Central 103.1 FM

For other uses, see Central Radio (disambiguation).
103.1 Central FM
Broadcast area Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire
Frequency 103.1 MHz
DAB: 11D
First air date 4 June 1990
Format Hot AC
Power 500w
Transmitter coordinates 56°04′18″N 4°03′37″W / 56.0716°N 4.0604°W / 56.0716; -4.0604Coordinates: 56°04′18″N 4°03′37″W / 56.0716°N 4.0604°W / 56.0716; -4.0604
Owner John Quinn
Website Central FM

Central 103.1 FM is a Independent Local Radio station serving Falkirk, Stirling, Clackmannanshire and the Forth Valley. It is owned and operated by businessman John Quinn and broadcasts from studios at the Springkerse Industrial Estate in Stirling.

History

In December 1988, the Independent Broadcasting Authority announced it had chosen the Stirling area as one of twenty areas of the UK where new incremental radio licences were to be awarded. A month later, the regulator advertised the Stirling licence, permitting any station format.

Centresound, a community-based license founded by Colin Lamont (alias Scottie McClue), began broadcasting on Monday 4 June 1990 from studios at the John Player Building in the Stirling Business Park but within two months, fell into financial difficulties due to problems in attracting enough investment to maintain an independent operation.

The board of directors resigned when the long-established Radio Forth went into partnership with Centresound after investing in the station.[1][2] An overhaul saw the station relaunch as Central FM, sharing programming, news content and administration with Forth under an agreement. The moved was criticised as being in commercial interests, rather than for the community's benefit, but station manager Brian Hawkins argued the station was broadcasting more local output than before and no complaints had been received.[3] The Radio Authority went onto award a new ten-year licence to Central FM in December 1993.[4]

The station continued to record a loss, and in 1996, Radio Investments Ltd gained control after increasing its stake to 60%, ending the partnership with Radio Forth and leading to the station relocating to studios in Falkirk. Later, the controlling share passed onto The Local Radio Company, with 20% held by EMAP and the rest by independent investors.

TLRC chairman John Quinn took control of Central FM in 2008. In October 2012, the station returned to Stirling with the opening of new studios at the Springkerse Industrial Estate. In August 2013, Central FM began broadcasting on DAB across Central Scotland.

Awards

Central FM won the Scotland category in the Radio Academy Nations and Regions Awards twice in 2008 and 2011.[5] It also won the Sony Award for best UK station (in a TSA under 300,000 listeners) in 2012 and placed in the top three of stations (TSA under 500,000 listeners) at the 2013 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards.

Programming

The majority of Central FM's programming is produced and broadcast from its Stirling studios. Presenter-led programming airs from 6am - 2am from Monday - Saturday and 8am - 1am on Sunday. The Vodafone Big Top 40 is syndicated from Global Radio at its Capital studios in London for broadcast on over 145 commercial radio stations across the UK on Sunday afternoons.

The station's presenters include programming controller Joe Kilday (weekday breakfast), Dougie Jackson (weekday mornings), head of music Liam McCann (weekday drivetime), Brad Yule (Monday - Saturday evenings) and John Mulgrew (weekday nights, Saturday breakfast).[6]

News

Local news bulletins air hourly from 6am - 11pm on weekdays, 7am - 6pm on Saturdays and 7am - 1pm on Sundays with headlines on the half-hour during breakfast and drivetime shows and an extended bulletin at 5pm on weeknights. National bulletins from Sky News Radio in London air during all other hours.[7]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/investors-keep-station-on-the-air-1.565462
  2. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/radio-station-chiefs-resign-1.560872
  3. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/forth-attacked-for-radio-contract-1.535454
  4. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/central-s-wave-of-approval-1.729100
  5. ↑ http://www.radioacademy.org/events/nations-regions-awards-2011/nations-and-regions-awards-2010/nr-awards-08/
  6. ↑ Central FM public file
  7. ↑ Central FM public file

External links

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