Public File

Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news, speech levels etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK's radio regulator.

This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.

Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news, speech levels etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK's radio regulator.

This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.

News Bulletin schedule

Heart 103.4, Heart 97.1 and Heart 96.3 broadcasts locally produced news bulletins hourly between 0600 and 1800 weekdays, and 0800 and 1200 at weekends. In addition to these, Global Radio produced news, containing national content, is broadcast at 5am and 7pm weekdays and 6am, 7am, 12pm and 1pm at weekends.

Heart 96.3 doesn't run news at 5am weekdays and 7am on Sundays

News Stories - today's headline news

The Heart North West and Wales Newsteam

Contact details for the News team

Our journalists are:

Alex Davies, Senior Broadcast Journalist - 01978 722230

Natasia Moore, Broadcast Journalist – 01978 722230

Andy Downton, Broadcast Journalist – 01978 722230

Elliw Hughes, Welsh Broadcast Journalist (based in Cardiff) – 02920 942940

Sion Pritchard, Welsh Broadcast Journalist (based in Carfidd) – 02920 942940

Email: news.wrexham@heart.co.uk , news.chester@heart.co.uk , news.wirral@heart.co.uk , news.wales@heart.co.uk

Telephone: 01978 722230

Fax: 01978 722209

The Heart North West and Wales Programme Schedule

Heart 103.4, 97.1 and 96.3’s programme schedule can be found here . This includes details of all the shows for the coming week as well as quick links to all the DJ pages.

Programme Automation

There are 3 hours of automation between 0100 and 0400 Monday to Friday.
On a Friday night there are 4 hours of automation between 2200 and 0200 (Saturday morning).
Saturday day afternoons between 1600 and 1900 is pre-recorded.
Sunday morning is automated between 0000 and 0200.

Sunday day afternoons between 1200 and 1600 is pre-recorded.

Output in the Welsh language on Heart 96.3 is automated every weekday from 5am to 6am and on Sundays from 7am to 8am

The amount of local programming per day produced by the station

Heart North West and Wales’ weekday output from 6am-10am, 4pm to 7pm and weekends from 8am until 12pm is produced and presented from our local studios, based in Wrexham.  Off-peak programming (such as Toby Anstis, Nick Snaith, Club Classics, The Late Show, Emma Bunton, Margherita Taylor, Jason Donovan, and The Big Top 40 Show is produced at various studios owned and operated by Heart North West and Wales’ parent company, Global Radio Holdings Limited.

Ofcom Localness Guidelines

Ofcom, the government regulator with responsibilities for local radio, has produced localness guidelines that this station adheres to. These guidelines can be read here: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/localness/localness-guidelines

In addition, all local radio stations have written 'formats' that they must follow at all times. You can read ours here: www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/amfm/analogue-main.htm

Events / Charities support

Have a Heart  is Heart’s own charity whose aim is to make life better for disadvantaged children.  Working with national charity partners, it makes a direct impact on the lives of these children living in the areas that Heart broadcasts to. In previous years, we have supported Starlight Children's Foundation and Children's Hospices UK. From October 2011 – August 2012 we will be supporting ChildLine , the free phone and online service offering advice and support to children who would otherwise have nowhere else to turn.  

Have a Heart raises money through a variety of means, including the Have a Heart Appeal each Spring, overseas challenges, on-air fundraising initiatives (such as ‘Gain an hour, Give an Hour’, where we’re asking listeners to donate an hour of their salary or time to Have a Heart) and one-off events such as Have a Heart’s Moonriders, which saw presenter Toby Anstis and a team of Heart listeners cycle from London to Brighton at night.

We also act as media partner and supporter Cancer Research's Race for Life .  Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. We promote Race for Life across each of our Heart radio stations, supporting almost 200 events and 500,000 participants.

Heart's Playlist

Station Format

A melodic adult contemporary music-led service for 25 to 44 year olds, supplemented with news, information and entertainment. The service should have a particular appeal to people in their 30's.

Station Contact Details

Studio telephone number – 0845 481 0099

Station contact number – 01978 722200

Traffic and travel number – 0845 81 55 100

Text number – 82122 start your text with ‘contact’

News contact number - 01978 722230

Sales contact number – 01978 722200

PC contact number – 01978 722224

Comment or complain about the station

If you would like to comment or make a complaint about Heart North West and Wales please email paul.holmes@heart.co.uk providing details of your comment or complaint, and our programming team will help with your enquiry.

If you are unhappy with the response you receive, you can complain directly to the regulator, Ofcom. Their website has full details about how to do this: www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/