Key 103

For me, radio isn’t just about the music. Key 103 get the balance between music and talking bang on for me. It’s the original Manchester radio station for me.
I love Mike & Chelsea in the morning. They’re so down-​to-​earth and clearly have a good friendship. A close relationship that goes beyond the radio (I don’t mean romantic) and it makes for a good humble listen on the way to work. It’s like pub or living-​room gossip but without the pressure to retort. You generally just laugh or get intrigued to the service or television program they’re chatting about.
Chesea’s voice is so lovely, I think I fancy her!
Generally, throughout the day, the music is a pretty diverse mix of easy listening, chart and classics. All usually pop stuff. They seam to be fans of Oasis, which is A-​OK with me.
The only reason I’ve give Key 103 five stars is the frequency of adverts. Who wants to hear them?! Not me. Especially when you find yourself repeating the purposefully monotonous melody or vocal. Blah!

Key 103 is almost exactly like Real Radio. It’s poppy, it’s loud, it’s happy and it’s Real’s worst enemy in the competition stakes. Come on, GMG and Bauer hate each other, we media-​savvy geeks all know this. It runs so deep that radio jobhunters even leave Bauer and GMG stations anonymous on their CVs. I know this. Talk about going over to the dark side…
Formerly Piccadilly Radio, it was born in 1974 and became the Key we know in 1988. It broadcasts in Manchester but covers pretty much the entire North West, as I found out on my coach trip from Liverpool Airport to Manchester. You’ll get what’s in the charts, that’s for sure, with the occasional tacky classic thrown in for good measure. Not what I’d personally choose to tune into, but hey, if everybody looked the same, we’d all get tired of looking at each other. Wait, that doesn’t quite work…

Key103 is a quality radio station. Cool is what its not, but damn fun is what it is. Located on Castle Quay between Deansgate and Castlefield, Key103 is linked to MagicFM, whose Manchester branch is right next door.
As well as classic r’n’b tunes and all the latest chart hits, Key103 also specialize in football. As they pride themselves on being Manchester’s real local radio station, they always air both the Manchester United and the Manchester City games. They do this through their link with Magic, by airing one game on each channel, if they’re playing at the same time.
Located in a picturesque setting on the canal just across a bridge from the famous Dukes92 and BarCa, Key103 base is also worth a visit. Its next to a nice bar, called Lava, which is lesser known but in my opinion better than Dukes on a rainy day.

If chart hits are your thing, then Key 103 is a great radio station to tune into. We’re talking JLS, Tinchy Stryder and Scouting For Girls.
They have regular competitions and the radio station has really become a huge force in Manchester.
They also hold a huge winter ball each year, hosting pop acts from around the world.