West Wolds Radio

THE NEW SOUND OF POCKLINGTON ANNOUNCES LAUNCH DATE

The new radio station for Bielby,  Pocklington and surrounding villages is to be launched at the end of November.

West Wolds Radio is to begin broadcasting on 103.1FM and online on Sunday 29^th November at 10.31am. The announcement was made by station manager Stuart Cocker to a specially-invited audience of station volunteers and supporters at the Pocklington Arts Centre on Sunday 27^th September.

Broadcasting from studios on Market Street in the town, the newest radio station in the country will be a seven-day week operation run by volunteers. It will provide a mix of music, news, features, local information, specialist programming and outside broadcasts. The station can be heard on FM, online, and streamed via tablets, ipads and smartphones.

Initially, West Wolds Radio will broadcast live for six hours a day, Monday to Friday, with pre-recorded shows or music and information at other times, and from 10am-6pm at weekends. The station has a membership of more than 30, with a wide range of skills from programme-making to IT.

Station Manager Stuart Cocker said: “This is an extremely exciting time for us. Building the studios has been a huge job but made easier with the invaluable help of volunteers. We have recruited a great group of enthusiastic members to run the station and make programmes, and can only grow from here. We are an early Christmas present for Pocklington and surrounding areas.”

The “West Wolds Radio and You” meeting, hosted by Deputy Chairman Tony Barker and new volunteer Daniel Scullane, included presentations on programming, a youth forum, community events and the training being provided  for volunteers. 

The station is one of around 250 community radio services around the UK, providing  dedicated local broadcasting for a specific area, such as Pocklington and surrounding villages.  It will be funded by advertising, sponsorship, grants and fundraising, with all profits reinvested in the service.

West Wolds Radio was awarded a licence by the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, to provide a radio service for the area in April 2014 and, since then, the station has been recruiting members, built studios in Pocklington Town Centre, set up a website and been to events such as the Pocklington Summer Fair, Fangfest, Barmby Moor Feast and Bielby Music Festival to promote the station brand.

West Wolds Radio was also involved in a pilot BBC Community Reporters’ project earlier this year, which resulted in a feature about the Pocklington Canal being aired on BBC Radio Humberside’s flagship programme “Breakfast with Lizzie and Carl”.

The station’s website contains interviews recorded at various events, as well as news stories and an events guide.

More information about the station can be found at www.westwoldsradio.co.uk, or like us on facebook.com/westwoldsradio or follow on Twitter @westwoldsradio.