Radio Ceredigion

Radio Ceredigion (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈradjɔ kɛrɛˈdɪɡjɔn]) was an Independent Local Radio station that was broadcast to Ceredigion. It was owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting and broadcast on 96.6, 97.4 and 103.3 FM from studios near the St Hilary transmitter in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Radio Ceredigion
Broadcast areaCeredigion
Frequency96.6 MHz (Lampeter)
97.4 MHz (Cardigan)
103.3 MHz (Aberystwyth)
SloganYour Music, Your Station
Programming
FormatAdult Contemporary
Ownership
OwnerNation Broadcasting
History
First air date
14 December 1992
Links
WebsiteNation Radio

The station played chart music from the 1980s to the present day, alongside local news, travel and community information.

On May 31, 2019, the station became a relay of Nation Radio Wales.

History

From its launch on Monday 14 December 1992, the station broadcast a bilingual schedule with roughly half English and half Welsh output, much of it community-orientated, from studios and offices at the Old School in Aberystwyth.

On 9 March 2010, Radio Ceredigion's owners Tindle Newspaper Group announced that the station would be sold off to the Welsh radio group Town and Country Broadcasting.[1] At 9 am on 19 April 2010, broadcasting ceased from its Aberystwyth studios and switched to Town and Country's West Wales studios in Narberth, Pembrokeshire (also the base for Radio Pembrokeshire and Radio Carmarthenshire).[2] After a short transition period, a daytime programming service was launched.[3]

A proposal to reduce Welsh language programming on the station from 50% to 10% was rejected by the broadcasting regulator OFCOM in 2011[4][5] but subsequently permitted following further requests. As of March 2016, Radio Ceredigion aired a one-hour Welsh language music show on Sunday nights.[6]

In September 2016, Nation Broadcasting announced plans to relocate Radio Ceredigion and its two sister services from the Narberth studios to the group's headquarters near the St Hilary transmitter on the outskirts of Cowbridge.[7] The station switched broadcasting to the St Hilary studios at 10 am on Tuesday 22 November 2016, although the Narberth site is retained as a regional sales and production office.

In December 2018, OFCOM announced it had granted Nation's request to close Radio Ceredigion and replace it with a straight relay of its regional service, Nation Radio.[8] Five months later, it was reported Nation had decided to retain the local service and would request to reverse its decision on the station's format.[9]

But in May 2019, Nation Broadcasting withdrew its format change request and preceded with its original plan to relay Nation Radio.[10] Radio Ceredigion ceased broadcasting on 31 May 2019.

Coverage

Radio Ceredigion had a TSA of 74,000 people, and the station could be heard from Bangor through to Cross Hands, including parts of Powys, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. The main transmitter was located at Blaenplwyf transmitting station near Aberystwyth and broadcast on 103.3 FM, with relay stations at Mynydd Pencarreg transmitting station near Lampeter on 96.6FM and Penwaun near Cardigan on 97.4 FM.

See also

References
  1. Radio Today - Changes planned for Ceredigion Archived 2010-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, 9 March 2010
  2. Radio Today - Changes planned for Ceredigion Archived 2010-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, 9 March 2010
  3. Radio Ceredigion public file Archived 2010-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Language row erupts over radio station's bid to cut Welsh broadcasting, Wales Online, 13 May 2011
  5. Ofcom rejects local radio station’s bid to cut Welsh language programming, Wales Online, 7 July 2011
  6. Radio Ceredigion public file
  7. Jobs at risk as Nation Broadcasting plans to relocate stations, bbc.co.uk, 14 September 2016
  8. Thomas, Huw (12 December 2018). "Radio Ceredigion to close after changes". Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  9. Nation requests Radio Ceredigion to continue in Format u-turn, Radio Today, 12 April 2019
  10. Radio Ceredigion withdraws format change request, Radio Today, 31 May 2019

General References

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