SouthWest Radio Ltd (or SWR) owns and operates radio stations in Wiltshire, Avon, and Somerset in the South West of England. The company was founded in 2008 and is based in Exeter, Devon in the United Kingdom.[1]
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In early August 2009, South West Radio went into administration after it was declared insolvent, less than a year after Bath FM's previous owner, Laser Broadcasting, went under. Insolvency practitioners Kirk Hills were put in charge of looking for a buyer in order to safeguard the stations' futures.[2] [3]
In August 2009, it was reported that the stations had been bought by Your Media Communications Group.[4] However, industry regulator Ofcom declined to give permission for the licenses to be transferred to the new owners who are based in Oxford. The firm says it will now try to address Ofcom's concerns and that the stations will carry on operating as normal.
Your Media is chaired by Stephen Dexter, a former senior partner at Grant Thornton accountants, while his fellow board members include veteran broadcaster Roger Day and one time Laser Broadcasting chief executive Nigel Reeve, who is overseeing radio sales.
The firm said it was keen to boost the local programming element of the station.[5]
On 24 March 2010, after efforts by Your Media Communications Group, to take ownership of the station licences, the five stations closed with all but one of them switching to continuous music.
South West Radio's former licences are now back in the hands of Kirk Hills. The owner of another local radio group, Star Radio Cheltenham, has been mooted as a possible new backer.[6]