Lochbroom FM
Radio station in Ullapool, Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lochbroom FM was a radio station based in Ullapool, Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland that broadcast between 1995 and 2020 and which was Britain's smallest radio station.
| |
Broadcast area | Wester Ross |
|---|---|
| Frequencies | 96.8 MHz, 102.2 MHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Community info & mixed music |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Community owned via Wester Ross Radio Ltd |
| History | |
First air date | 1995 |
Last air date | 2020 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
The station now broadcasts as Radio Wester Ross after a rebrand to unite the broadcast areas of Two Lochs Radio and Lochbroom FM.
History
A community radio association was formed in 1994. They broadcast in 1995 using a three-month temporary commercial radio licence from a small tin shack with a transmission radius of 20 miles.[1] A further two-month licence let them broadcast in 1996, and then a full eight-year licence came into operation at the end of May 1997.[1]
A purpose-built station was proposed, which was to be funded through a variety of grants.[2] In 1996, it was announced that they had secured £45,000 of lottery funding towards the purchase and fitting out of a new building.[3]
Lochbroom FM launched on 23 May 1997. It broadcast on 96.8 MHz and 102.2 MHz.[4] The studio opened in September 1998.[5]
In 2012, the station started to use neighbouring commercial station Two Lochs Radio as its sustaining service.[6][7] In 2020, broadcasting regulator Ofcom formally transferred the Lochbroom FM licence to Wester Ross Radio Ltd, the company that also holds the Two Lochs Radio licence.[8]
The station rebranded to Radio Wester Ross on Monday 29 April 2024.