Radio Pembrokeshire
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| Broadcast area | Pembrokeshire |
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| First air date | July 14, 2002 |
| Frequency | 102.5 MHz and 107.5 MHz (Fishguard & Tenby) |
| Format | Contemporary |
| Owner | Town & Country Broadcasting |
Radio Pembrokeshire is an independent local radio station (ILR) located in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, UK. It was launched officially at 10am on Sunday, 14 July 2002.
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[edit] History
The prelude to Radio Pembrokeshire was Haven FM, which broadcast on 107.0 MHz from a small makeshift studio at Bethany Chapel in Pembroke Dock during the summer of 1999. The first 30-day trial broadcast of Haven FM went down extremely well with the locals of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock and Neyland. During the second stint of broadcasting in November-December 1999, the station was encouraging listeners to send in letters and cards to Haven FM to prove their case for a local station to the Radio Authority (now part of Ofcom), which issued all commercial radio broadcast licences in the UK.
Following two more 30-day trial broadcasts (a maximum of four broadcasts are permitted) during 2000, Haven FM went off air from their small studios in December 2000, quietly confident that they had secured enough of a mandate to win the licence not only to broadcast permanently to Pembroke & Pembroke Dock, but to the whole county of Pembrokeshire.
In November 2001, Haven FM beat off two other rival applications from More FM and Real Radio. They were awarded an eight-year licence which expires in 2009. The station broadcasts to the majority of the county of Pembrokeshire on 102.5 MHz FM at high power from the Haverfordwest transmitting station, and to Fishguard and Tenby from separate low power transmitters in each town, both on 107.5 MHz FM.
It was at this point that the managing director, Keri Jones, renamed his new station 'Radio Pembrokeshire' to reflect the fact that it was to broadcast countywide, and not just a small area around the Cleddau Estuary. The original location for the station was to be in the centre of Pembrokeshire's administrative town, Haverfordwest. Following problems in securing premises in Haverfordwest, a suitable building was found at the Old School Estate in Narberth (pictured) - some 14 miles to the east of Haverfordwest near the border with neighbouring Carmarthenshire.
After seven months of planning, building studios and training staff the station was finally launched on 14th July 2002. The original station voiceovers (the voices on the sweepers and idents) were 'Voice of ITV' Trish Bertram and Andy Mariott. In 2005 new jingles and sweepers were recorded, and it was at this point that Andy Marriott was dropped as a station voice, with Trish Bertram continuing as the solo voice-over.
[edit] Studio invasion & protests
On July 24, 2004 the Radio Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire studios located on the outskirts of Narberth, Pembrokeshire, were invaded by eleven activists from the Welsh language Society Cymdeithas yr Iaith. They were protesting about Radio Carmarthenshire's decision to limit the amount of Welsh language programming broadcast on Radio Carmarthenshire.
The offices and studios were stormed during a live broadcasts, taking Radio Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire off air for 15 minutes. According to Radio Pembrokeshire, their head of sales, Aimee Bowen was injured, and needed hospital treatment for a fractured wrist during the scuffles which ensued. Police arrested eleven activists, and subsequently released them pending further enquiries. Keri Jones later branded the members of the group as "terrorists".
Cymdeithas claim that 50% of the population in Carmarthenshire speak Welsh as a first language, but less than 5% of Radio Carmarthenshire's output is in Welsh. As a result of complaints and pressure from the society and individuals, UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom issued Radio Carmarthenshire with a 'yellow card' warning in late 2004.
[edit] Keri Jones leaves Radio Pembrokeshire group
On August 21, 2006 it was reported in the press that Keri Jones was to leave the Radio Pembrokeshire group which he founded in 1999. It is understood that Mr Jones will move to the Scilly Isles and manage his own media consultancy practice. His shares in the Pembrokeshire Group were bought by Town & Country Broadcasting who now have full control of the portfolio of radio stations which Keri Jones formed.
[edit] Awards & achievements
Since its launch, Radio Pembrokeshire has won a string of high-profile industry awards for its output and attracting an enviable market share. In 2004, 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire reached nearly 2 out of 3 listeners in the county every week, and now accounts for more than 40% of all radio listening in the county. This is the highest market share in the UK, and ahead of every single other UK radio station. 52,000 listeners tuned in for an average of 15.9 hours a week.
In 2003 & 2004, it received the The Radio Academy silver award in Wales. In 2005 it received yet another award at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards for 'Commercial Radio Station of the Year' (under 300,000 TSA). Quote from the CRCA/Arqiva website:
"29% share and 61% reach combined with a revenue increase of 30%. These are the figures for this year's winning station, 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire. Apart from continuing to develop its output, Radio Pembrokeshire has launched two complementary radio services and a quarterly magazine. No wonder then that it was short-listed for this year's Sonys and scored so well with this year's Arqiva judges"
In July 2006, Radio Pembrokeshire once again won the NTL Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year award.
