[acefee311]

Report from: Smooth Radio 70s Report Link

RadioToday.co.uk can exclusively reveal that GMG Radio will introduce a new national 70s station on Digital One.

The new service, to be called Smooth 70s, will start on December 27th on the channel currently used by Smooth Xmas.


The station will begin life as a non-stop music service without adverts, features or programmes. Just station imaging will identify the station between songs.

The move follows Absolute Radio’s recent launch of Absolute 70s on November 29th, which currently brands itself as “The UK’s Only 70s Radio Station”, although only available on DAB in London.

Smooth 70s first started life in the summer as a steam on we7.com, along with Smooth 60s and Smooth Soul.

This a link to Smooth Radio 70s website: Smooth Radio 70s website

Smooth Radio 70s facebook, (looks like its not officially set up there yet. Smooth Radio 70s facebook link

Really looking forward to this station launching.

[acefee311]

This thread has been created so it does not clash with the national thread. So people doesn't get comfused and make it easier just to talk about this new station launching after smooth xmas. Thank you and hope everyone will find it useful.

[FM_Bandit]

Somewhere else to hear those same old tired 'smooth classics'. Wash, rinse and repeat ad infinitum.

[LaurelandHardy]

Originally Posted by FM_Bandit

Somewhere else to hear those same old tired 'smooth classics'. Wash, rinse and repeat ad infinitum.

Sorry, but is it customary on Digital Spy to slag off a radio station before it has started? Or do you think it really will be that predictable?

[occy]

60's, and Soul also. No Presenters like Absoulte do? Just seems to be a link with back to back music instead of buying a CD?

[fabricator]

Originally Posted by FM_Bandit

Somewhere else to hear those same old tired 'smooth classics'. Wash, rinse and repeat ad infinitum.

Well if anyone can make a compelling idea sound tired and on a budget, GMG can.

I think I will stick with Absolute thanks.

[Colin_London]

Looks like Smooth have just learnt what Absolute already know: that income-wise 2 x Mono Stations > 1 x Stereo Station for the same transmission cost.

You won't hear Smooth in stereo on D1 ever again now....

[Martin Phillp]

Absolute Radio 70s surprised me by being programmed quite good actually. Yet Smooth 70s will have an advantage where it'll for certain play more mainstream pop and have national DAB coverage.

Question is for 70s music fans is do you like Abba with David Essex or The Clash?

[suffolkblue]

Well absolute bores me with its endless o connell adds and adds in general plus they have a very poor playlist and repeats songs all the time with their rocky only style, at least with GMG the playlist is broader and i will tune in although i would have rather had 60s and 70s rather than just 70s. Im not a lover of soul music so im pleased they did not go with that.

[FM_Bandit]

Originally Posted by LaurelandHardy

Sorry, but is it customary on Digital Spy to slag off a radio station before it has started? Or do you think it really will be that predictable?

Yes and Yes.

[tghe-retford]

Originally Posted by Colin_London

Looks like Smooth have just learnt what Absolute already know: that income-wise 2 x Mono Stations > 1 x Stereo Station for the same transmission cost.

You won't hear Smooth in stereo on D1 ever again now....

It's where we are heading. More choice but all in mono - they'll probably just wield out the usual excuse that the vast majority of DAB radios are in mono and that if "audiophiles" wish to listen in "higher quality/HD" (note - stereo, as you can on FM!), then they should pay a monthly fee to an ISP or mobile phone provider for the privilege. Even on terrestrial and satellite, the bitrates are being dropped. I fear we are heading towards a free-to-air low quality stream on DAB/satellite/terrestrial and a high quality premium (decent) stream via the Internet. DI.fm go further, they paywall their higher quality streams whilst keeping low quality ones free to great effect, I hope that's not where we are heading.

Splitting streams in two also rules out any possibility of a future simulcasting of DAB/DAB+, because the bitrates to split a 64kbps mono music station would be so low, it would be impractical (ie. 48Kbps MP2/16Kbps AAC+).

If we had DAB+, this would not have been an issue.

[WMCA]

What a waste! No imagination, yet more duplication. Why couldnt they perhaps go for a real easy listening station along the lines of the old Melody Radio

[PhilH]

Originally Posted by tghe-retford

If we had DAB+, this would not have been an issue.

If we had DAB+, we would have even more mono stations.

[hanssolo]

Originally Posted by tghe-retford

If we had DAB+, this would not have been an issue.

Absolute and smooth could use the DAB mux data allocation to go DAB+ now under Ofcom rules, but with the limited number of DAB+ sets will not be currently worth it!

Originally Posted by WMCA

What a waste! No imagination, yet more duplication. Why couldnt they perhaps go for a real easy listening station along the lines of the old Melody Radio

If Melody radio (and Saga) were viable they will still be here, the nearest is Angel.
Hopefully there will not be too much overlap between Absolute 70's http://absoluteradio70s.co.uk/

Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Slade, T Rex, Jackson 5, Blondie, Sweet, David Bowie

which will feature more rock and Smooth 70's (now online) http://www.smoothradioplus.com/

Experience a handpicked collection of soulful and melodic songs from the last four decades

under 70's

Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, T-Rex

which will feature more of the easier listening songs!

Comparemyradio should be able to confirm!

[suffolkblue]

I think it will be ok so long as its not like smooth xmas with lots of repeated tracks. If the songs are not repeated too much like the absolute group then i think it will be good, Mono or stereo it dont bother me as most my dab radios are 1 speaker anyway so i just hope it has a good playlist.

[clivea2003]

Well, i've been listening to this for a couple of hours and I got to say being a product of the sixties i am going to listen to this a lot, an awful lot ......And before anyone whinges at me, its about taste...

[suffolkblue]

Yes its sounding good more variety than absolute can dream of but then absolute goes for a target audience. Like i say if it dont repeat too much i will listen quite a lot and i would have rather it been 60s and 70s but you cant have everything.

[MrSevernSoundFm]

I Do Feel And Do Hope
That Smooth Radio 70s Do Get Live Smooth Radio D.j.s. And Presenters
On To Smooth Radio 70s That Would Be A Lot More Better Then Do Not Just Have Non Stop 70s Music Playing Do Get Live Smooth Radio D.j.s. And Presenters On To Smooth Radio 70s That Would Be Good

[suffolkblue]

Your sounding like absolute radio there On the o connell breakfast show only on absoulute radio and 50,s 60,s 70.s 80, 90, 00s classic rock have i missed any wait a min better put a add on for the o connell breakfast show

[acefee311]

Its only 6 hours and 25 mins till the DAB launch of this station. Who has bets on that something might go wrong during the transition to the new station?
Lets hope it will go smoothly (ba,dum).

[LaurelandHardy]

Originally Posted by FM_Bandit

Yes and Yes.

OK.. point taken

[vinnielo]

First track on the station... from Cliff?

[James Martin 2]

I'm glad I got a Roberts WiFi Internet Radio for Xmas, which does FM, DAB and Internet.

The Internet streams are better quality than their DAB counterparts!

[on the air]

Does anyone have the internet stream links to listen on an IPad for the 70s stream?

[Nick_G]

Originally Posted by on the air

Does anyone have the internet stream links to listen on an IPad for the 70s stream?

Try this one:

http://mp3-a7-192.as34763.net:80/