Former MFR boss hails 'fantastic commitment' after Caithness switchover
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A FORMER managing director of Moray Firth Radio has hailed the "fantastic commitment" to local radio in the far north after Caithness FM launched its own frequency.
As reported in the John O'Groat Journal last Friday, the community radio station had been broadcasting on 102.5 FM under the MFR licence for more than 20 years. But on Saturday it moved to 106.5 FM after being awarded its own licence from Ofcom, the UK communications regulator.
MFR, part of Bauer Media Scotland, has supported Caithness FM with the launch of its dedicated frequency which gives the station the opportunity to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ex-MFR managing director Thomas Prag was instrumental in setting up a number of community radio stations across the Highlands, operating on MFR’s licence and using its frequencies. These stations paved the way for community radio in the UK and were on air several years before Ofcom began offering community radio licences.
Welcoming the switchover, Mr Prag said: “Caithness is the last of the stations I helped set up in the ’90s to move to their own airwaves – it’s a surreal and special moment for me. Local people like local chat, so it’s fantastic to see the commitment from Bauer Media, MFR and Caithness FM in continuing to deliver this to a community who are clearly engaged in such output.”
MFR will continue to use the 102.5 FM frequency and listeners in Caithness now have the opportunity to tune in to both MFR and Caithness FM at any time of day.
In the past, listeners in Caithness using the 102.5 FM frequency were able to listen to MFR until 7pm most evenings, when Caithness FM began broadcasting, ultimately changing radio station for the listener.
MFR has been working with the team at Caithness FM on the switchover process since the community radio licence was awarded by Ofcom in January 2018.
MFR’s support of Caithness FM follows similar successful community radio projects in Keith and the Cairngorms.
David Walker, MFR’s content director, said: “We’re hugely proud to support our friends at Caithness FM with their own frequency, enabling them to better serve their dedicated listeners.
"It has been a long and technical process with a dedicated Bauer Media engineer working alongside the team at Caithness FM to offer listeners in the area their choice in radio channel.”
Jackie Johnson, company secretary at Caithness FM, said: “We’ve been working hard with the team at MFR and Bauer Media to ensure everything would be technically correct ahead of launch.
"Myself and the whole Caithness FM team would like to thank the team at MFR for all their support.
“Our programming will now start at 6pm every evening, finishing at 11pm, with MFR continuing to be broadcast on our new frequency outwith these times. Having our own channel will provide us with more opportunity to broadcast live from events and get out and about in the community.
“The switch provides the opportunity to extend our programming, which we hope to do in the future, though we’ll need some more presenters – so if you fancy joining the Caithness FM team, please get in touch.”
The station took to the airwaves for the first time in April 1998 with Hugh Manson's Strathsounds programme.
Caithness FM held an open day on Saturday to celebrate the new licence.
Related article: Caithness FM moving to new wavelength
