UTV has changed the name of the station it is due to launch in Lancashire to Central Radio, after its original name was deemed to be too closely associated with the city of Preston.
Central character: Barnett
The group, which runs a portfolio of stations in the North West including Warrington’s Wire FM and Wish FM in Wigan, won the licence for the area on the back of a bid to launch Proud FM on the airwaves later this year.
However, according to John Barnett, the chairman of Central Radio, this soon caused some issues within the intended broadcast umbrella of Preston, Chorley and Leyland:
“In the area we serve, there is the University of Central Lancashire, Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust and a host of local sports clubs with Central Lancashire in their titles, so it made sense to call it Central Radio,” he noted.
“We canvassed opinion from our future listeners who told us they were crying out for a new radio station that serves Preston, Chorley and Leyland, but they felt that the name Proud FM was closely associated with Preston and its motto, Proud Preston.”
Talking about the preparations for the station launch, he continued: “We’ve spent time making sure we get Central Radio just right before we go on air, and that means getting the right presenters and news team together.
“We’ve also been busy arranging where to put the studios and hope to make an announcement on that shortly. This is a station for all the local residents and we want everyone to feel a part of it from day one.”
The new service, which has pledged to cut down on DJ chatter and focus on intelligent presentation, will be broadcast on 106.5 FM to a potential audience of 265,000 people.
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