Virgin Radio UK has an interesting two-part history:
The Original Virgin Radio (1993–2008)
- The station was born out of the 1990 Broadcasting Act, which allowed national commercial radio in the UK for the first time. Virgin Radio won a licence to broadcast on the old Radio 3 AM frequency.
- Launch: It went live on 30 April 1993 from the Manchester Virgin Megastore. Richard Branson introduced the station, and the first track played was a special cover of Born to Be Wild by INXS. Early presenters included Russ Williams, Tommy Vance, and Chris Evans (who hosted The Big Red Mug Show on Saturdays).
- Virgin Radio became a major commercial station through the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2008, it was rebranded as Absolute Radio after being sold, ending the first era of Virgin Radio in the UK.
Virgin Radio UK Relaunch (2016–Present)
- The brand returned on 30 March 2016, launching as a national digital-only station on DAB and online. The first broadcast was from a Virgin Trains service between Manchester and London, hosted by Edith Bowman and Matt Richardson. The first song was a live cover of David Bowie’s Changes by Gavin James
- Owned by News Broadcasting (News UK), Virgin Radio UK focuses on Hot Adult Contemporary music, playing hits from the 1980s to today.
- Key milestones:
- 2018: Chris Evans announced he was leaving BBC Radio 2 to join Virgin Radio. His breakfast show launched in January 2019 and is notable for being ad-free, thanks to full sponsorship.
- 2018: Virgin Radio added spin-off stations like Virgin Radio Anthems (classic guitar tracks) and Virgin Radio Chilled (acoustic music). Later, Virgin Radio Legends replaced Anthems in 2025.
- 2021: Graham Norton joined for weekend shows after leaving BBC Radio 2, though he departed in 2024.
- Virgin Radio UK broadcasts live from 4:00 to 22:00, with automated overnight programming, and reaches over 1.3 million weekly listeners.