UTV has won the new local radio licence for Preston, Leyland and Chorley. Proud FM won after a battle with three other companies all proposing a local news and information service featuring music from the last five decades.
Chairman of the new station is local businessman John Barnett MBE DL, who founded Radio Wave in Blackpool in 1992 and has been involved with the station ever since.
Speaking of today’s announcement, Barnett said: “This is fantastic news and I am delighted for the people of Preston, Leyland and Chorley that they are now getting a radio station that they can truly call their own. “A number of existing commercial stations claim to cover the city of Preston and towns of Chorley and Leyland, but in reality they serve the majority of Lancashire — and in some cases the whole of the North West. Our research showed that listeners feel that existing commercial stations offer a narrow, repetitive music mix with very limited local news and little or no community involvement. Proud FM will change all of that.”
Former Rock FM managing director Paul Jordan was also behind the winning application. Jordan, who has been in the radio business for nearly 25 years, is a former presenter – and pioneer of a number of community projects in central Lancashire. Jordan said: “Proud FM will be all about what is happening in the local area — something that the other stations fail to talk about. Whether it is finding out what’s the topic of conversation on Chorley market today or featuring tonight’s performer at the Guild Hall, we hope to hit the right mix of conversation and music that will really appeal to local people.”
Piers Collins, UTV Radio, said: “I am delighted that all the hard work has paid off and, as we have achieved in other areas of the region, we will offer a truly local service when we take to the air. We bring a wealth of experience to the new station that will complement the work and ideas that the team on the ground
The new station will broadcast on two frequencies, 106.5 and 96.3 FM.
The applicants in full were:
Central Lancashire Radio – A genuinely local radio station for 35 to 64 year olds, focused on Preston and the surrounding area, with significant speech content such as local news, interviews and community information forming an essential part of the output.
Plc FM – A locally-focused, full-service, music and information station primarily aimed at adults aged 25-64 living throughout the Preston, Leyland and Chorley area.
Proud FM – A local speech and music station for Preston and the surrounding area, featuring local news, information and community-orientated programming and a broad, varied and engaging mix of music from the 1960's to today.
UFM – UFM will target an audience with an age range of between 25 and 55 and will be a music and information service with a particularly local feel.
–
Got a story? radionews@tmssvr.co.uk or call 0871 900 1213