Choice FM will disappear on Sunday to make way for Global Radio’s latest brand extension – Capital XTRA – on national DAB and in London on FM.
The new station will launch this Monday with “Kojo & Jade with XTRA in the morning” at 6am. Carrying the strapline, DANCE.URBAN.UK., the new station will play new music and break urban dance acts.
New Choice signing Tim Westwood will be on the station, along with Capital’s Craig David and Avicii from a recently refurbished studio in London’s Leicester Square.
Ashley Tabor, founder and executive president at Global said: “The launch of Capital XTRA is a great moment for listeners, for commercial radio, for the DAB platform and for our team here at Global. People right across the UK will now get to enjoy a truly national station in Capital XTRA – the only commercial station to play urban dance music nationwide. We’re taking the best presenters and shows and building on that by adding even more new talent to the line up and we believe Capital XTRA has a very bright future.”
Charity appeals, partnerships and events will continue under the Capital XTRA banner and a new marketing campaign will start today.
Listen to how Capital XTRA will sound:
Choice FM started life in Brixton as Britain’s first 24 hour black music radio station, covering South London. The group won a second licence in 1995, bringing a local version of their London offering to Birmingham, on 102.2 FM – in place of Buzz FM.
The Birmingham licence was sold to Chrysalis Radio in 1999 and became Galaxy Birmingham, but Choice expanded within the capital in May 2000 when a North London licence was awarded for Choice 107.1, with the intention of reaching a larger Afro-Caribbean audience.
Capital bought both stations in 2004 and later moved the station to Leicester Square.