Lochbroom FM explained

Lochbroom FM
City:Ullapool
Area:Wester Ross
Airdate:1995
Last Airdate:2020
Frequency:96.8 MHz, 102.2 MHz
Format:Community info & mixed music
Owner:Community owned via Wester Ross Radio Ltd

Lochbroom FM was a radio station based in Ullapool, Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland that broadcast 1995-2020 and which was Britain's smallest radio station.

The station now broadcasts as 'Radio Wester Ross' across the area after a rebrand to unite the broadcast areas of Two Lochs Radio and Lochbroom FM.

A community radio association was formed in 1994. They broadcast in 1995 using a three-month temporary commercial radio licence from a small tin shack with a transmission radius of 20 miles.[1] A further two-month licence let them broadcast in 1996, and then a full eight-year licence came into operation at the end of May 1997.

A purpose-built station was proposed, which was to be funded through a variety of grants.[2] In 1996, it was announced that they had secured £45,000 of lottery funding towards the purchase and fitting out of a new building.[3]

Lochbroom FM launched on 23 May 1997. It broadcast on 96.8 MHz and 102.2 MHz.[4] The studio opened in September 1998.[5]

In 2012, the station started to use neighbouring commercial station Two Lochs Radio as its sustaining service.[6] [7] In 2020, broadcasting regulator Ofcom formally transferred the Lochbroom FM licence to Wester Ross Radio Ltd, the company that also holds the Two Lochs Radio licence.[8]

The station rebranded to Radio Wester Ross on Monday 29th April 2024.

External links

57.8986°N -5.1603°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Play it again, Hamish . Ken . Stephinson . . 15 September 1997 . 21 June 2015 . 21 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150621185403/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/play-it-again-hamish-1239326.html . live .
  2. News: A radio move to the tune of #100,000 . . 6 January 1998 . 9 September 2020 . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509130905/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12281659.a-radio-move-to-the-tune-of-100000/ . live .
  3. News: Theatre gets biggest Scots award as art college head calls for lottery cash to solve funding crisis Curtain rises on £4.3m . Keith . Bruce . The Herald . 29 June 1996 . 9 September 2020 . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509130901/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12036489.theatre-gets-biggest-scots-award-as-art-college-head-calls-for-lottery-cash-to-solve-funding-crisis-curtain-rises-on-43m/ . live .
  4. Web site: Analogue Radio Stations > Lochbroom FM . . www.ofcom.org.uk . 16 April 2024.
  5. News: New LochBroom sweeps in . The Herald . 1 September 1998 . 9 September 2020 . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509130901/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12341015.new-lochbroom-sweeps-in/ . live .
  6. News: West coast community radio stations join forces . The Scotsman . 21 November 2012 . 9 September 2020 . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509130902/https://www.scotsman.com/business/west-coast-community-radio-stations-join-forces-1600785 . live .
  7. Web site: Lochbroom FM shares all output with 2LR . . 21 November 2012 . 9 September 2020 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050543/http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/11/lochbroom-fm-shares-all-output-with-2lr/ . live .
  8. Web site: Radio broadcast update March 2020 . . www.ofcom.org.uk . 7 April 2020 . dead . https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210104113551/https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radio-broadcast-licensing/monthly-updates/radio-broadcast-update-march-2020 . 4 January 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lochbroom FM".

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