Brunel FM
| Broadcast area | Swindon |
|---|---|
| Slogan |
Your Music, Your Station format = |
| Frequency | 107.7 MHz Stereo |
| First air date | 2 September 2006 - 24 March 2010 |
| Owner | South West Radio |
Brunel FM was a UK commercial radio station broadcasting to the town of Swindon and outside areas of close proximity.
Overview
Brunel FM was owned and operated by YMC Ltd, however it was a company in its own right. The station broadcast both local and networked programmes which covered Wootton Bassett, Wroughton, Cricklade, Highworth, Purton and Swindon area. This made a total adult population reach (aged 15+) of around 150,000. The station's main local rivals at the time were Swindon 105.5, Heart Wiltshire and BBC Local Radio. The station's content was produced from studios on the Shrivenham Hundred Business Park 9 miles north east of Swindon, and was transmitted from the Blunsdon transmitter 2 miles north of Swindon. The station generated the majority of its revenue from on-air advertising. Brunel FM did not broadcast on DAB digital radio.
Brunel FM broadcast on 107.7 FM and streamed online at BrunelFM.com.
History
In 2005, after the radio group Swindon FM lobbied for a second FM Radio Licence to be granted for Swindon, Ofcom invited applications for the 12-year broadcasting licence for Swindon. The Local Radio Company applied for licence proposing a radio station called Now FM. After being awarded the licence, they renamed the station to Brunel FM, after Isambard Kingdom Brunel whose railway network had converted Swindon from a small village on the top of a hill, to an extremely large town. Brunel Radio was also the previous name for Classic Gold Radio (now DAB Station Gold) when Wiltshire Radio/GWR (now Heart Wiltshire) launched on FM. Brunel Radio was on the AM frequency however Brunel FM and Brunel Radio/Brunel Classic Gold have no connection other than name and where their studios are based.
For some weeks before its launch, the station was in test transmissions, allowing listeners a preview of the station, without presenters or commercials. The station launched at 10am on 2 September 2006 to the sound of many different people from around the coverage area wishing the station luck.
In June 2008, Brunel FM was sold to Laser Broadcasting along with sister stations Bath FM] and 3TR.Following the buyout, a number of the station's staff resigned, allegedly due to lack of payment.
In October 2008, Brunel FM was sold again to South West Radio Ltd, following the collapse of Laser Broadcasting.[1]
In August 2009 South West Radio itself collapsed and Brunel FM was acquired by YMC Ltd, along with Bath FM, 3TR FM, Quay West 107.4 and Quay West 102.4/100.8. YMC then ran the 5 licensed stations as a group, with local broadcasting throughout the day and some shared or "networked" programming over the weekend.
On 24 March 2010, the 5 YMC Ltd stations were closed by administrators after multiple refusals on the part of regulator OFCOM to transfer the licenses, following a number of financial issues at the stations following TLRC's sale.[2]
Quaywest plus its 4 sister stations Brunel FM, 3TR FM, Bath FM and Quaywest 102.4 were eventually bought by Brett Orchard's Total Star Group which runs TotalStar 107.5 in Gloucestershire and all stations were rebranded as TotalStar.
See also
References
- ↑ Five Laser stations sold, RadioToday, 29 October 2008
- ↑ Plunkett, John (25 March 2010). "Bath FM and Brunel FM among five radio stations to close". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 6 April 2010.