Sudden end for digital station NME Radio

NME Radio has ceased broadcasting today, with programme provider Town and Country Broadcasting set to hand back its licence to Ofcom.

The station ended its five year life without warning at midday Monday, previously showing no signs of imminent closure.

All traces of the station have disappeared – with its Twitter account and Facebook page both gone, whilst nmeradio.com now re-directs to the main NME homepage.

The service started as an extension of the NME Magazine in 2008 owned by IPC Media but the licence to run the station was awarded to DX Media. The first official listening figures gave it 215,000 listeners via digital only.

Town and Country Broadcasting took over the licence in 2010 and went on to re-launch the station. It was most recently on DAB covering Cardiff & Newport, Berkshire & North Hampshire Multiplex but was previously on Digital One, Sky, Virgin and Freesat. The station even operated a number of temporary FM stations around the country over the years.

Management at the station confirmed that they are now in the process of returning the brand license to IPC and broadcast licenses to Ofcom.

Martin Mumford, Managing Director of Town and Country Broadcasting told RadioToday.co.uk: “NME Radio isn’t part of Town and Country’s core media business in Wales and we’ve decided to concentrate in expanding Nation Radio (which is now testing on DAB in Wrexham and Chester) and launching DAB transmissions in Mid and West Wales later during 2013.”

Tweets about the departure of the station started shortly after midday and continue, as listeners wonder where their radio station has gone. Presenter Michelle Owen broke the news in the afternoon.

To those asking, its with sadness I inform you NME Radio is no longer on air. A massive thanks to the bands and artists who did sessions and

— Michelle Owen (@MichelleOwen7) March 25, 2013

chatted, thanks to you for listening to new and real music. Still on air everyday on Nation Radio,weekdays on Bridge FM an Sundays on Q!

— Michelle Owen (@MichelleOwen7) March 25, 2013