Rock Radio Glasgow, the Scottish live industry’s choice for the vacant 96.3 FM frequency in west-central Scotland, has won its bid and will return to the airwaves in early 2017.

Rock Radio Glasgow, which beat rival bids by Bauer, Original and Go, claims lineage from the original Rock Radio, which became Real XS in 2011 and, later, XFM Scotland. The station is the brainchild of concert promoter/venue owner Donald MacLeod, radio veteran Ciaran O’Toole and Music Industries Association chief executive Paul McManus, and has won the support of Live Nation, DF Concerts and a host of musicians, including Eagles of Death Metal, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and Black Stone Cherry (pictured), with its promise of an output “reflect[ing] Glasgow’s thriving live music scene”.

In an emoji-heavy Facebook post last Wednesday, the station said: “Shit just got real!! ⚡️ Just incase you’ve not heard the news… WE WON!!!!!!! [sic]

“We’re gonna be back on the airwaves folks, we’ve just won the goddamn license for 96.3FM!  A huge thanks to everyone that has shown their support for the #bringbackroackradio campaign these past few months!

We salute you!!! ”

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Promoters, politicians and rock royalty have thrown their weight behind Rock Radio Glasgow’s bid for the licence for the vacant 96.3 FM frequency, covering west-central Scotland.

If successful, Rock Radio Glasgow – formed by promoter and venue owner Donald MacLeod, radio veteran Ciaran O’Toole and manager and Music Industries Association chief executive Paul McManus – will have an an output that “reflects Glasgow’s thriving live music scene” by focusing solely on local rock acts, both emerging and established.

“This is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I felt could not be missed,” says MacLeod. “Rock music, in all its forms, has been largely ignored by commercial stations, and for this to be case in Glasgow – a recognised Unesco city of music – is really disappointing. I want to create a radio station that plays music that makes people want to get out the house and see the brilliant bands playing in their city.”

“The creation of a dedicated rock music station would increase the demand for concerts, providing  benefits to venues, promoters, bars, restaurants and hotels”

Musicians who have lent their support to the bid include Anthrax, Eagles of Death Metal, Alice Cooper, Papa Roach, Thin Lizzy, The Cult, The LaFontaines and Black Stone Cherry.

XFM Scotland was the last station to broadcast on 96.3 FM, which was vacated in September 2015 after the station failed to gain approval to network its programming from England to Scotland. Prior to XFM, the frequency was used by (in chronological order) Q96, Rock Radio and Real Radio XS.

Live Nation’s Andy Copping, booker for Download Festival, says Glasgow should “have a radio station that reflects the Glasgow music scene, one of the strongest in [Scotland]”, while DF Concerts CEO and T in the Park chief Geoff Ellis says a successful bid by Glasgow Rock Radio would increase interest in local live music. “The creation of a dedicated rock music station would undoubtedly increase the demand for concerts of this nature, providing many benefits across the city as a whole to venues, promoters, bars, restaurants and hotels, etc.,” he comments.

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