Coast 96.3

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Coast 96.3

Broadcast area	North Wales Coast
Frequency	96.3 MHz
First air date	27 August 1993
Format	Contemporary and Classic Hits
Audience share	7.9% (September 2007, [1])
Owner	Global Radio
Website	www.coast963.co.uk

Coast 96.3 (formerly Marcher Coast FM) is a commercial radio station in Wales, available along the North Wales coast. Coast 96.3 is owned by Global Radio

The station, which is currently broadcast from Bangor (previously Colwyn Bay) and transmitted from the Great Orme, Llandudno, officially broadcasts from Amlwch in the west to Holywell in the east, but can be heard as far away as Manchester. It might be heard in most of Flintshire, but the signal fades as it is not far from the stronger signals of Radio City and 96.4 Signal 1.

The station, along with the nearby Marcher Sound and Champion 103 was part of the Marcher Radio Group of radio stations, which were bought by the GWR Group (now GCap).

GCap did put the Marcher Group stations up for sale in 2005, but in March 2006 the sale was called off.

Former logo

Coast 96.3 won a Gold Sony Award at the Sony Radio Awards 2006 for stations with a TSA of under 300,000.

This station does not take Graham Torrington's Late Night Love - like Essex FM, which has its own local show. It also takes a Sunday night show networked from Xfm Manchester.

[edit] Presenters

Craig Pilling - presents the Breakfast show. A former actor, Pilling was a zombie in romantic comedy film Shaun of the Dead
Steve Simms - presents 9am-2pm. He is also Coast 96.3's Programme Controller. He also runs Coast's sister station, Champion 103.
Lee Thomas - presents Drivetime. He joined from 106.3 Bridge FM in South Wales.
Owain Llyr - presents Cwl Cymru at 10pm. A rebroadcast of Champion 103 and Gold North Wales and Cheshire's 6pm Welsh music hour.
Eugene Sully - the former Big Brother 2005 housemate occasionally hosted the breakfast show post his eviction