Radio: the form of media least covered in these pages. Granted, Xfm and All FM have been given the odd mention, but media pre-occupations lie elsewhere.

The lead business story in today’s Manchester Evening News was of interest, however: the paper’s ‘ultimate owner’, Guardian Media Group, paid �60m for GCap Media’s Century stations.

The move saw former DJ John Myers regaining control of Century FM, the station he established, as well as Smooth FM. Capital Gold and Xfm - both still owned by GCap - will be relocated in the deal.

As the article notes, GMG now owns seven of the top 10 regional stations in the UK, and two of the top three. MEN readers clearly weren’t keen on this prospect, with Mike from Stockport commenting “so much for a level playing field“.

Elsewhere on the Manchester radio horizon, 11 bids (or is that ‘beds’) have been made for the vacant 106.1FM licence, including GMG’s proposed Rock Talk Manchester - “a speech and rock music service for 35 to 64-year-olds”.

The recipient of possibly the last major FM licence in the UK could well launch a talk station, with Emap proposing Piccadilly Talk and the rather optimistic Chrysalis already establishing a website for GMBC.

The latter - who also propose classic rock station The Arrow - own London talk station LBC (’Real life, real London’), whose Managing Director is called David Lloyd. No, not that David Lloyd.

Also among the 11 bids are Mast Radio and Manchester Sound (both ethnic music) and MNR Radio, UK1 FM Manchester and Manchester Citylife (all AOR-focused). More details here and here.

According to the Press Gazette, an announcement of the winner will come in the New Year.