Moorlands Radio

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Moorlands Radio
Moorlands radio 2019.jpg
CityLeek
Broadcast areaStaffordshire Moorlands
Frequency97.3 MHz (Leek)
103.7 MHz (Biddulph)
RDSMoorland
Programming
FormatCommunity radio
Ownership
OwnerMoorlands Radio CIC
History
First air date
7 November 2009
Links
Websitehttps://www.moorlandsradio.co.uk

Moorlands Radio is a community radio station based in Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands, England. It was granted the full-time licence in the second round of community radio licensing by broadcast regulator Ofcom in February 2008.[1] The station serves the rural Staffordshire Moorlands, covering the main towns of Leek and Biddulph.[2]

It is funded through a combination of grant funding from local authorities and charities and revenue from the sale of advertising to local businesses. All presenters and staff at the station are volunteers.

History[]

The Moorlands Radio project was founded by a group of local enthusiasts in 2003, led by established presenter Tony Mullins. From 2003 to 2006, the station undertook three Restricted Service Licence broadcasts of 28 days each in duration.[3]

The full-time station was launched by founder Tony Mullins at 10:03 am on Saturday 7 November 2009 and is currently on its third five-year community radio licence from Ofcom.

On 16 April 2016, Moorlands Radio moved into new studio facilities at Leek Community Fire Station. The last show from their old studios was presented by station founders Tony Mullins and Mervyn Gamage. The transmission from the Stockwell Villas studio ended at 10 am, at which time broadcasts switched over to a feed from the new studios. In March 2020, Moorlands Radio returned to their previous Stockwell Villas premises.

On 31 August 2020, the station began operating a second online stream of programming, Moorlands Gold, targeting an older audience with an oldies music format, The station had two main presenters Ashley Harvey and Derek Turner both of which now present on Biddulph Station Churnet Sound Radio

In December 2020, due to the financial constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Moorlands Radio announced that it would no longer pay show fees to its daytime presenters and would become a fully volunteer-led organisation.[4] In January 2021 Breakfast Show presenter Gary Bossons shared that his wages were never stopped. Various former Hitmix 107.5 presenters were then paid to do the shows that were now empty due to poor treatment of presenters.

In August 2021, the station announced its intention to apply for a licence to broadcast to the Congleton and Leek areas on DAB digital radio.[5]

Programming[]

Daytime programming is generally aimed at a mainstream audience and features popular music from the 1960s to today with local news, interviews with local personalities and interactive features.[6]

The daytime schedule features local news every hour on the half hour with national news from Sky News Radio on the hour. Breakfast and Drivetime both feature regular traffic and travel updates.

The Locality of the stations information has been criticised recently in the community as the station now focused on Stoke-On-Trent and Newcastle- Under- Lyme

Evening programmes are specialist in nature, and include shows focusing on classical music, folk music, local Staffordshire bands, rock music and dance music.

Notable presenters[]

From the station's launch in 2009 until a few months before his death from cancer in early 2011, a daily programme was presented by Sam Plank.[7]

From the station's launch as an RSL station in 2003 and its full-time service from 2009, ex-Radio Caroline and commercial radio presenter Steve England helped set up the station, presented various shows, and produced all of the station's IDs and jingles.

Transmission[]

Moorlands Radio transmits with an ERP of 50 watts[8] on 103.7 MHz from a transmitter site in the village of Biddulph Moor.[9] Its broadcast footprint extends to the target areas of Leek and Biddulph.

In 2021, an additional transmitter was established at the station's premises in Leek, using an ERP of 25 watts on 97.3 MHz.[10] This improves signal coverage in the Leek town centre area.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Ofcom: Four community radio licence awards, February 2008: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2011-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Ofcom community radio licence CR-161: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2011-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Moorlands Radio: The story so far. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2011-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Community Radio Today: Moorlands Radio cuts show fees for presenters
  5. ^ Community Radio Today: Moorsland (sic) Radio to apply for small-scale DAB multiplex.
  6. ^ Moorlands Radio: Programmes. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2011-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ Radio Today: Tributes to Stoke's Sam Plank. http://radiotoday.co.uk/2011/02/tributes-to-stokes-sam-plank/
  8. ^ Moorlands Radio (United Kingdom)
  9. ^ mb21 - The Transmission Gallery
  10. ^ "Technical parameters for broadcast radio transmitters". Ofcom. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-11-04.

External links[]

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