Radio Hafren
Radio Hafren was a local commercial radio station in the United Kingdom, serving Mid Wales and the English border counties and broadcasting on 756 AM and 102.1 FM. It was officially launched on Christmas Day 2010 after its bid to take over the licence of Radio Maldwyn was accepted on 15 December 2010, initially broadcasting on only 756 AM.
On 11 August 2014, at 10:21am Radio Hafren starting broadcasting on 102.1 FM to the two largest population centers (Newtown and Welshpool) in its coverage area, using a frequency allocated in 2011. On Wednesday 11 February 2015 Radio Hafren closed down because it was financially unviable.[1]
Origins of the station as Radio Maldwyn
Broadcast area | Mid Wales, western Shropshire, north western Herefordshire (approximately; signal is prominent in some areas of North East Wales) |
---|---|
Frequency | 756 kHz AM/397 metres Medium Wave Band |
First air date | Thursday, 1 July, 1993 |
Format | Classic Hits |
Transmitter coordinates | 52°31′00″N 3°16′37″W / 52.5168°N 3.2770°WCoordinates: 52°31′00″N 3°16′37″W / 52.5168°N 3.2770°W |
Owner | Murfin Music International/Community Co-Operative |
Website | http://www.magic756.net |
Radio Maldwyn - The Magic 756 was a local commercial radio station serving Mid Wales and the English border counties, with a transmitter site is based a few miles outside of Newtown, Powys.
The station began broadcasting at 07.56 am on Thursday, 1 July 1993. The original Station Manager and Programme Controller was John Barnes, the original Sales Manager was Lisa Price.
Live programmes initially ran between 0700 - 1900, with the Supergold service from the Chiltern Radio Network overnight. The station increased local hours to 2100 a few months after going on air. Maldwyn was the only station outside the Chiltern-owned stations that made full use of the automation service available on Supergold to insert local news, commercials and features within network programming. Maldwyn broadcast the Network News service provided by Chiltern Radio before switching to IRN when Network News closed.
Originally a local station formed as a community co-operative, Radio Maldwyn became a Limited Company in the late 1990s, with original shareholders having 51% of the new company and 49% owned by Murfin Music International, owners of Sunshine 855 in Ludlow, South Shropshire and Sunshine FM in Hereford and Monmouth.
It was decided that in November 2010 the station was to close;[2] it was replaced by Radio Hafren.[3]
Former Presenters
- Adrian Lawley (Breakfast) - Now at Radio 879, Shropshire
- Julian Saunders (Midday Show) - Now at Energy FM, Isle Of Man
- Simon Doe (Drivetime) Now at WCR, Wolverhampton
- Nick Parton (Weekend Breakfast) - Now at Radio 879, Shropshire
- Brian Cullen - Now at Radio 879, Shropshire
- Dan Morris - Now at WCR, Wolverhampton
- Austin Powell (Station MD) - Now at WCR, Wolverhampton and Radio 879, Shropshire
- Mike Baker (Baker was involved with Radio Caroline, was a launch engineer at Capital Radio London and was on morethan40.co.uk. He died aged 65 on 23 December 2013)
- Paul Kay (Track 756 - The Album Download)
- Leon Tippler (Tippler was involved with Radio 827, Radio Atlantis and Sunshine 855. He died on 9 June 2013, aged 70.)
- Gordon Davies (Country Music Show)
- Tony Wickham (Jazz World)
- Chris Lewis (Interference)
- Lee Thompson
- Adrian Bodenham
- John Barnes (now at BBC Radio Lancashire)
- Tony Paul (now on Radio Caroline)
- Mark Williams
- Keith Middleton (now at BBC Local Radio in the Midlands)
- Martin Adams (later became Head of Sales)
- Jonathan Breeze
- Ken Whittaker (Sports Oracle)
- Ashley Owen
- Alan Gooden
- Emily Sandeman
- Chris Corfield
- DJ Rid (DJ Rid In The Mix)
- Simeon Berends (Saturday Night Pre-Party and newsreader)
- Kevin Brown (Brown at Breakfast)
- Steve Marriott
- JJ (Jones The Phones)
- Mark Edwards (now at Sunshine Radio 106.2 Hereford and Monmouth)
- Nick Jones (now at Sunshine 855)
- John Buckley
- Steve Edge
- Mike Rumsby
- Jason Lafave (Nu Metal Fusion)
- Trevor French - Now at Radio 879, Shropshire)
- Graham Oldham - Now at Radio 879, Shropshire
- Iain Brown
- Anna Cooperwhite
- Mick Bates (Farming Programme)
- Bill Hopkins (Anything Goes)
- Hoppy (Christmas Day programmes)
- Martin Davies (Blues Show)
Operations from 2010 to 2015
Based in Newtown, Powys, in the primarily rural setting of Mid Wales, the stations 756 AM Frequency had an extensive broadcasting range including parts of North Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire, and Worcestershire. Between Midnight and 2am, the output switched to a selection of programmes featuring new and unsigned artists from the internet only station Celtica Radio.
Former Presenters
- Stuart Hickman (Weekday Breakfast)
- Dave Englefield (Weekday Drivetime & Vinyl Countdown)
- Steve Edge
- Andrew John (Local & Farming News)
- Gordon Davies (Country & Western)
- Steve Snelling (Rock Show)now at Radio Deeside
- Alun-Wyn Dafis (Ser am Saith) now at Celtica Radio
- Gary King (Totally 80's & 90's)
- Sean Bell (Club Classics)
- Mike Wittingham (Classic Tracks)
- Charlie Hockin (Silent Disco)
- Bill Everatt (Profile & Occasional Features)
- Alan Nicklin (Guilty Pleasures)
- Gary Jackson (Sounds of the 70's)
- Ben Carmichael (Monday Night Mix Tape & Whats on Guide)
- David Mortimer (Weekday Breakfast)
- Mark Hinton (Weekday Breakfast)
- Leon Tippler (Leon's World of Music)
- Sarah Bowen (Local News)
- Jonathan Davies (Saturday Mornings)
- Dave Gould (Old School Hits) (now at Pirate FM)
- Tony Wickham (The Jazz Experience)
- John Sambrook (Fishfry) now at Celtica Radio