Editing Tower FM

{{primary sources|date=September 2010}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name         = Greatest Hits Radio Bolton & Bury
| logo         =
| airdate      = 20 March 1999
| last_airdate =
| frequency    = [[FM broadcasting|FM]]: 107.4&nbsp;MHz
| city         = [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]]
| area         = [[Bolton]] and [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]]
| format       = [[Classic Hits]]
| network      = [[Greatest Hits Radio]]
| owner        = [[Bauer Radio|Bauer]]
| coordinates  = 
| website      = [https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/manchester/ Greatest Hits Radio]
}}

'''Greatest Hits Radio Bolton & Bury''' (formerly Tower FM) is an [[Independent Local Radio]] station serving the [[Bolton]] and [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]] areas of [[Greater Manchester]].

Following its sale to Bauer Radio, the station was closed and merged with the [[Greatest Hits Radio]] network in September 2020.

==Overview==
[[File:Tower FM logo.png|200px|thumb|Tower FM logo used from 2010 to 2016.]]
[[File:Tower FM logo 2016.png|thumb|Final logo used from 2016 to 2020.]]
The radio station was given the name ''Tower'' as a local link to both towns in the station's coverage area; [[Turton Tower]] near to Bolton and [[Peel Tower]] on Holcombe Hill at [[Ramsbottom]] near Bury.

Originally an RSL (restricted service licence) radio station, the team behind the project won the full-time licence and the station began broadcasting on 20 March 1999.

As an RSL, Tower FM broadcast from Bury via a link to the transmitter on Peel Tower. The station later moved to Bolton once the main base was established on Gaskell Street.

Both towns served as the main target service area for the station, although it could also be heard in most of Greater Manchester and even parts of Cheshire.

In early 2007, the station's then-owners approached UK media regulator OFCOM to ask permission to move the station's base from Bolton to the Haydock or Newton Le Willows area of Merseyside as part of a plan to co-locate Tower with two other stations from the [[UTV Media]] group - [[Wish FM]] in Wigan and [[Wire FM]] in [[Warrington]].

The original plan was abandoned but from the autumn of 2009, all three stations were based at studios in the [[Orrell, Greater Manchester|Orrell]] area of Wigan.

==Station rebrand==
On 8 February 2019, Tower FM and the Wireless Group's local radio stations were sold to [[Bauer Radio]]. The sale was ratified in March 2020 following an inquiry by the [[Competition and Markets Authority]].<ref>[https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/cma-today-clears-the-acquisitions-of-lincs-fm-celador-radio-ukrd-and-wireless-local-stations https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/newsroom/press-releases/cma-today-clears-the-acquisitions-of-lincs-fm-celador-radio-ukrd-and-wireless-local-stations CMA today clears the acquisitions of Lincs FM, Celador Radio, UKRD and Wireless local stations], Bauer Media, 12 March 2020</ref>

On 27 May 2020, it was announced that Tower FM will join Bauer's [[Greatest Hits Radio]] network.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/05/most-of-acquired-bauer-stations-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio] Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 27 May 2020</ref>

On 13 July 2020, local programming outside weekday breakfast was replaced by networked output from the GHR network, with Tower FM retaining its own branding.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/07/bauer-starts-to-roll-out-hits-and-greatest-hits-to-new-radio-stations/ Bauer starts to roll out Hits and Greatest Hits to new radio stations] Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 9 July 2020</ref>

In September 2020, Tower FM merged with several local stations in the North West of England and North Wales, as [[Greatest Hits Radio North West]]. The station's local breakfast show was replaced by a regional drivetime show. Localised news bulletins, traffic updates and advertising were retained.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/05/most-of-acquired-bauer-stations-to-become-greatest-hits-radio/ Most of acquired Bauer stations to become Greatest Hits Radio] Stuart Clarkson, Radio Today, 27 May 2020</ref> The station's Orrell studios were closed.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Manchester radio}}
{{Wireless Group}}

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[[Category:Mass media in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Manchester|Tower]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1999]]
[[Category:Bauer Radio]]
[[Category:Greatest Hits Radio]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom]]