Wirral Radio

Wirral Radio
City Leasowe
Broadcast area Wirral Peninsula (FM) \ North West and North Wales (DAB)
Slogan The Best Music Variety
Frequency FM: 92.1 MHz
DAB: 10d
First air date 1 March 2008 (as 7 Waves)
Last air date 1 March 2018
Format Community
Owner 7 Waves Community Radio
Website Wirral Radio

Wirral Radio (previously 7 Waves) was a community radio station serving the Wirral Peninsula. The station broadcast locally on 92.1 FM and online. In 2014, its coverage area expanded to Merseyside, West Cheshire and North East Wales via DAB.[1]

Overview

Originally known as 7Waves Community Radio, the station broadcast for 28 days on a Restricted Service Licence on 87.7 FM in 2003 from studios and offices at the Wirral Media Centre in Leasowe. After successfully applying for a community radio licence and funding for building studios, 7 Waves began full-time broadcasting on 92.1 FM on 1 March 2008. The licence was extended for a further five years by OFCOM in November 2012.

7 Waves relaunched as Wirral Radio at 8am on Monday 16 June 2014, coinciding with the station's launch on DAB, broadcasting via the Muxco multiplex for Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool.[2]

On Friday 9 February 2018, the station announced with an hour's notice that it would cease broadcasting, citing financial difficulties.[3] Wirral Radio ended full-time broadcasting at 10am, following its final breakfast show.

Following the announcement, the station continued to broadcast an automated service of continuous music on FM, DAB and online. The only regular programming in its final weeks on air consisted of live commentaries on Tranmere Rovers matches and hourly Sky News Radio bulletins.[4]

A crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise £40,000 to secure the station's future[5] along with an unscheduled 50-hour marathon show. The campaign's target was later revised to £10,000 but failed to raise the amount.

Wirral Radio officially ceased broadcasting on Thursday 1 March 2018. Shortly afterwards, OFCOM confirmed the station handed back its FM licence.[6]

Programming

Up until it ceased full-time broadcasting, the station's schedule consisted of music, talk and sports programming, alongside local news coverage and specialist music shows during the evenings and weekends. Apart from hourly bulletins from Sky News Radio, all of Wirral Radio's output was produced and presented locally.

Wirral Kids[7]

Wirral Kids was a charity campaign created by Wirral Radio, supported by the Cheshire Freemasons. The charity aimed to help raise money for local children in crisis.

References

  1. ↑ "North West DAB Radio Stations". North West DAB. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Wirral Radio Joins Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool, Muxco, 16 June 2014
  3. ↑ Wirral Radio closes due to financial issues, Radio Today, 9 February 2018
  4. ↑ Wirral Radio creates lock-in studio stunt
  5. ↑ Wirral Radio launches a Crowdfunding page, RadioToday, 17 February 2018
  6. ↑ OFCOM radio broadcast update, OFCOM, 6 March 2018
  7. ↑ http://www.wirralradio.co.uk/wirral-kids/

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