Viking FM

96.9 Viking FM logo used from 2009 until 2015.

The station is transmitted from the High Hunsley transmitter on the Yorkshire Wolds, near North Cave, sharing the 200 ft tower with Capital Yorkshire and BBC Radio Humberside, as well as on the Bauer Humberside DAB multiplex from three transmitters, located at High Hunsley, Buckton Barn near Bridlington and Grimsby town centre.

It is also streamed over the Internet via Viking FM's website, making it accessible to listeners from across the United Kingdom. Worldwide webcasting is no longer possible, for licensing reasons.

During the application process for the licence, the station's working title was Humber Bridge Radio; however on 17 April 1984, it was launched as Viking Radio and broadcast on 102.7 FM and 1161 kHz AM (258m Medium Wave). The first on-air presenter was David Fewster and the first song played was Celebration by Kool & the Gang. In spring 1986, the frequency was changed to 96.9 FM, with BBC Radio Humberside moving to 95.9 FM.

Viking was the first commercial radio station in the UK to introduce split programming so that it could broadcast rugby league commentary on Sunday afternoons without interrupting The Network Chart Show. The rugby was aired on MW with The Network Chart broadcast on FM. On 31 October 1988, Viking Radio split frequencies on a permanent basis and was transformed into Viking FM on 96.9 FM and Viking Gold on 1161 medium wave. The AM station later became Classic Gold, Classic Gold Radio, Great Yorkshire Gold, Great Yorkshire Radio, Magic 1161 and Viking 2 and finally Greatest Hits Radio East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire until the transmitter was switched off on 26 April 2021.[2]

In 1990, The Yorkshire Radio Network, which owned Viking as well as Radio Hallam, Pennine Radio (now known as Pulse 1) and Classic Gold, were bought by The Metro Radio Group. In 1996, the station was bought by EMAP and as a result of a group takeover in 2008, Viking is now owned by Bauer Media Group, as part of the Hits Radio network of radio stations.

In August 2019, Bauer announced Viking FM would cease broadcasting from its Hull studios and co-locate with sister station Hallam FM in Sheffield from Wednesday 2 October 2019 but that it would maintain a local presence in the form of local news, advertising and charity staff.[3] Later, the studios became co-located with Pulse 1 in Leeds.

In 2005, the station won its first Gold Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for "Happy Hour"; a news investigation into binge drinking in the region. They won a Bronze award in 2006 for their series of programmes on subjects like ASBO's and street crime.

In 2005, Viking FM's Creative Team (who write and make the adverts) won a Vox Award for a Road Safety ad, in 2006 they won four Vox Awards (Best Campaign, Best Use of Music, Best Media Production and Other) and the London International Awards for Sound Design. In 2007 they achieved a finalist place at the New York Awards and won a United Nations Award for Peace and Human Rights.

The original logo depicted the station mascot "Eric the Viking", this was phased out in the late 1980s when the logo style was shared with its sister stations. This was later phased out and replaced by the Emap Big City 'splash'; used by many stations on the network. In 2015, the logo was overhauled across the Bauer City network and Viking FM has now adopted the 'Your' logo, in line with branding changes to all Bauer City stations.

Viking's original package was produced by CBC Creative - further idents were made by JAM Creative Productions, Alfasound and Reelworld. Viking went through a stage starting in the late 1990s of only using voice over sweeper production produced in-house, however, in 2006 a new sung package was commissioned, produced by Wise Buddah.

Networked programming originates from Bauer's Manchester headquarters.[4][5]

Local programming is currently produced and broadcast from Bauer's Leeds studios, weekdays 6-10am, presented by Alex Duffy and Nicola Lashley.[6]

• Jon Culshaw (comedian)
• Stephanie Hirst (now with Hits Radio)
• Lucy Horobin (now with Heart Dance)
• JK & Joel (Jason King now at Heart London, Joel Ross now at Rock FM)
• Allan Lake
• Karen Petch (deceased)
• Steve Priestley (now with Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire)
• Matthew Rudd (now with Absolute 80s)
• Harriet Scott (now with Magic Radio)
• Tim Shaw

• Official website
• Viking FM - Public File
• History of local radio in Yorkshire. (Archived (Archived 19 October 2009)
• David's Transmitter World
• High Hunsley transmitter