Kerrang! Radio is a specialist digital rock music radio station owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of the Kiss Network. As of December 2022, the station has a weekly audience of 327,000 listeners according to RAJAR. Stations History Initial launch: 2002/2003 Launched as a digital station on Freeview in 2002, expanded to London from 2003. It was also known as Kerrang! 105.2 FM in the West Midlands from 2004 to 2013 when its studios in Lionel Street, Birmingham, 105.2 was turned over to Planet Rock (which was then replaced by Absolute Radio from 2015) in June 2013. It was London only until May 2018 to make way for Hits Radio. In July 2002, ahead of the Radio Authority's advertisement for a new regional FM franchise for the West Midlands, Kerrang! magazine launched an FM radio station in Birmingham on a short-term Restricted Service Licence at a frequency of 87.7 FM. The station was broadcast from the grounds of Birmingham City Football Club and was initially on air for one month only. Kerrang! Radio as a permanent service first launched in late 2002 as a largely automated rock music service delivered over the Freeview platform, as one of a suite of stations its parent company (then Emap) added to the then-new Freeview TV system, the others including fellow digital jukebox stations Smash Hits Radio, Q Radio and Heat Radio, and relays of London stations Kiss 100 and Magic 105.4 FM. This new Kerrang! Radio was also streamed online, and served as a sibling to Kerrang! TV which launched around the same time: these stations being connected with the Kerrang! print magazine in name, ownership and style. This digital 'jukebox' version of Kerrang! was subsequently rolled out to DAB digital radio, beginning with transmission in London from 1 November 2003. The DAB service was extended to other areas from 2004, joining Emap-owned multiplexes in northern England (largely replacing The Hits Radio) and also made available on the regional multiplexes for the West Midlands and central Scotland. FM radio station: 2004–2013 Kerrang! Radio first went on air in June 2004, following Kerrang!'s successful bid for the West Midlands regional FM franchise the previous October. The station was based at new dedicated studios located in Lionel Street, Birmingham, officially opened by Black Sabbath's guitarist Tony Iommi. Broadcasting on the new 105.2 FM Midlands frequency, Kerrang! Radio replaced the prior digital Kerrang! Radio