Quay West Radio -
Watchet and West Somerset's local commercial radio, full of information on what's going on in the region at any one time as well as other local and national information. Frequency: FM 102.4
Quay West Radio
Quay West Radio (or Quay West FM as it became in 2005) is a radio station broadcasting in Watchet, Somerset, providing a laid-back style of radio to the area of West Somerset.
The station has undergone many changes in its history. Started by Keri Jones, who was ran the very first RSL (Restricted Service Licence) back in 1995, it was awarded the licence in 1998 after several successful trial broadcasts. At the time it was the smallest full-time commercial independent radio station in the country.
It was then taken over by radio Investments Limited (now The Local radio Company) before being sold in 2001 to a number of individuals, who ran the station for a short while before it being taken over again by The Choice Media Group (CMG), which also runs a national stationery, design and print business from West Somerset, and also runs BCR FM in Bridgwater.
In 2005 the Station was re-branded as Quay FM, and some would say the intention was to re-brand BCR-FM as Quay FM also. The studios are still located in Watchet, overlooking the marina.
The original transmitter is located on North Hill, Minehead. The signal from the studios is beamed to the transmitter site by a microwave link. The original North Hill transmitter was 1 kW, but in March 2004, permission was granted to increase this to 4 kW from the same site, and a smaller relay was added to cover the area of Porlock which had previously not been able to receive the station. The frequency for this is 100.8 MHz.
The station had never entered into RAJAR (the organisation that measures audiences for radio) until 2005, where, in its first survey, out of a total potential audience of 28,000 adults (15+), the station's reach was 8,000 or 27% of the population per week.
The first jingles were made by Bespoke Music, and featured a chime melody based on the bells of Dunster's St. George's Church, which the station retained until 2001.
Online streaming came in 2004, along with sister station BCR FM.
The station has had several websites, the current one incorporating the new logo.
Address: The Esplanade, Watchet TA23 OAJ Telephone: 01984 634900 |
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