Ridings FM

Ridings FM

Broadcast area	Wakefield
Frequency	106.8 MHz
First air date	3 October 1999
Format	Contemporary
Audience share	5.3% (December 2009, [1])
Owner	Lincs FM Group
Sister stations	Dearne FM
Webcast	64kbit/s

Ridings FM is the Independent Local Radio station serving Wakefield and the Five Towns area since 3 October 1999. It is owned by the Lincs FM Group.

Following a memorandum sent to Ofcom, which stated that the station has never made a profit although being a technical success, Ridings FM was moved to the Dearne FM studios at Barugh.^[1] This move comes after the group also combined the premises of its two Trax FM stations in Doncaster.

Transmitters

The transmitter is at Birkwood Farm, near Stanley Ferry, close to the River Calder. Although the transmitter is not particularly high, but reasonably powerful for the area (compared to many Lincs FM Group stations) it covers. Since July 2001, it has been on the EMAP Leeds DAB multiplex. This service may not be continued as it is a significant cost and covers areas outside of Wakefield with a 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.^[2]

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.^[3] Ridings FM was later awarded the licence on 7 January 1999.

Programming

The Breakfast show is presented by John Tolson. Other presenters include Gareth Webb, Kev Wilson, Tony Collins, Matt Hutchinson, James Marriott, Vicki Norton, Joel Fryer, Steve Orchard, Richard Lyon, Richard Shaw-Wright and Rob Langley.

Former presenters on the station include Danny Lacey, Phil Butler, Dave Parker, Paul Stead, Steve White, Rachel Bailey, Andy Hoyle, Jamie Fletcher and Chris Hubbard.

The station is an affiliate of the Big Top 40 Show.

The format of the station is Adult Contemporary and uses the strapline The Music You Love.

News and sport

Ridings FM's news team has won a Sony Bronze award in May 2000, and is made up of Holly Emery, May Norman, Suzy Lawson and Sarah Maine. At off peak times the station uses the feed from Independent Radio News.

As well as news, Ridings FM covers local sports teams from the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Castleford Tigers and Featherstone Rovers in rugby league, to Ossett Albion, Ossett Town, Frickley Athletic and Wakefield F.C. in football.

References

1. ^ wakefieldexpress.co.uk
2. ^ geocities.com
3. ^ ofcom.org.uk

External links

• Ridings FM
• History of local radio in Yorkshire
• Birkwood Farm transmitter
• The Student Wiki
• Receiving the licence in January 1999