West Kent Radio started 60 years ago as a hospital station, but from the end of last month, they have begun transmitting live across the area on FM for the first time.
The new licensed station is broadcasting from Camden Road, and listeners will be able to tune in on frequencies 95.5 and 106.7 on any FM radio in West Kent.
The station is broadcasting all week round, with the breakfast show starting at 7 am, and segments such as The West Kent Jukebox from 1 pm, drivetime at 4 pm and ending with Night Network at 11 am which runs throughout the night.
Programmes also feature regular discussions, allowing people to engage and to provide a platform for local charities, support organisations and businesses to promote their services.
Talking about the station’s FM launch at the end of October, Programme Controller Chris Manser told the Times: “It has been great fun getting to this stage. We have got a wonderful team of people with us, 55 in total all together now. We are all volunteers.
“We have been working on bringing a local radio station back to West Kent now for the last four years and today is the day.
“We are still going to be doing requests, that is our legacy. But with the Ofcom license we have now, we can broadcast to a wider area.”
He added: “The station first started 60 years ago, and we had to see how the hospital service was changing with shorter admissions, so we had to expand to a wider audience.
“When Nigel Peacock the Implementation Manager came to us and said this is our last chance to get this Ofcom license, we knew this could perhaps be the last time we could evolve and take that step from hospital to community radio. We are always looking back at our past and now looking into the future.”
Nigel Peacock added: “We are delighted that true local radio is now returning to the area.
“It is a testament to teamwork, and we are proud to be bringing this special service to our towns and villages. Radio is the medium which builds connections and enriches the community, this is everyone’s radio for West Kent.”
