Calon FM

Calon FM was a community radio station serving Wrexham and surrounding areas.[1]

Calon FM
CityWrexham
Broadcast areaWrexham and surrounding areas
Frequency105 MHz,
Online
SloganUniting Our Community
Programming
FormatCommunity
Ownership
OwnerCalon Communications Limited
History
First air date
1 March 2008
Last air date
20 January 2021

The station was owned and operated by Calon Communications Limited and broadcast from studios in the Centre for Creative Industries (CCI) [2] on Glyndŵr University's campus in Wrexham.

Calon FM was first launched as a RSL radio station, originally covering events at the 2005 Wrexham Science Festival on 87.7FM.[3] In 2006, the station was granted a 5-year community radio licence. The station officially launched on Saturday 1 March 2008 on 105FM in Wrexham after a short period of test transmissions.

Calon FM broadcast up to 100 hours a week of music, features, sport, talk and specialist programming produced and presented by volunteers, alongside national news bulletins from Sky News Radio. The station also aired weekly programming in Welsh and other languages.[4][5]

Asides its primary transmission area, the station could also be heard through much of the central areas of Wrexham County Borough, and parts of southern Flintshire.

In August 2017, Calon FM began carrying live commentaries on Wrexham A.F.C. matches throughout the football season[6] The station's live coverage ended after two seasons.[7]

Calon FM also won a number of industry awards, including the Wales category in the Radio Academy Nations and Regions Awards twice in a row, in 2013 and 2014.[8]

Closure

On 31 December 2020, it was reported Calon FM would close, following a decision by Glyndŵr University to withdraw its support. The university had been providing funding and studio facilities to the station since its launch.[9]

In a statement, directors said the long-term financial position of the station's owners, Calon Communications Ltd, was left untenable as a result of the withdrawal, despite being able to raise additional income through advertising and sponsorship.[10]

A Glyndwr University spokesperson said it had spent more than £1 million on staff, equipment and indirect costs for studios and professional services.[11]

In a later statement, the station's volunteers criticised the board of directors for the decision and announced they were forming a rescue plan to retain the FM licence and resume broadcasting.[12]

Calon FM ceased broadcasting at midday on Wednesday 20 January 2021.

References
  1. Ofcom - Calon FM coverage area: retrieved 11 September 2008
  2. Calon FM - Location: retrieved 7 October 2017
  3. Ofcom - Nine community radio licences awarded Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine: retrieved 11 September 2008
  4. Calon FM - shows: retrieved 11 September 2008
  5. Ofcom statement - Calon FM key commitments Archived 2009-01-09 at the Wayback Machine: retrieved 11 September 2008
  6. Wrexham AFC commentary comes to Calon FM, Calon FM, 16 February 2017
  7. Wrexham AFC Commentary Now Exclusive To Mixlr, wrexhamafc.co.uk, 25 June 2019
  8. Calon FM wins prestigious Radio Academy Award Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, glyndwr.ac.uk, 25 November 2013
  9. Wrexham’s Calon FM facing closure after 13 years, RadioToday, 31 December 2020
  10. Wrexham’s Calon FM facing closure after 13 years, RadioToday, 31 December 2020
  11. Wrexham’s Calon FM to close after 13 years, LeaderLive, 8 January 2021
  12. Volunteers plan to save Wrexham station Calon FM, RadioToday, 19 January 2021

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