The Voice (North Devon)

Last updated

The Voice
The Voice North Devon.png
Frequency FM: 106.1 MHz (Barnstaple)
107.8 MHz (Bideford & Surrounding Areas)
107.8 MHz (Ilfracombe)
DAB
Programming
Format AC, Pop
Ownership
OwnerThe Voice (North Devon) CIC
History
First air date
4 July 2010 (online)
9 November 2010 (First FM RSL)
2 April 2012 (DAB)
18 January 2014 (Full Time FM)
Links
Website http://www.thevoicefm.co.uk

The Voice is a local radio station serving North Devon, and based at studios in Barnstaple.

Contents

As of December 2023, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 12,500 according to RAJAR. [1]

History

The station began broadcasting online in July 2010 as Network North Devon, part of a group of internet radio stations owned by former Lantern FM presenter Ian Starling. The station was set up in response to Global Radio's decision to merge five of its Heart radio stations (in North Devon, Plymouth & the surrounding areas, the Exeter & Torbay areas and the South Hams) into one county-wide station based in Exeter. By this time, local programming on the Heart stations had been restricted to breakfast and drivetime slots.

The Voice was granted its first licence to broadcast on FM for 28 days from 9 November 2010 to 6 December 2010 under a Restricted Service Licence by Ofcom, serving the Barnstaple area on 106 FM and online via the station's website. Further RSL broadcasts have since been made on FM for the Barnstaple and Bideford areas. [2]

While the station was off air between its various FM broadcasts, it continued to provide live programming daily from the Barnstaple studios via its website and iPhone app. In January 2012, The Voice moved from its location on The Square to new temporary studios above 21 High Street, Barnstaple sharing space with The Olden Group.

The Voice planned to apply for the North Devon commercial FM licence in 2011, but shortly before the renewal date Now Digital submitted a proposal to Ofcom to extend DAB coverage in to North Devon, [3] which would allow Heart Devon to automatically retain the licence. Despite the vast majority of responses to the consultation being 'No', Ofcom approved the request, [4] effectively blocking The Voice from applying for the commercial licence.

DAB Launch

On 20 March 2012, during a 28-day RSL from 16 March 2012 to 12 April 2012, The Voice announced it had won a full-time licence to broadcast across most of North Devon on the local DAB digital radio multiplex, [5] broadcast from the Huntshaw Cross transmitter.

The station began DAB broadcasts on Monday 2 April 2012 at 6am, following a weekend of testing. Its launch song was John Farnham's You're The Voice, which it adopted as its theme tune over the various broadcasts.

FM Launch

After being unsuccessful in its plans to win the North Devon commercial FM licence, the station applied for a full-time five year community radio licence, [6] which was awarded in April 2012. [7]

The FM service was launched on Saturday 18 January 2014. [8] The first record played was John Farnham, You're The Voice, followed by a new version of Eternal Flame (which was the first record played on North Devon's first commercial station in 1992) by local band Zamba. The song was specially commissioned for the launch of The Voice on FM. The FM service is broadcast on two frequencies; 106.1 for Barnstaple and surrounding areas and 107.8 for Bideford and Ilfracombe. [9]

New studios

In July 2017, the station moved to new studios in Barnstaple in the former Citizens Advice building. Paul Crockett, managing director of The Voice said: "the new facilities are the envy of many a commercial station up and down the land". In the same week that the new studios opened, the station was contacted by Channel Four, which informed the station it was the most-listened-to radio station in North Devon. [10]

The Voice 2

On Wednesday 7 February 2024, a new spin off station from The Voice was announced on air, on social media and online. The Voice 2 will be launched on DAB digital radio, online and on mobile app on 9 April 2024, playing music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Solent</span> BBC Local Radio service for Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, England

BBC Radio Solent is the BBC's local radio station serving Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, broadcasting on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Havelock Road in Southampton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio Devon</span> Radio station in Plymouth

BBC Radio Devon is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart North Devon</span> Radio station in Barnstaple

Heart North Devon was an Independent Local Radio station in North Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold (British radio network)</span> United Kingdom oldies radio network

Gold is a network of oldies radio stations in the United Kingdom, which was formed by the merger of the Capital Gold network and the Classic Gold network in August 2007. The station relaunched in March 2014 as a partly-automated service, broadcasting in fewer areas, after many of Gold's local AM/DAB frequencies were transferred to Smooth Radio. Most programming is broadcast from the Global Radio studios in Leicester Square, London.

Hits Radio Oxfordshire is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom on FM and the Oxfordshire DAB multiplex, as part of the Hits Radio network. It is owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK.

MFR is an Independent Local Radio station based in Inverness, owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio Network. It broadcasts to Moray and the Inverness area. Previously, it broadcast to the Scottish Highlands and South West Aberdeenshire, but this ceased on 11th December 2023 when the 1107 kHZ AM transmitter at Tarbet Ness was switched off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth Chill</span> Radio station

Smooth Chill is a British digital radio station dedicated to chill out, ambient and trip hop music. On 3 September 2019, Chill was rebranded as Smooth Chill to align it with the Smooth Radio brand. It is owned and operated by Global.

Radio enjoys a huge following in the United Kingdom. There are around 600 licensed radio stations in the country. For a more comprehensive list see List of radio stations in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital radio in the United Kingdom</span>

In the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio has been proceeding since engineering test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990 followed by a public launch in September 1995. The UK currently has one of the world's biggest digital radio networks, with about 500 transmitters, three national DAB ensembles, one regional DAB ensemble, 48 local DAB ensembles and an increasing number of small-scale DAB ensembles broadcasting over 250 commercial and 34 BBC radio stations across the UK. In London there are already more than 100 different digital stations available. In addition to DAB and DAB+, radio stations are also broadcast on digital television platform as well as internet radio in the UK. Digital radio ensemble operators and stations need a broadcasting licence from the UK's media regulator Ofcom to broadcast.

The Breeze (South Devon) was an Independent Local Radio station serving South Devon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Original 106 (radio station)</span> Radio station in Aberdeen

Original 106 is an Independent Local Radio station owned by DC Thomson and broadcasting to Aberdeenshire and the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nation Radio Wales</span> Regional radio station in Wales

Nation Radio Wales is a regional radio station, broadcasting to south and west Wales on FM and across Wales on DAB. It is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting and broadcasts from studios near the St Hilary transmitter on the outskirts of Cowbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart Exeter and Heart Torbay</span> Former British Independent Local Radio stations

Heart Exeter and Torbay were part of the Heart Network of commercial local radio stations operated by Global Radio in the United Kingdom. The stations were launched on 23 March 2009, and replaced Gemini FM, which was the previous commercial radio station for the Exeter and Torbay areas in Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Exe</span> Radio station in Exeter

Radio Exe is an Independent Local Radio station based in Exeter, Devon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack FM (United Kingdom)</span> Radio station in Oxford, United Kingdom

JACK FM was an adult hits format radio station that broadcast on 106.8 MHz FM in Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, and on DAB in Oxfordshire. Between 2016 and 2017 it also broadcast in Surrey and parts of Hampshire. The station shared premises in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, with its sister stations JACK 2 and JACK 3.

DevonAir Radio is a community radio station, based in Exmouth, Devon, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart South West</span> Radio station in Exeter

Heart South West was a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. It broadcast to Devon and Cornwall from studios in Exeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nation Radio Suffolk</span> Radio station in Ipswich

Nation Radio Suffolk is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting. It broadcasts from Ipswich in Suffolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart West</span> British radio station

Heart West is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts in South West England and South Wales from studios in Bristol.

References

  1. ↑ "Quarterly Listening". www.rajar.co.uk. RAJAR. December 2022. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Bideford FM awaits Ofcom approval". North Devon Gazette. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  3. ↑ DAB in North Devon, OfCom, 1 June 2011
  4. ↑ Now Digital Ltd request to extend the coverage area of the local radio multiplex licence for Exeter & Torbay, OfCom, 12 July 2011
  5. ↑ The Voice in North Devon goes digital, RadioToday, 20 March 2012
  6. ↑ Community Radio Licence Applicants – Region 1 Wales and south west England, OfCom, 1 August 2011
  7. ↑ "Twelve community radio licence awards: April 2012". Ofcom. Ofcom. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Voice goes live in North Devon". ITV News. 18 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "How to Listen". The Voice North Devon. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Howells, Sarah (25 July 2017). "The Voice looks back on 'David and Goliath' battle as it opens brand new studio". North Devon Gazette.
  11. ↑ "The Voice community radio station launches The Voice 2". Radio Today. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.

51°04′44″N4°03′34″W / 51.079°N 4.0594°W / 51.079; -4.0594

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.