Greatest Hits Radio (Manchester and the North West)

Greatest Hits Radio Manchester and the North West is a regional member of Bauer's classic-hits network. Its radio lineage includes the Tower FM name, while the current edition connects Manchester with a wider north-west audience.

Songs from the seventies, eighties and nineties provide the core repertoire. The selection crosses mainstream genres within those years, giving listeners familiar pop, soulful recordings and guitar-led hits in one programme. Recognition is important, but the station's music is wider than a single-decade retrospective.

Listeners to the Manchester and North West service hear shared programmes including Ken Bruce's PopMaster, Zoe Ball in the Afternoon and Simon Mayo's drivetime. Bruce also revisits Golden Years, while Ball includes Afternoon Delight and the 54321 quiz. Mayo's Confessions bring listeners' stories into the programme, and All Request Friday gives their song choices a dedicated place.

The network's music interviews include Great Conversations with Jackie Brambles, whose guests have included Johnny Marr and Mike Rutherford. Weekend listening has several distinct strands: Jenny Powell assembles The Mixtape, Des Paul selects soul, funk and disco for Rhythm Of The Night, and Stephanie Hirst draws on her personal record collection for Spinnin' The Decades, including live requests on original vinyl singles.

Greater Manchester reporting supplies a local counterpoint to the shared music shows. It has covered the city's Christmas markets, Albert Square's seasonal events, policing on buses and trams and a Harpurhey by-election. Stories from Salford, Oldham and Wigan extend the geographical range, connecting city-centre life with neighbouring communities across the wider north-west service.