View source for Pulse 2

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{primary sources|date=September 2010}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = Pulse 2
| logo =
| city =
| area = Bradford, [[Kirklees]] and [[Calderdale]]
| branding =
| airdate =
| frequency = [[Medium wave|MW]]: 1278, 1530 kHz<br>[[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]]: 11B
| format = [[Classic Hits]]
| power =
| network =
| owner = [[Bauer Radio|Bauer]]
| sister_stations = [[Pulse 1]]
| website =
| coordinates =
}}
'''Pulse&nbsp;2''' was an [[Independent Local Radio]] station serving [[Bradford]], [[Kirklees]] and [[Calderdale]] areas from studios in [[Bradford]], West Yorkshire, England.
The station was folded into [[Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire]], as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
==Background==
[[File:Pulse 2 logo.png|200px|thumb|Pulse&nbsp;2 logo used from 2009 to 2016]]
[[File:Pulse 2 logo 2016.png|200px|thumb|Final logo used from 2016 to 2020]]
The station was previously known as [[Pennine Radio (radio station)|Pennine Radio]], [[Classic Gold]], Great Yorkshire Gold, Great Yorkshire Radio, 1278 and 1530&nbsp;AM West Yorkshire, West Yorkshire's Big AM, Pennine's Big AM, West Yorkshire's Classic Gold and Pulse Classic Gold and under previous ownership was part of the [[Yorkshire Radio Network]].
When, in 1989, Pennine Radio was split into Pennine FM and Classic Gold, the AM service became part of a network, initially with sister stations in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] and [[Sheffield]]. In 1995, the Bradford-based radio station became a stand-alone operation owned by The Radio Partnership, which had purchased Pulse&nbsp;FM (now Pulse&nbsp;1) for £4.6&nbsp;million, though it continued to lease the name [[Great Yorkshire Gold]]. The brand lease ended in March 1997. However Emap had just announced plans to rebrand the Leeds, Hull and Sheffield stations as [[Magic (English former radio network)|Magic]], with a format of easy listening pop music. However The Radio Partnership decided that it wanted to continue offering a gold format so an agreement was formed with [[GWR Group|GWR]] to broadcast their [[Classic Gold Digital Network|Classic Gold]]. 75 per cent of the programmes would be supplied by GWR, with local programming coming from Bradford.<ref>{{cite news|work=Broadcast|title=Partnership strikes GWR deal on Gold|page=6|first=Christine|last=Smith|date=31 January 1997|id={{ProQuest|1705171341}} }}</ref> However on-air promotions for Magic had already started to appear so to avoid any potential confusion amongst listeners, a temporary station called '''1278 and 1530 AM West Yorkshire''' was created to fill the gap until the networking of Classic Gold could begin.
A couple of years later, Classic Gold was dropped in favour of becoming part of the BIG AM network with sister stations in Stoke and [[Manchester]]. Shortly after though, Classic Gold reappeared, simulcasting the GWR/UBC [[Classic Gold Digital Network|Classic Gold]] and latterly GCap [[Gold (British radio network)|Gold]] network with local afternoon programming for West Yorkshire remaining. However, on 1 December 2008 the station was re-launched as a fully local service for West Yorkshire and was one of the last legacy ILR AM stations in England to broadcast local programming.
==Station rebrand==
On 8 February 2019, Pulse&nbsp;2 and the Wireless Group's local radio stations were sold to [[Bauer Radio]]. The sale was ratified in March 2020 following an inquiry by the [[Competition and Markets Authority]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/cma-today-clears-the-acquisitions-of-lincs-fm-celador-radio-ukrd-and-wireless-local-stations |title=CMA today clears the acquisitions of Lincs FM, Celador Radio, UKRD and Wireless local stations |publisher= Bauer Media |date=12 March 2020}}</ref>
On 27 May 2020, it was announced that Pulse&nbsp;2 would join Bauer's [[Greatest Hits Radio]] network.<ref name="GHR">{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/05/most-of-acquired-bauer-stations-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ |title=Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio |first=Stuart |last=Clarkson |work=Radio Today |date=27 May 2020}}</ref>
On 13 July 2020, local programming outside weekday breakfast was replaced by networked output from the GHR network, with Pulse&nbsp;2 retaining its own branding.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/07/bauer-starts-to-roll-out-hits-and-greatest-hits-to-new-radio-stations/ |title=Bauer starts to roll out Hits and Greatest Hits to new radio stations |first=Stuart |last=Clarkson |work=Radio Today |date=9 July 2020}}</ref>
On 1 September 2020, the station rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio and merged with ten stations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The station's local breakfast show was replaced by a regional drivetime show. Localised news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising are retained.<ref name="GHR"/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.pulse2.co.uk}}
{{Wireless Group}}
{{West Yorkshire radio}}
{{coord missing|West Yorkshire}}
[[Category:Mass media in Bradford]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1989]]
[[Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2020]]
[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Bauer Radio]]
[[Category:Greatest Hits Radio]]