Xfm was founded in 1992 by Sammy Jacob and Chris Parry. They began broadcasting from a house in Charlotte Street on the same day that Princess Diana died. The early DJ line-up included Sir Bob Geldof, Gary Crowley and Keith Cameron. Xfm's music policy is largely dominated by indie-guitar music, although they have broadcast specialist shows covering hip-hop, dance music, heavy rock and electronica.
In 1998 Xfm was sold to Capital Radio Group plc - which then became GCap Media and subsequently Global Radio.
The station has been home to a number of well-known radio presenters including: Zoe Ball, Christian O'Connell, Lauren Laverne, Eddy Temple-Morriss, Shaun Keaveny and Ricky Gervais. Additionally, a number of well-loved comedians have appeared on the station: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost, Danny Wallace, Jimmy Carr, Russell Brand and Simon Amstell.