Heart Cymru - History

History

When it launched in 1998 as Champion 103, it was the first station to serve Anglesey and Gwynedd as a whole, although Marcher Coast 96.3 had been broadcasting to a small part of the area for some time. The station originally broadcast from studios at Parc Menai in Bangor, Gwynedd (later sharing facilities with Heart North Wales Coast) before co-locating to the studios of Heart North West and Wales in Wrexham.

Although its official transmission area takes in most of the Isle of Anglesey and a large part of Gwynedd (as far south as Harlech), the location of its transmitter means the signal carries across Cardigan Bay and can be heard in parts of Pembrokeshire and even the Republic of Ireland.

The station broadcasts a mix of Welsh and English-language programming - local output is presented largely in Welsh and incorporates Welsh language music with English language local content consisting of peak-time traffic bulletins and daytime news updates. In addition to daily breakfast shows, the station opts out of the network to carry additional local programming including an extended 6-hour afternoon and drivetime show and extra weekend shows on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings. Network programming is relayed from London at all other times. During local programming hours, Heart Cymru plays a selection of Welsh-language contemporary and classic hit music alongside its regular Adult Contemporary playlist.

The station's local output was not affected by a restructuring of Heart in July 2010, which saw sister stations serving the North Wales Coast, Cheshire & North East Wales and the Wirral merged to form Heart North West and Wales. The former North Wales Coast station on 96.3FM maintains an opt-out for early morning Welsh-language programmes and news bulletins.