SALISBURY will lose its “Spire” next week when its local radio station gets a rebrand under its new owners Bauer Media.

The removal of the Spire FM title was confirmed in May, as part of a major nationwide shake up of local stations by the broadcaster.

The station is being re-launched as Greatest Hits Radio from September, and will be produced from a new regional base - which will also feed other Bauer stations in the south west.

Ofcom approved format changes in July, with the required number of locally-made programming hours on weekday day-times to be reduced from from ten to three, and from four to none on weekend days.

The amount of local news output will not be reduced, with hourly bulletins 6am -7pm weekdays and 7am – 1pm weekends, plus afternoon headlines on weekdays.

The existing Spire news team will be staying on to deliver that.

Spire FM launched in the city in September 1992, and has been broadcasting ever since.

In 1994, it won a Sony Radio Award for Station of the Year, as well as the runner-up award in 2003.

The station also won the Radio Academy Nations and Regions award for 'Station of the Year' in the South region in 2007 and 2008.

In February, it was revealed to be the most listened to station in the area, beating Radio 2 and Radio 4, with more than 31,000 weekly listeners.

In June, more than three thousand Salisbury residents signed a petition calling for the changes to Spire FM to be scrapped.

Bill Browne, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Salisbury Journal said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the staff at Spire FM in the 18 years I have been in the city. Together we launched ‘The People Awards’ that later became the ‘Local Hero Awards’ and of course there were many more projects including the Salisbury Expo in which we partnered them along with the Chamber of Commerce.

“It was an award winning radio station thanks to Karen Bosley and her team. I pay tribute to them and all that they achieved.”

Bauer Media has been contacted for comment.