Community Radio Launches in Wolverhampton

Staff and volunteers at Wolverhampton Community Radio (WCR) are celebrating the news that they have won a full time community radio licence which will allow them to broadcast across Wolverhampton and work more closely with local people.

The licence was awarded after a bid was submitted to OFCOM (The Radio Authority) back in November 2004. WCR hopes to launch the community station next year.

The bid was heavily supported by community and voluntary organisations from across Wolverhampton , many of whom had previously worked with WCR especially on the Community Programme which WCR produces for BBCRadio WM.

WCR envisage that as a community station they will train organisations to produce their own programmes, which will become a big part of the station's output.

WCR has long been a champion of community radio, being ‘run by the community for the community'. The radio training organisation (WCR) was first formed in 1999 by their company chairman Peter Whitehouse when it was set up as the campus station for Wolverhampton College .

He said “This is the news that we have been waiting on for a very long time, community radio will provide us with the opportunity to work even more closely with the community.”

Over 500 community volunteers have been trained in radio production techniques; many have gone on to get jobs in the media.

The programmes will reflect the diverse communities that make up Wolverhampton . The station also aims to train community volunteers who live in the priority neighbourhood areas of Wolverhampton .

Station Manager Nikki Stewart said “We are all celebrating our good news - it proves that all of the hard work over the years, has now paid off. "

News Index