An online community radio station is trying to spread its wings and raise money to get on FM.
Wallingford Radio has launched a crowdfunding page to raise £6,000 to buy FM transmission equipment which will expand their broadcast area.
The not-for-profit radio station is run by volunteers who deliver news and entertainment for the people of Wallingford.
Covering events such as BunkFest, pancake day racing, the car rally and even council meetings the radio station is a valued asset to the community and the presenters are very keen to expand.
In January 2020 Wallingford Radio was awarded a community radio FM licence from broadcast regulator Ofcom, which it is now finally pursuing.
As of January 2021, Wallingford Radio owns its own studio trailer, which can be taken to events for outside broadcasts and it hopes to be live on FM at the end of August 2021. Which would be in time for BunkFest, the local music festival.
Liam O’Brien, station manager said: “We are pretty far ahead. We are an internet community radio station, and it was on that basis that we got a licence off OFCOM.”
He added: “The only thing we did not fully anticipate was calling it Wallingford Radio because the coverage we are going to end up with is actually most of South Oxfordshire.
“But we are Wallingford Radio for now.”
The station could get coverage for most of South Oxfordshire stretching as far as Reading including a strong coverage in Didcot and Wallingford.
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Mr O’Brien explained why the coverage is so huge, he said: “It is all down to the terrain, to make sure you can cover Wallingford well you have to go up to a certain transmission.”
The station will have similar coverage to other big local radio stations, but Wallingford Radio does not want to be like Jack FM and Heart, the team want it to be something different.
The radio’s volunteers are full of fundraising ideas, they plan to host a children’s radio show over half term covering pancake day, broadcast a 24 hour show on February 20 and later in April and May the radio will be hosting live lounges for local singer-songwriters.
Already the radio station has crowdfunded more than £300 and community fundraising group Wallingford 1155 has donated £500.
The community radio station emerged from founder Ian fell’s spare bedroom and grew to his shed and eventually into a rented office space and now to a portable trailer and the possibility of going on FM.
It started with a group of three friends from Cholsey with an idea of creating an internet radio station for our friends to listen to.
Eventually the friends bought more equipment and gained the support of the community and very quickly had to make a new custom build radio shed in the back garden to eventually a trailer where they are today.
Now the radio has evolved from just three fiends to having a whole group of volunteers and presenters of all ages and expertise.
The station also actively encourages community groups to get involved.
Donations can be made to Wallingford Radio via their Just Giving page.
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