CTR FM

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ctr 105.6FM
Broadcast area Maidstone
First air date 18 October 2003
Frequency 105.6 MHz
Format Contemporary
Owner Kent Messenger Group

ctr 105.6 FM (abbreviated from County Town Radio) is an FM radio station broadcasting to the Maidstone and Mid Kent area of the Untitled Kingdom. It is now a part of the Kent Messenger Group who acquired the station in October 2006. Currently the station remains as ctr 105.6, but under guidance of the kmfm radio group.

Contents

[edit] Presenters

  • Ant Payne
  • Patrick Foster
  • Spencer James
  • Brian Jones
  • Ian St James
  • Colin Woolven
  • Joe Dyer (station producer)
  • Robin Wills
  • Helen Fisher
  • Duncan
  • Danny Williams

[edit] History

In November 2006 CTr was taken over by The Kent Messenger Group[1], who are a Media Company based in Kent. Their portfolio already includes several radio stations across the county, operating collectively as kmfm.

On October 18th 2003 ctr 105.6 fm launched as the independent radio station for Maidstone and Mid-Kent. It was the realisation and culmination of over 13 years of hard work by a team of local radio professionals spearheaded by Jon Maxfield.

The group originally started as MFR - Maidstone Festival Radio, changing to CTR FM, then for a short period of time at the request of the Radio Authority they changed the station name to 20/20fm (named after the A20 and M20). The R.A. was worried about the effect the name may have on a new station that had launched in Canterbury called 106ctfm.

October 18th 2003 the voice of Mike Russell greeted the listeners along with the song by the Rolling Stones - Start Me Up! Simultaneously as the station started to broadcast a town crier could be heard ringing the news in the main town centre "oh yay oh yay... now hear this... Maidstone now has its own radio station"...

Unusually the station launched with many of the original RSL team formed a part of the new radio station including Patrick Foster, Russell Card, Kevin Field, Brian Jones, Mike Russell and Jon Maxfield.

[edit] Original Launch Staff

  • Jon Maxfield - MD, Mid-Mornings
  • John Brox - Programme Controller, Drive Time
  • Mike Russell - Producer, Breakfast Presenter
  • Sarah Thompson - Head of Sales
  • Kevin Field - Marketing & Promotions Manager, Presenter 'The Heat' Dance Show and OB Presenter
  • Patrick Foster - Studio Manager, Mellow Grooves and Cover Presenter
  • Brian Jones - IT and Evening Presenter
  • Richard Cave - Sports Presenter
  • Russell Card - Head of IT and Sports Cover
  • Moira Mitchell - News Editor
  • Helen Fisher - News Editor


[edit] Former Presenters

  • Jon Maxfield - also former MD (now at Atlantis.fm)
  • John Brox - Drive Time and PC (now running RadioWorks Associates LTD)
  • Mike Russell - Breakfast (now at Time fm in Windsor)
  • Moira Mitchell - News and breakfast co-host (now editor of The Downsmail Newspaper)
  • Helen Fisher - News and breakfast/drive co-host (now with GMTV)
  • James Forster - News and County Town in Focus

[edit] External links

  • ctr Official website