Wrexham to have its own community radio station

16 March 2006

Wrexham is to get its own Community Radio Station, Calon FM.  An announcement made by OFCOM this morning confirmed that Calon FM, based at NEWI, has been awarded a full time community radio licence.

Calon FM will broadcast from the radio studio on NEWI’s campus.  The studio was first opened by Ian Lucas MP in May 2004 and since then the station has broadcast on a number of short licences often focusing on and supporting particular community events happening in the Wrexham area.  The studio has provided a useful resource for NEWI students and for the wider community with many school children from the local area using the facilities.

The new licence means Calon FM has been give the green light to develop into a 24/7 station for the community of Wrexham.  The station will showcase up and coming new talent with students presenting alongside some well known, experienced names in local radio.  “The station will offer students a valuable opportunity to put theory into practice in a real working environment, NEWI is the only university in the UK to be able to offer this and the students will really benefit” said Mike Wright, Acting Head of the School of Computing and Communications Technology at NEWI.   “It is fantastic news, it has been a long process and involved a lot of hard work to get the licence and staff and students alike are very excited.”  

Professor Michael Scott, Principal of NEWI was delighted by the news. Speaking shortly after the announcement was made he stressed the importance that radio has always had in education. “Communications are vital to today’s society and never is this more the case than in the spread of knowledge.  From the use of radio in Africa as an educational resource where schools are hard to reach to the exciting ways in which this new radio station will be used to provide practical experience our courses; the impact of radio has never been so strong.”

He would like to thank everyone that has been involved in the obtaining of this licence. “The commitment and enthusiasm that has been shown not only by staff and students at NEWI but also by members of the Wrexham community and community leaders in the bid to obtain this licence had been outstanding.  It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication over the last few years from everyone.  We have had great success with the short-term licences that we have had in the past.  It is fantastic to think that this will now be a permanent feature on the NEWI campus.”