Absolute Radio International (ARI) has announced the acquisition of Passion Radio (Oxford) Limited which trades as Passion 107.9 FM in Oxford.

The acquisition of Passion is a significant first point of entry for the company into the Oxfordshire market. ARI is also bidding for the new Oxford/South Oxfordshire licence, currently advertised by Ofcom and which is due to be awarded later this year. ARI also intends to be an active participant in the development of DAB in the Oxfordshire and Northern Home Counties.

ARI was attracted to Oxfordshire because of its strong economic fundamentals and the growth prospects for commercial radio in the market. Apart from the heritage station, Fox FM, which targets a 15-34 audience, the only other local commercial station in the city is Passion 107.9 FM.

The advent of a new service later this year will give a further boost to commercial radio as it tackles BBC Radio’s significant presence in the market.

Passion 107.9 will receive significant and much needed investment under ARI’s ownership. Ian Walker, an award winning and highly experienced programmer will become the General Manager & Programme Director.

ARI is building its presence in UK radio through both acquisitions and applications. ARI most recently spent two highly successful years running 107.6 Juice FM in Liverpool where it dramatically increased that station’s audience share from 4.4% to 8.4% in just 2 years.

Operations & Programming Director Clive Dickens has told radioinfo: “We are very excited about working in the Oxford market. It is a market I know well from my days at Capital Radio and my involvement with Fox FM. There is a huge amount of potential in Passion and together with our team, led by Ian, we are looking forward to delivering quality radio to both listeners and advertisers and giving the BBC a run for its money.”