Star 107.9

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Star 107.9 is also the on-air callsign of a station in Columbus, Ohio. See WODB.


Star 107.9
Broadcast area Stroud, Gloucestershire
First air date November 29, 1998
Frequency 107.3 MHz, 107.9 MHz
Format Adult Contemporary
Owner UKRD Group

Star 107.9 was a UK Independent Local Radio station centred on the area of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, also broadcasting to other localities including Cirencester, Tetbury and Stonehouse, and Dursley on a 107.3 FM relay (originally 107.2 FM). The station was owned by the UKRD Group, and shared its programme controller, Brody Swain, and managing director Junie Lewis with Star 107.5 in Cheltenham.

The station launched in 1998, originally known as The Falcon. UKRD rebranded the station in 2002 as Star 107, later becoming Star 107.9 and then Star Radio in late 2005, based in premises in the Brunel Mall on London Road in Stroud. The station ceased broadcasting on September 29th 2006; the last song played was Boy Meets Girl's "Waiting For a Star to Fall".

Later presenters included Paul Ellery, Roger Noble, Jon Beese, Chris Hanson and Neil MacDonald.

[edit] Closure and return of licence to Ofcom

The station ceased broadcasting on 29th September 2006 following a decision by UKRD to return the licence to the United Kingdom's broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, Ofcom. UKRD believed that it woulf be impossible for anyone to make the station profitable, which, according to figures, had been loss-making throughout its entire eight year history.

UKRD had applied to relocate the station to share the same building with nearby sister station Star Radio in Cheltenham and to introduce shared programming between the Stroud and Cheltenham stations in daytime hours. While Ofcom cleared the co-location of the two stations, it refused permission for programming sharing between the two stations, believed to be the catalyst for UKRD's decision to close the station altogether.

Returning a licence to the broadcasting regulator had, until September 21st 2006, been unprecedented in the United Kingdom.