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Media
Virgin may bid for Absolute
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 15 April 2011
According to the Daily Telegraph, Richard Branson is thinking of buying back Virgin Radio UK, what is now known as Absolute Radio, of course. As previously reported, Absolute’s current owners TIML are taking offers for the national radio station. Apparently Branson’s Virgin Radio International division is keen to relaunch its presence in the UK.
Various radio groups are expected to bid for Absolute’s national AM and London FM licence, and given Branson is thought to not want to “overpay” for the station he may well not be successful if a bidding war begins. If he was successful, the Telegraph says the station would likely be rebranded Virgin Radio once again.
Of course the Virgin Group didn’t own Virgin Radio UK for about half of its time in existence, having sold it to Chris Evans in the late nineties who subsequently sold it on to SMG. When SMG sold it to TIML the Virgin Group blocked the continued use of the Virgin name by the new owners.