BBC Dorset FM
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| |
| Broadcast area | Dorset |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.8 FM (Bincombe Hill) |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Local news, talk and music |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC Local Radio |
| History | |
First air date | 26 April 1993 |
Last air date | March 1996 |
BBC Dorset FM was a BBC Local Radio station based in Dorchester, covering the county of Dorset in England which broadcast from 1993 to 1996. It was the last BBC Local Radio station to launch which covered a previously unserved area. It operated as an opt-out station from BBC Radio Devon for around 23 hours a week.
BBC Dorset FM emerged after plans for a full-time station for Dorset were cancelled in 1990, as part of a series of measures designed to save £3 million. Dorset FM opened on 26 April 1993, broadcasting to central and West Dorset on 103.8 FM from its transmitter on Bincombe Hill.
The station produced three-and-a-half hours of its own programming each weekday - Good Morning Dorset from 6:30 am to 9 am, and Dorset Newshour from 12 pm to 1 pm. In addition there were three hours of programmes on Saturday and two hours on Sunday. The remainder of the station's output was relayed from BBC Radio Devon.
In March 1996, BBC Dorset FM closed, and was replaced on 103.8 FM by a relay of BBC Radio Solent, albeit with a news and information service tailored to rural Dorset. The Dorchester studio became a district office of Radio Solent.