Global Radio rebrands the bulk of its One Network under Heart banner

Global Radio is to rebrand the majority of its One Network stations into a network of Heart-branded stations.

Thirty stations will be rebranded as Heart, including GWR, Invicta, Fox, Essex and Gemini.

One Network stations that will not be part of the Heart rebrand are Capital 95.8, Mercury, Red Dragon, Trent, Ram, Ten-17 and Leicester Sound. These stations will be folded into the Hit Music Network.

The move is a key part of Global Radio group chief executive Ashley Tabor's plan to simplify Global Radio's offering to advertisers by focusing on seven main brands: LBC, Galaxy and Choice, Classic FM, Gold AM, Xfm and the Hit Music Network.

Tabor admitted that "most clients don't know what buying the One Network means", adding that the stations are "a rag-bag collection of local stations and clients need the message to be simplified. The problem is the world's moved on and these stations haven't".

Referring to the decision to rebrand its One Network stations as Heart offerings, Tabor said that clients "know what they are buying when they get Heart".

Through the rebrand, which will take between 12 and 18 months to complete, Tabor wants to create a nationwide network allowing radio listeners to listen to the Heart network even if they are moving across the country, akin to the model that already exists for BBC Radio.

Tabor added: "The networked shows can be heard across all the stations, but slots such as breakfast and drive time will differ depending on where you are in the country."