BRMB to become Free Radio after 38 years

BRMB, Birmingham's best-known commercial radio station, is to change its name to Free Radio, ending nearly four decades of the famous call sign.

The station's owner, Orion Media, announced on 9 January that BRMB and its sister stations across the region would all be rebranded under the Free Radio name. The BRMB name is expected to disappear from the airwaves in March.

Nearly 40 years on air

BRMB first went on air on 19 February 1974, on 261 metres medium wave and 94.8 FM. It was the fourth independent local commercial radio station to begin broadcasting in Britain, after LBC, Capital Radio and Radio Clyde. It was based at Radio House on Aston Road North, a building previously used as television studios by ATV and ABC Weekend Television, and later moved its main FM frequency to 96.4.

Mixing popular music with local news, live football coverage and information, the station quickly became part of daily life in Birmingham.

Famous voices

BRMB launched the careers of many presenters who went on to become household names in the Midlands and beyond, including Les Ross, Tony Butler, Ed Doolan and Jeremy Kyle. Butler is regarded as the inventor of the football phone-in, a format now heard on radio stations across the country.

The Walkathon

The station also became known for its charity work. In 1981, it joined ATV to host a fundraising event in Chamberlain Square for the spina bifida charity ASBAH, which raised £82,000. Two years later, it staged the first Birmingham Walkathon, which saw around 24,000 people walk the city's Outer Circle bus route and raise £225,000 for Mencap. The Walkathon became an annual event until 1992.

Changing hands

BRMB was bought by Capital Radio in 1993, and sold to Orion Media in 2008. Orion owns a group of stations across the Midlands, and the rebrand will bring them together under a single name.

A controversial decision

The decision has disappointed many listeners, for whom BRMB is part of the city's identity. Some media experts have questioned whether dropping such a well-known local name is wise, at a time when local radio stations are under pressure to show that they still serve their own communities.

Listeners will be watching closely to see how much local news, sport and information the rebranded station continues to provide for Birmingham.

End of an era

The change is the latest in a long line of changes to commercial radio in Britain, as stations have merged, been bought and sold, and in many cases lost their local names. For many Brummies who grew up listening to BRMB, from the breakfast show to the Saturday football coverage, the loss of the name marks the end of an era.

The rebranded station will be known as Free Radio Birmingham.