Wave 105 at 25

Wave 105 marks its 25th birthday today - and despite competing throughout my entire radio life, it has always been a radio station I've held in high esteem.

Founded by The Radio Partnership in 1998, its early years would see Wave 105 part of The Wireless Group which sold it to Scottish Radio Holdings in 2001 for £18m which Kelvin MacKenzie's company used to clear its debts. EMAP Radio (now Bauer Media) acquired SRH in 2005.

Wave 105 always had character, embraced personality and surprise and never allowed these qualities to dissipate as it reinvented itself to become a masterclass in “tight & bright” modern commercial radio. It gave, and still gives, all its South Coast rivals a run for their money.

It's hard for a regional station with such a wide TSA - from Winchester across to Chichester and, until last autumn, as far south as Wareham - to deliver local content that's relevant to every listener.

It's one of a number of reasons the BBC is facing fierce opposition to its ongoing process of further regionalising its local radio network, many of which already cover huge patches. If you're nowhere near your listeners, and therefore unable to keep up with life in their community, you might as well be national.

It always comes down to execution.

Despite being regional, serving multiple counties, cities and towns that wouldn't ordinarily look to each other, I've always found Wave 105 gives a strong sense of place because the radio station itself creates a shared experience/community and manages to make a big area feel like home.

This is a rare quality that isn't easily achievable.

It never seems to alienate large swathes of its audience through the presentation technique - there's always something interesting to say, wherever it's happening and wherever you're listening.

If that doesn't demonstrate the excellence of Wave 105 - and what has made Bauer tread very carefully around it so far, despite the group's national (and international) focus - then I don't know what will!

P.S. I wish the station would sponsor the Bournemouth Balloon again - although, with the 105.8 East Dorset relay now carrying Greatest Hits Radio, I really can't see it happening!