106.5 Central Radio, the new radio station for Preston, Chorley and Leyland will be based in the headquarters of North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.
The agreement with the chamber will see the station’s team of presenters and journalists based at Eastway Business Village in Fulwood, with easy access to the central Lancashire motorway network. The purpose-built studio complex will be close to the headquarters of the local daily newspaper, Lancashire Evening Post, which also housed Preston's first full-service RSL, Ribble FM, in 2002.
Work is now underway to transform part of the building into a broadcast centre with work expected to be complete in the next few weeks.
John Barnett MBE DL, chairman of Central Radio, said: “We’re in business! It is a real coup for us to have the radio station located in the chamber’s building and, working closely with them, will help us to reach the business community ensuring we have a firm footing in the local community.“
Babs Murphy, chief executive of North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, added: “There is a great deal of synergy between the chamber and Central Radio, not least the geographical area that we both cover and the central location of our offices was ideal for them to base the station.”
UTV are still working on plans to house neighbouring local stations for Bolton and Wigan in a new complex in the Warrington area, allowed by Ofcom last year.
