Nation Broadcasting has been one of the UK's most quietly ambitious radio groups since it took the name "Nation" in 2008, when it acquired XFM South Wales and turned it into the flagship of what is now a network of stations covering Wales, Scotland, northeast England, and the south coast. Nation Love is its dedicated love songs channel: a digital and internet station launched on 1 July 2021, based at Nation Broadcasting's headquarters in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, playing the best music from the 70s to today under the tagline "Love Music, Love London."
Nation Broadcasting: Wales to the World
Nation Broadcasting Limited was founded in 1999 as Town and Country Broadcasting, headquartered in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It took on the Nation name in 2008 after acquiring the regional Ofcom licence held by XFM South Wales, rebranding it as Nation Radio. Since then it has grown into one of the UK's significant independent radio groups, operating Nation Radio Wales, Nation Radio Scotland, Nation Radio North East, Nation Radio South, and a suite of digital-only genre channels including Nation Love, Nation Dance, Nation Rocks, Nation Classic Hits, and decade-based services from the 60s through the 00s.
Nation Love broadcasts on DAB+ in London and the Home Counties and online worldwide via nationplayer.com. It launched in the summer of 2021 as part of Nation's strategy to build a family of specialist digital channels alongside its FM network, giving the group a presence in every major listening mood.
Love Songs From Five Decades
Nation Love's playlist covers five decades of music built around romance, heartbreak, and connection. The station self-describes as playing "the best music from the 70s to today", which in practice means a broad sweep from classic soft rock and soul ballads to contemporary pop love songs, with the 80s and 90s well represented in the rotation.
- 70s and 80s classic love songs, the deep foundation of the format: Fleetwood Mac, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, and the singer-songwriters who made this era the golden age of the romantic pop ballad.
- 90s R&B and pop, the decade that gave love songs a glossier, more urban sound, from Mariah Carey and Boys II Men to the Eurodance acts that filled European dancefloors with romantic energy.
- Contemporary hits, extending the format forward to include today's artists working in the same emotional territory, keeping the playlist fresh while anchoring it in the classic love song tradition.
The UK's Appetite for Romantic Radio
Love songs radio has a long history in the UK, with stations like Smooth Radio and Magic FM building large audiences around the format. Nation Love enters that space with the independence and flexibility of a digital-first channel, not bound by FM licence obligations to a specific region. It can serve the niche it's designed for, whether someone is listening at home in Cardiff, commuting through London, or streaming from anywhere in the world via the Nation Player app.
Nation Broadcasting's broader DAB expansion, including its move toward DAB+ across its network by the end of 2026, means Nation Love is part of a group investing seriously in digital audio's future alongside traditional FM broadcasting.
Stream Nation Love Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to Nation Love on Radio Shuffle — no account, no app, no fee. Press play and get five decades of the songs people have given to each other, curated by one of the UK's most determined independent radio groups.