Nation Broadcasting to turn off four FM transmitters

Nation has surrendered two FM licences in Scotland and will give up two transmitters in Wales.

In Scotland, 103FM and 106.9FM, which carried Nation Radio Scotland for Helensburgh and Dumbarton, have been given back to Ofcom.

Those frequencies started life as Castle Rock FM and later carried YOUR Radio.

In Wales, Radio Pembrokeshire’s relays in Tenby and Fishguard on 107.5FM will be turned off around the middle of 2025, leaving the station with its main transmitter on 102.5FM which already covers most of the areas in question.

According to Ofcom’s analysis, the population coverage reach (adults 15+) of the existing service is 107,382. By removing the two transmitter sites at Tenby and Fishguard, the population reach who would still be able to receive the service would drop to 98,303, reducing the coverage of the service by 8.5%.

Requesting the change, Nation says there is a continuing trend of declining analogue listening and it expects its DAB listening to overtake analogue within the next licensed period.

Nation submitted a range of commercial impacts linked to declining local revenues, declining audiences and increasing costs. Information was provided to Ofcom which highlighted the range of cost increases across a number of areas, which the Licensee has been considering in the context of maintaining the existing transmitter network.

Further, the proposal highlighted that in order to maintain the current levels of service, the existing transmitter network would need to be updated or replaced, which would require immediate capital expenditure on behalf of the Licensee.

The surrendering of smaller FM licences which duplicate DAB areas for radio stations is on the increase across Europe, and RadioToday understands this trend will continue over the next few years here in the UK.