New local radio services to launch in Skipton and Ilkley as Rombalds rebrands

Two new local stations are to launch in Yorkshire as Rombalds Radio rebrands to match its parent company.

Rombalds Radio, which launched in August 2020, will rebrand as Your Skipton from 1st July, while an additional service – Your Ilkley – will begin broadcasts the following week.

The station was founded by radio professionals Stuart Clarkson and Nick Babb during the pandemic covering Rombalds Moor, on the border between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. It was acquired last year by neighbouring station Your Harrogate.

After four years of building up a following online, Your Skipton and Your Ilkley plan to broadcast on the new small-scale DAB multiplex covering South Craven, Wharfedale and the Worth Valley which was recently advertised by Ofcom in round six of its licensing process.

Creative Director Nick Hancock told RadioToday: “While other radio stations are going less local, we’ve identified a local niche here to create dedicated services for individual towns, showcasing and celebrating all they have to offer and providing fantastic marketing opportunities for local businesses.

“We’re so excited to be expanding our successful ‘Your’ brand from Harrogate to Skipton and Ilkley by creating an additional radio station to make two brilliant hyperlocal services. Community is more important than ever and Your Skipton and Your Ilkley will bring local communities round here the very best of life in their town.”

The two stations are working with local events over the summer as part of the launch plans – including Skipton’s “Sheep Day” and the Ilkley Half Marathon in the coming weeks.

Nick added: “We are so excited to be launching not one but two new radio stations next month. All the team here can’t wait to get started!”