Halton FM
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Halton FM is a community radio station broadcasting in the Runcorn and Widnes area of Cheshire, England and over the Internet via its website.
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[edit] Early History
Halton FM started its life on mediumwave - 1413kHz AM when students from Halton College requested to start a restricted service broadcast as part of their course in Media Studies. Funds were raised to purchase broadcast equipment, and the station was named 'HCR 1413', Halton Community Radio on 1413 AM and launched in March 1993. A further 28 days broadcast was made in November 1993, headed by the Arts Development team of Halton Borough Council and this time on the FM band. It was at this point that the station was re-named Halton FM. The November broadcast was made from a former retail unit on Albert Road in Widnes.
In 1994, the management of the station returned to Halton College. The 28 day broadcasts were a way of providing an end-of-course project for students on the Broadcasting Skills course as well as a community radio platform for the whole of Halton. The majority of air-time was given over to community groups and volunteers, some of whom had no previous experience of broadcasting. New equipment was brought in, and the station once again moved premises, this time to the Simms Cross Annexe in Widnes. Further broadcasts were made from this location until the station moved once again with a huge funding boost.
[edit] The Bigger Picture and Halton Access To Media
In 2000, a newly founded government initiative called The Bigger Picture was launched in Halton. One former college tutor, Bob Rathmill, who had been heavily involved in the original broadcasts from HCR and Halton FM, was working for this initiative, which aimed to encourage young people in Halton to get involved with their community and increase their creativity. Rathmill suggested that the broadcasts be revived as a way of increasing community cohesion and providing an outlet for the creative talents of the Borough. The station returned once more to 1413 AM on mediumwave, broadcasting from Widnes for the last time in its history.
The Bigger Picture ran two more broadcasts in 2002, one in March/April and one in October/November, this time on 87.9FM and 105.9FM respectively. When funding for The Bigger Picture ran out, a committee was formed to continue the aims of the project and to guarantee the future of the radio station, which by this time had become well-known and had benefitted many people in Halton. The then chairman of the newly formed non-profit group Halton Access To Media, Ben McCall, bid for funds to provide educational courses for the unemployed, using the radio station as a tool for increasing confidence, literacy and numeracy. The Learning and Skills Council gave HAM a grant which would be the beginning of Halton FM's new direction - as an educational tool, and a real benefit to the community.
[edit] Current history
A pilot for the 'Media Skills' course was run in April 2003, along with a 28 day broadcast. One student on this course was Nico Versluys, HAM's current manager. The course was run by Chris Oakley who originally founded the station with John Grindley and Bob Rathmill when they were students and tutor respectively at Halton College. The pilot course and broadcast were successful, and HAM hired three former volunteers, Kirsty Walker, Matthew Roberts and Nico Verlsuys to act as Manager, Administrator and Learning Mentor in addition to their technical officer Stephen Parhizgar, who along with committee member Phil Woodbridge, managed the office until the new staff were installed in July 2003.
There then followed further successful broadcasts from the new base of Brook Chambers on Runcorn High Street. The courses introduced new volunteers to the station, and a new ethos to the organisation, one of dedicated work for and with the community, and a commitment to education and skills. The new staff team and re-invigorated committee successfully bid for a full-time community radio license, having been on the front line of community broadcasting for over 12 years.
A new direction in funding and another change of premises (to Halton Village Youth Club near Castlefield, Runcorn) takes Halton FM to its current position, where work with young people is the focus. The station continues to broadcast using only volunteers, all of whom are trained by the organisation itself. The station plays host to a broad range of musical styles including jazz, country and western, classic rock, classical music, chillout, electronica, soul/motown, mash-ups and celtic music. In addition to these styles and their support for local music, the station encourages anyone who shows an interest in community, education or radio to work with them.
During the weekday the station has community time featuring interviews and live shows, such as community groups and poetry reading, which can be accessed or broadcast by any willing community group. The evening makes way for music programming from Jazz to Electronic music, and a commitment to local and unsigned bands.
On the 17th May 2006 Halton FM was awarded a full time FM license by Ofcom.
The next broadcast will take place in the spring of 2007.
[edit] Other Community Radio Stations with full time licenses.
There are a number of community stations which have been granted full time licenses like Halton FM:
