GMG Radio Wants Dene For A Smooth Breakfast

Graham Dene has been recruited by GMG Radio to front the breakfast show on its soon to be relaunched London station Smooth.

Dene will be part of the new look Smooth as it changes format from a jazz and soul station to an easy-listening one aimed at the over-50s on March 26.

There are however, rumours that Magic, Dene’s current employer, is unwilling to let him go before his contract expires in the Autumn.

Smooth applied to Ofcom in October about the format change, with the regulator finding that the proposed change would not narrow the range of programmes available to listeners in the London area (see Smooth FM Format Change Gets Ofcom Go-Ahead).

The format change will also see the station’s name switch from 102.2 Smooth FM to Smooth Radio.

Dene spent six years at Virgin 1215 and a decade on Capital Radio. He also presented Magic’s breakfast show until September 2005.

GMG Radio is also rebranding its Saga stations as Smooth Radio on the same day as the London station’s rebrand (see GMG’s Saga Stations Go Smooth).

At the last RAJARs, Smooth FM London had a 1.5% share of listening, whilst Magic had a 5.5% share (see Heart 106.2 FM Retains Top Spot In London).

GMG Radio: www.gmgradio.co.uk