Star Radio (Cambridge and Ely)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Cambridgeshire, north-west Essex and south-west Suffolk |
|---|---|
| Frequency | FM: 100.7 MHz (Cambridge) 107.1 MHz (Ely) 107.3 MHz (Saffron Walden) 107.9 MHz (Haverhill) DAB: 11C (Cambridge) DAB: 12D (Peterborough) |
| RDS | STAR |
| Programming | |
| Format | CHR |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bauer Media Audio UK |
| History | |
First air date | 23 March 1998 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
Star Radio was an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting on 100.7 MHz in Cambridge, 107.1 MHz in Ely, 107.3 MHz in Saffron Walden, and 107.9 MHz in Haverhill.[1]
History
[edit]It was originally launched as "Cambridge Café Radio". Later in 1998 it was relaunched as "Cambridge Red" and six months later as 107.9 The Eagle.
In 1999, the UKRD Group purchased the station. The following year it renamed Red as "107.9 The Eagle", in line with the other stations they owned. In 2001, UKRD rebranded the station again to Star 107.9, in line with the rebranding of their other stations.
In 2003, Star 107.1/5 in Ely and The Fens split frequencies. 107.5 in Wisbech became Fen Radio 107.5, and 107.1 in Ely became a relay of Star 107.9. Because of this, the station adjusted their name to 107 Star FM. The name was adjusted again in 2004 to Star 107. Star 107 was rebranded in August 2005 as 'Star Radio' coinciding with the rebrand of the other 'Star' network stations in the UKRD Group.
On 1 January 2017, the station was sold to Mid Anglia Media Ltd[2] and in 2019 the licence was transferred to Light Blue Media Cambridge.
In July 2020, the station moved its main frequency to 100.7 MHz from 107.9 MHz and at the same time substantially increased its transmission power whilst relocating its transmitter to the Arqiva Madingley site.
In November 2020, a new transmitter for Haverhill was switched on using the former 107.9 MHz frequency.[3]
As of January 2021, the station was available across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on DAB digital radio.[4]
On 10 January 2025, it was announced that Bauer Media Audio UK had acquired the station, would cease local output, and rebrand it as a relay of Hits Radio. Star Radio officially ended on 3 March 2025 at 12:00 AM. The last three songs played before the station's closure were "Star People" by George Michael, "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl, and "Stars" by Simply Red.
However, a listener who recorded the final moments of the station reported that after these three tracks, "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone was played shortly after midnight, just before the signal cut to static. This song, released in 2024, aligns with the 2025 closure timeline [5].
The station rebranded to Hits Radio Cambridgeshire on 3 March 2025 at 6am, the first show that aired on Hits Radio Cambridgeshire was The Hits Radio Breakfast Show with Fleur East, James & Matt, after a welcome message from Hattie Pearson.
Listening figures
[edit]As of September 2024, the station had a weekly audience of 35,000 listeners according to RAJAR.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Star Radio Frequencies".
- ^ "UKRD Group sells Star Radio Cambridge". 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Star Radio – Now in Haverhill on 107.9FM". Star Radio – Cambridge. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ "Star Radio's Coming To Peterborough". Star Radio – Cambridge. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "Final Moments of Star Radio - Last Song Played". Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ "RAJAR".
