Ridings FM
{{short description|Former radio station in West Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo = Ridingslogo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| name = Ridings FM
| airdate = 3 October 1999
| last_airdate = 31 August 2020
| frequency = FM: 106.8 MHz
| area = Wakefield
| format = Classic Hits
| network =
| owner = Bauer
| sister_stations =
}}
Ridings FM was an Independent Local Radio station serving the Wakefield District of West Yorkshire. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020.
Studios
The station was originally based at Thornes Office Park in Wakefield before co-locating with sister station Dearne FM at Zenith Park on Whaley Road, Barugh Green, in the north-west of Barnsley in 2009.
Following a [http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/formats/formats/fc/ridings.pdf memorandum] sent to Ofcom, which stated that the station had never made a profit although being a technical success, Ridings FM was moved to Doncaster where it shared a building with Trax FM, Dearne FM and Rother FM.
Transmission
The station's transmitter was located at Wakefield House in Wakefield city centre. Ridings FM broadcast on 106.8 FM on 500 watts of power. From July 2001, it was made available on the Bauer Leeds DAB multiplex. This service was discontinued in 2013, as it was a significant cost and covered areas outside of Wakefield with an uneconomically small potential audience.
FM licence
Prior to being awarded the Wakefield licence, the station ran a trial service which ran from 11 October 1997 on 87.7 FM.[https://web.archive.org/web/20091022155814/http://geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKYorks.htm geocities.com]
By the closing date of 8 September 1998, WF 107 Ltd (based in Wakefield), Henna FM Ltd (based in Batley providing Asian music) and Ridings FM had applied to the Radio Authority for the licence.[http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/rau/newsroom/news-release/98/pr94.htm ofcom.org.uk] Ridings FM was later awarded the licence on 7 January 1999.
Programming
The station's output included a weekday breakfast show. The station's news team won a Sony Bronze award in May 2000. At off peak times the station used the feed from Independent Radio News. As well as news, Ridings FM covered local sports teams from the Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers and Featherstone Rovers in rugby league, to Ossett United (amalgamation of Ossett Albion and Ossett Town) and Frickley Athletic in football.
Presenters
During Ridings FM's lifetime, presenters included:
- Phil Butler
- Gareth Webb
- Paul Bromley
- John Tolson
- Jamie Fletcher
- Chris Hubbard
- Kev Wilson
- Andy Hoyle
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091022155814/http://geocities.com/thehotw/aircheck_UKYorks.htm History of local radio in Yorkshire]
- [http://www.thestudentwiki.org/wiki/index.php/Ridings_FM The Student Wiki]
- [http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/rau/newsroom/news-release/99/pr005.htm Receiving the licence in January 1999]
{{West Yorkshire radio}}
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Category:Radio stations established in 1999
Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2020
Category:Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom
Category:Radio stations in Yorkshire
Category:Organisations based in Wakefield
Category:1999 establishments in England