer Media Group}}
{{Bauer Radio}}
{{Magic Radio |state=autocollapse}}
{{London radio}}
{{Media in the United Kingdom|radio}}
{{Coord|51|30|43.53|N|0|8|12.99|W|scale:1563_region:GB|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic 105.4 Fm}}
[[Category:Bauer Radio]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1990]]
[[Category:Radio stations in London]]
[[Category:Adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Bauer City network]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in England]]