| Broadcast area | Uckfield |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 105.0 MHz |
| First air date | July 23, 2003 |
| Format | Community |
| Owner | Uckfield Community Radio Limited |
| Website | www.uckfieldfm.co.uk |
Uckfield FM is a community radio station based in the town of Uckfield, East Sussex.
The broadcast area is approximately 5 miles from studios at Bird In Eye Farm, which is to the south east of the town in the direction of Framfield.
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The original concept for Uckfield FM materialised during the Uckfield Festival of Summer 2002, when the original founders of Alan French, Paddy Rea, Gary King and Mike Skinner decided that the Festival needed its own radio station every summer.
Gary King was the first voice on Uckfield FM at 8:00am on Monday, 23 July 2003. From the original, temporary studios above The Picture House Cinema in Uckfield High Street, broadcasting locally on 87.9 FM and online elsewhere. Subsequent temporary broadcasts took place on the same frequency.
The station broadcast during the Summer in support of the Festival by way of a Restricted Service Licence for the following 7 years. In 2006, Uckfield Community Radio Limited was formed and the station moved into the current premises at Bird In Eye Farm. Original founders Mike Skinner and Gary King (who are both still involved in the management of the station as Chairman and Director of Programming respectively) founded the new company. Alan French is no longer involved with the management of the station, but does occasionally present programmes and Paddy Rea died in 2007. Breakfast presenter Mike Ziolek has since joined the board as Managing Director, Phil Moon is Company Secretary,Ian Rennison is the IT Director and Barry Horsman is Director of Community Affairs.
As soon as applications opened for this area of the country, Uckfield Community Radio Limited set about making their application [1].
In 2007 and 2008, the station returned with a second Restricted Service Licence in December to support the Uckfield Late Night Shopping events.
The final Restricted Service Licence broadcast took place during July 2009. Just a few days after this broadcast ended, OFCOM announced that Uckfield Community Radio Limited had been awarded a full time Community Radio Licence. Valid for 5 years.
The new, permanent frequency was announced as 105.0 FM. The full time launch of the station was at 1.05PM on Thursday 1 July 2010. The station was officially launched by Uckfield Town Mayor Jim Carvey, alongside Mike Skinner and Gary King.
In September 2010, Uckfield FM broadcast a live programme from the annual Uckfield Carnival procession, presented by Gary King and Tina Murphy, the pair also returned in December to present the outside broadcast from the Christmas Late Night Shopping event. The 2011 Uckfield Carnival takes place on Saturday 3rd September, once again Gary King and Tina Murphy will be broadcasting live from Uckfield High Street, with the station also part of the procession.
Since launch, Uckfield FM has featured interviews with a host of local musicians including Stevie Becks and Intraverse, through its popular New Roots Programme which is on alternate Sunday evenings, and also through Morning and Afternoon programmes. Sixties legend Paul Korda also spoke to the station live from LA during Jim Richman's Sixties Rendezvous programme.
Recent guests have also included John Marsh, best known from BBC Radio 2 who is a long term supporter of the station and lives locally, legendary cricket commentator Henry Blofeld who spoke to Tony Williams ahead of his show 'An Evening With Blowers' at Uckfield Civic Centre and Miss Great Britain finalist Annabel Bolton.
The station has also presented live broadcasts from Ashdown Forest Llama Park, Uckfield Farmers Market, Funabounds Trampoline Centre, Green DIY, A Craft Fair at Uckfield Civic Centre and The Hop Barn restaurant in the town.
In early 2011, the much needed second studio was built and the first broadcast from the new studio was on 9th May 2011. Both studios are currently used for live broadcasts, with the majority now coming from Studio 1 (the new studio) and Studio 2 is used for editing and training purposes.
There was a 4 hour outside broadcast from The Big Day Out, part of the 2011 Uckfield Festival on Saturday 9th July. The temporary studio was housed in a camper van on Luxford Field, which was anchored by presenters Mike Skinner, Mike Ziolek and Elliott Crush. This broadcast included live music, interviews with the public and event organisers and the team joining in with events in the arena, this included zumba dancing.
On the same day, the station broadcast the Jazz on the Field concert from the field in the evening. The Last Night of the Proms was also broadcast live from Uckfield Civic Centre the following weekend - the traditional end to the annual town festival.
The station is highly thought of in the radio industry and there is a waiting list for new members to join and broadcast. This is down to the very high standard the group has always expected of its presenters and management team and by virtue of this expectations are high.