 | |
| Broadcast area | West Midlands |
|---|---|
| Frequency | DAB |
| Programming | |
| Format | CHR |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Unmuted Limited |
| History | |
First air date | 28 March 2018 |
| Links | |
| Website | Fresh West Midlands |
Fresh West Midlands is a community radio station covering the West Midlands. Fresh broadcasts from studios in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on the Small Scale Birmingham Multiplex and online.
The station was initially opened under the name Hit1FM as a hobby radio station in July 2013, by Aaron Gregory. [1] The station was designed to target ages 16–24 living and working in the area, and achieved a listenership of approximately 1000 listeners daily via internet radio. The station spent the first three years of its broadcasting life operating from a bedroom in Coventry. The station then opted to rebrand to Fresh in January 2017 when plans to launch on digital radio were made public. Fresh serves a population of up to 900,000 people in the local area and is run by station manager Aaron Gregory alongside a team of 15 volunteer radio presenters. The station launched on the Coventry DAB multiplex on March 28 at 0800 am with an opening launch sequence. [2]
After being on the Coventry & Warwickshire Multiplex for sometime, the station decided to come off due to a studio move to Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
Fresh maintains a large presence at local events in the community, aiming to link local residents to their community. [3]
Daily programming includes a breakfast show, generally automated programming throughout the day, with presenter-led shows in the evening with a variety of genres.
The station moved from original studios in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, to purpose-built studios in Kenilworth in September 2018. The station has moved to its new home back in Leamington Spa. Purpose-built studios will serve the station in its home of Chapel Court.
The station is currently owned by Unmuted Limited.
| Multiplex | Block | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Now Digital Coventry | 12D | Barwell, Daventry, Hartshill Quarry, Ilmington, Leamington Spa, Meriden, Samuel Vale, Shilton [4] |
| Birmingham Small Scale Trial | 9A | North Birmimgham |
Kenilworth is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Coventry and 5 miles (8 km) north of Warwick. The town lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the River Avon 2 miles (3 km) north-east of the town. At the 2021 Census, the population was 22,538. The town is home to the ruins of Kenilworth Castle and Kenilworth Abbey.
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington, is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam, which flows through the town.
Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.
Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.
Whitnash is a town and civil parish located southeast of, and contiguous with Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,760 which increased to 9,129 in the 2011 census, increasing again to 10,489 in the 2021 census.
BBC CWR is the BBC's local radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Sutton Coldfield transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. In terms of population covered, it is the third most important transmitter in the UK, after Crystal Palace in London and Winter Hill near Bolton.
Kerrang! Radio is a British specialist digital rock music radio station related to Kerrang! magazine. It is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of the Kiss Network.
Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre. It is a major stop on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham, and is the southern terminus of a branch line to Coventry.
Berkswell railway station, in the West Midlands of England, takes its name from the nearby village of Berkswell although it is located on the northern edge of the village of Balsall Common. The station originally opened in 1844 as Docker's Lane, changed to Berkswell on 1 January 1853, then to Berkswell & Balsall Common on 1 February 1928 before reverting to Berkswell again in 1955.
The Coventry to Nuneaton Line is a railway line linking Coventry and Nuneaton in the West Midlands of England. The line has a passenger service. It is also used by through freight trains, and freight trains serving facilities on the route.
Bedworth railway station serves the town of Bedworth in Warwickshire, England. It is on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line 6.25 miles (10 km) north of Coventry railway station. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by West Midlands Trains.
Warwick Parkway is a railway station with park and ride facilities on the western outskirts of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. It also serves the village of Budbrooke. Unusually, the station is not owned by Network Rail but by Warwickshire County Council.
The Coventry to Leamington Line is a railway line linking the city of Coventry with the town of Leamington Spa. The line was opened in 1844 by the London and Birmingham Railway, as far as Milverton. The line was extended to Leamington Spa Avenue in 1851. A connecting line to Berkswell opened in 1884.
Kenilworth railway station serves the town of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England; it is a stop on the Coventry to Leamington Line. The original Kenilworth station opened in 1844, before being rebuilt in 1884 and closed in 1965. In 2013, it was announced that the station would reopen in 2016; it finally reopened on 30 April 2018.
Bermuda Park railway station is a railway station in the Bermuda area of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. It serves the Bermuda Park Industrial Estate, on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line between the existing stations at Nuneaton and Bedworth. Funding for the new station was approved in December 2011, along with that for the new Coventry Arena railway station. Both stations opened on 18 January 2016.
Stuart Linnell MBE BAHons HonMA is a semi-retired UK radio and television broadcaster, particularly well known in Coventry and Warwickshire, and in Northamptonshire. He is Chair of Healthwatch Coventry, and Chair of Coventry Community Digital Radio.
Free Radio was a regional group of Independent Local Radio stations in the West Midlands, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network.
Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands is an Independent Local Radio station based in Birmingham, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the West Midlands. The station forms part of Greatest Hits Radio Midlands.
Capital Mid-Counties is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Capital network. It broadcasts to Coventry, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, south Staffordshire, the Cotswolds and north Oxfordshire.