Two independent commercial radio stations in East Lancashire have moved in to a new building in the latest co-location action.
UKRD-owned 2BR and independently-owned The Bee are now broadcasting from Accrington – a town which is in the TSA of both stations.
Previously, 2BR was based in Nelson in the far east of its TSA, whilst The Bee was in Darwen, to the west of its TSA. The move means both stations stay within their broadcast area but through an agreement with owners of both stations, they can now share studios, offices and work together on local news.
Both stations will continue to provide fully local programmes to their own area, and there are no plans to merge the output of the stations, says Managing Director of both stations, Simon Brierley: “We have two strong and distinct brands in East Lancashire, and this move will allow us to grow them both with an increased commitment to community engagement and comprehensive local news, whilst benefiting from the economic benefits of co-location. It’s a further demonstration of our determination to invest in serving our communities from within our TSA, at a time when much of the industry is moving in the opposite direction.
William Rogers from UKRD, which fully owns 2BR and has a share in The Bee, says: “This is a great example of two independent local radio stations working well together to share some costs where it makes sense but also maintaining the different local programming strands they each deliver to their respective markets.”