| Broadcast area | Macclesfield and East Cheshire |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 106.9 MHz |
| First air date | May 26, 1998 |
| Format | Variety Hit Radio |
| Audience share | 1.8% (December 2009, [1]) |
| Owner | Dee 106.3 |
Silk 106.9 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the town of Macclesfield as well as parts of Cheshire East. It is an FM station broadcasting at 106.9 FM. Towns in the Silk region includes Congleton, Knutsford, Sandbach and Wilmslow. It was part of The Local Radio Company, before being sold to Dee 106.3 in 2009, who renamed the station from its original "106.9 Silk FM".[2]
The station's first broadcast was on 26 May 1998 with guest Sammy McIlroy, then manager of the Macclesfield Town football club. It broadcasts a mix of current and classic hits and local news and sport.
Past presenters have included Nick Wright, Jeff Cooper, Guy Morris, Paul Allen and Trevor Thomas.
The station is now run completely locally 24 hours a day from its studios based on Moss Lane in the town, having dropped the Big Top 40 show in July 2010 - one of the final 'networked' shows on the station.
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The station awards the title School of the Week to schools within its broadcast area.[3] Perhaps the most important awards it gives are the "Local Hero awards" which have been awarded since the stations inception.[4]
The annual Cheshire Show is one of the highlights in the Silk calendar, of which the station offers extensive coverage.[4]
In 2008, having been short-listed for the award in the previous year, Silk won Radio Station of the Year (under 300,000) at the Sony Radio Awards.[5] It is again short-listed for the 2009 award.[6]
In 2006, 2007[7] and 2008, Silk was named Radio Academy North West Station of the Year.[6]
Breakfast - Andy Bailey
Mid Mornings - Phil Rodgers
Drivetime - Andy Clewes
Evenings (Mon-Thurs) - Kiesha Spence (Fridays - Feel Good Friday with Sophie Yates)
Weekends - Nick Arkell, Mark Blackman, Charlie Marlow, Sophie Yates, James Lister, Dave Chipman, Simon Davies