Hit40UK
GenreChart
Running timeSundays 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home station95.8 Capital FM
TV adaptations4Music, The Box and Smash Hits
StarringDr. Fox (2003–2004)
Katy Hill (2004–2005)
Stephanie Hirst (2004–2006)[1]
Lucio Buffone (2006–2009)
Natalie Brown (2003–2009)
Rich Clarke (2009)
Created byGlobal Radio
Original release5 January 2003 –
7 June 2009
Lineage of the UK independent and commercial radio music chart
The Network Chart Show
1984–1993
The Pepsi Network Chart Show
1993–1996
The Pepsi Chart
1996–2002
Hit40UK
2003–2009
The Big Top 40 Show
2009–2010
The Vodafone Freebees Big Top 40
2010–2011
The Vodafone Big Top 40
2011–2017
The Official Vodafone Big Top 40
2017–2018
The Official Big Top 40
2019–2022
The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40
2022–present

Hit40UK was a networked Top 40 chart show broadcasting on around 130 UK commercial radio stations every Sunday from 4pm to 7pm. It was also a TV programme shown on 4Music. The radio version was produced in house by Global Radio (formerly GCap Media) and Somethin' Else. The show was cancelled on 7 June 2009 and the last number 1 single was Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas, played at 6:52pm.

Although the radio version of the chart has ended, it continued to be compiled, and a TV version was shown on 4Music, The Box, and Smash Hits. The TV version has since renamed UKHot40.

Format

The radio show counted down the top 40 songs in the chart. Unlike the official UK Singles Chart broadcast at the same time by BBC Radio 1, the Hit40UK chart included only the digital downloads and airplay in the UK, whereas the official chart includes physical and download sales with no radio airplay.[2] The show always enjoyed higher audience figures than Radio 1's Official Chart Show since 1993, however, this is because Hit40UK is broadcast on 130 stations, whereas the Official Chart is only broadcast on BBC Radio 1, except for a brief period of 2006, when a weak commercial radio sector caused Hit40UKs share to fall below that of its rival.

Promotional mousemat made for the 2003-2009 record sales chart radio show made by Global Radio & Somethin' Else.

Chart history

Hit40UK descended from The Network Chart Show which began on 30 September 1984 and which was originally hosted by David Jensen and broadcast on competing commercial radio stations across the UK. The Network Chart Show aired on Sundays from 5-7pm, as competition to BBC Radio 1's own Top 40 chart show, The Official Chart. In October 1990, the show was extended to start at 4pm and the chart expanded from a Top 30 to a Top 40 countdown. The Network Chart Show had been compiled by MRIB until Pepsi took over sponsorship from Nescafé in August 1993.[3] In 1995, it was called the Pepsi Network Chart Show,[4] but in 1996 it was renamed the Pepsi Chart.[5] Pepsi ended their sponsorship of the show on 29 December 2002, and the Hit40UK name was adopted on 5 January 2003, but Dr. Fox remained the host until 30 May 2004.[6] On 6 June 2004 Stephanie Hirst and Katy Hill became co-hosts of Hit40UK, from 23 October 2005 Hirst hosted the show on her own.

In March 2006, Hit40UK began broadcasting worldwide on the U-Pop satellite channel. The international version of the show is hosted by Mark Daley. It can be heard on XM Satellite Radio across the US and around the planet on WorldSpace Satellite Radio.

Hirst who during the week hosted the Galaxy Breakfast show in Yorkshire and was enjoying considerable success doing so, had to stand down as presenter of Hit40uk due to objections from Galaxy's rival Yorkshire radio stations Viking FM, Radio Aire and Hallam FM who were due to start broadcasting the chart on 22 October 2006. They were unhappy that a Galaxy Yorkshire presenter would be heard on their station, since they could possibly lose a proportion their breakfast audience to Hirsty's weekday breakfast show.

On 12 October 2006, it was announced that the programme was to be relaunched on 22 October with a new presenter, 95.8 Capital FM's Lucio Buffone. A new logo was also introduced to replace their old look. Emap dropped their Smash-Hits! Chart to broadcast the relaunched version of the Hit40UK show across their Big City Network of stations. In the same week, a dance and urban chart, the Fresh 40, hosted by Dynamite MC, was introduced to commercial radio's dance and urban stations, such as those in the Galaxy Network and the Kiss Network.

On 19 April 2009, Lucio's contract with Hit40UK ended, therefore a new presenter, Rich Clarke, became the presenter of the network chart show the week after, 26 April 2009, introducing a new image to the chart. The top 40 format also changed in January 2009: instead of charting the most popular tunes from radio airplay, downloads and single sales, the chart consisted of downloads and airplay alone. However, after a few months into the revamped show, Hit 40 UK ceased broadcasting and the last show was completed on 7 June 2009, resulting in a new chart show to be broadcast on 14 June 2009.

The chart that descends from Hit40UK is known as The Big Top 40 Show,[7] with presenters Rich Clarke and Kat Shoob. It launched on Sunday 14 June 2009 and is the first ever real-time chart to be broadcast in the United Kingdom.

Cover presenter, Matt Wilkinson, from Global Radio’s Heart Network presented the last Hit40UK show, although Rich Clarke presented a London-centric version on 95.8 Capital FM live from their Summertime Ball.

Sister chart shows

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Rosie (18 January 2022). "Stephanie Hirst, one of the UKs biggest broadcasting stars joins Radiodays Europe 2022". Radiodays Europe. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Kiss, Jemima (7 January 2009). "Hit40UK Chart Goes Digital Only". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Network Chart opts for official CIN data" (PDF). Music Week. 3 July 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "David Sloly" (PDF). Music Week. 24 June 1995. p. 3. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Pepsi peps up chart backing" (PDF). Music Week. 14 September 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  6. ↑ Gibson, Owen (11 August 2004). "Now Channel 4 targets Top of the Pops". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Martin, Roy (19 September 2018). "Bauer stations to drop Vodafone Big Top 40 show". Radio Today. Retrieved 27 January 2022.


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