Fylde coast set for up to 28 new community radio stations transmitting from the Tower

Fun Coast Digital, led by former Radio Wave broadcaster Alistair Clarke, has been granted an Ofcom digital licence with a mission to bring community broadcasting to the Fylde Coast.

It means that up to 28 new radio stations could be set up using a transmitter based at the top of the Tower, allowing groups from the area to have their own shows.

Alistair said that they would be able to broadcast to digital DAB radios and to smart speakers around the coast when the system is set up in the next few months.

Ofcom decided to award new small-scale radio multiplex licences in various parts of the country in a bid to stimulate community radio after a period of consolidation in local radio which has seen many smaller stations, such as Radio Wave, close or be taken over by national firms.

The regulator received three applications in response to its notice inviting applications but the winner was not for profit, community interest company, Fun Coast Radio which would not broadcast its own station but had agreed to provide community or local digital sound programme services.

Alistair, 53, said: ”Blackpool Tower is ideal because it has a lot of the infrastructure up there already.

"The radio landscape has changed completely in recent years as the big groups have bought up al the little stations, so to overcome this, the regulator Ofcom freed up some frequencies to let community groups transmit for the benefit of the community.

"We have won this band of frequencies and have been talking to community organisations about going on air. For instance it could be a LGBT group, a charity, tourism, special events such as the Illuminations or fireworks or even for particular areas such as a radio station just for Fleetwood or for themes such as dance music or Northern Soul.

“There could be lots of stations serving different parts of the community all at the same time.

"When they go on air they will pop up on your digital DAB radio and you can listen.

"We are buying all the transmission equipment, but it should be easy for groups to broadcast, they just need some relatively inexpensive equipment these days as it is mostly done via the cloud.

"We are absolutely delighted to have won the licence and we are grateful for all the fantastic people who have supported us, the Blackpool Tower, the council, Business in the Community and community groups.

"When I saw the licences were being offered I had to get involved. This is what local radio is all about and we have people ready to go now with their stations.

Alistair started at Radio Wave in the newsroom 30 years ago straight out of university. He later worked in stations across the North West, as well as TV, and has done training for broadcast journalists. In 2020 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for services to social enterprise.