Lochbroom FM

Lochbroom FM
Broadcast areaWester Ross
Frequency96.8 MHz, 102.2 MHz
Programming
FormatCommunity info & mixed music
Ownership
OwnerCommunity owned via Wester Ross Radio Ltd
History
First air date
1995
Last air date
2020
Links
Websitewww.lochbroomfm.com

Lochbroom FM was a radio station based in Ullapool, Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland that broadcast 1995-2020 and which was Britain's smallest radio station.

The station now broadcasts as 'Radio Wester Ross' across the area after a rebrand to unite the broadcast areas of Two Lochs Radio and Lochbroom FM.

A community radio association was formed in 1994. They broadcast in 1995 using a three-month temporary commercial radio licence from a small tin shack with a transmission radius of 20 miles.[1] A further two-month licence let them broadcast in 1996, and then a full eight-year licence came into operation at the end of May 1997.[1]

A purpose-built station was proposed, which was to be funded through a variety of grants.[2] In 1996, it was announced that they had secured £45,000 of lottery funding towards the purchase and fitting out of a new building.[3]

Lochbroom FM launched on 23 May 1997. It broadcast on 96.8 MHz and 102.2 MHz.[4] The studio opened in September 1998.[5]

In 2012, the station started to use neighbouring commercial station Two Lochs Radio as its sustaining service.[6][7] In 2020, broadcasting regulator Ofcom formally transferred the Lochbroom FM licence to Wester Ross Radio Ltd, the company that also holds the Two Lochs Radio licence.[8]

The station rebranded to Radio Wester Ross on Monday 29th April 2024.

References

  1. ^ a b Stephinson, Ken (15 September 1997). "Play it again, Hamish". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  2. ^ "A radio move to the tune of #100,000". The Herald. 6 January 1998. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. ^ Bruce, Keith (29 June 1996). "Theatre gets biggest Scots award as art college head calls for lottery cash to solve funding crisis Curtain rises on £4.3m". The Herald. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Analogue Radio Stations > Lochbroom FM". www.ofcom.org.uk. Ofcom. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ "New LochBroom sweeps in". The Herald. 1 September 1998. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  6. ^ "West coast community radio stations join forces". The Scotsman. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Lochbroom FM shares all output with 2LR". Radio Today. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Radio broadcast update March 2020". www.ofcom.org.uk. Ofcom. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021.

57°53′55″N 5°09′37″W / 57.8986°N 5.1603°W / 57.8986; -5.1603