A Glasgow radio station is being rebranded by its owners after negotiations which might have led to it being sold collapsed.
GMG Radio is set to rebrand 96.3 Rock Radio as 96.3 Real Radio XS after discussions to sell the licence to a former managing director of the Scottish division of GMG Radio, Billy Anderson, fell through.
Anderson had left GMG Radio – where he was latterly Real and Rock Radio brand managing director – to pursue a management buyout of 96.3 Rock Radio. It is not yet known the reason for the negotiations to have ended in the way they did.
The rebrand will commence on the 24th of next month and follows a similar move by its sister station in Manchester earlier this month.
Says GMG: “96.3 Real Radio XS will continue to feed the passion of its audience of 67,000 classic rock music fans in Glasgow but will benefit from the brand strength and scale of sister station Real Radio – Scotland’s No.1 commercial radio station – listened to each week by 646,000 adults across the central belt. Real Radio XS will also be available on DAB across the central belt.”
GMG Radio's chief executive, Stuart Taylor, is quoted in a statement, as saying: “Rebranding to Real Radio XS provides a much stronger commercial proposition to advertisers in Scotland and greater brand strength and awareness for our rock music station. The station will continue to have a distinctive rock sound and will cater for all rock music fans in Glasgow and Central Scotland, but this move will give it the best possible chance to grow.”
