Nation Radio Wales
Regional radio station in Wales
- DAB: 10D NE Wales & W Cheshire
- DAB: 12C NOW Cardiff & Newport DAB: 12D (North West Wales)
FM: 96.6 MHz Lampeter - FM: 97.4 MHz Cardigan
- FM: 102.9 MHz Carmarthenshire
- FM: 103.3 MHz Aberystwyth
- FM: 106.8 MHz Cardiff
- FM: 107.1 MHz Pembrokeshire
- FM: 107.3 MHz Swansea
First air date
Nation Radio Wales is a regional radio station, broadcasting to south and west Wales on FM and across Wales on DAB. It is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting and broadcasts from studios near the St Hilary transmitter on the outskirts of Cowbridge.[1]
The station's music playlist originally consisted of new and classic guitar-led music, reflecting the franchise won originally by XFM, but in 2015, the format was changed to a broader format including mainstream pop music.
As of December 2023, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 185,000, according to RAJAR.[2]
History
Nation Radio began broadcasting on 16 June 2008, taking over the regional Ofcom broadcasting licence, which was held by XFM South Wales until GCap Media sold the station to Town and Country (now Nation Broadcasting) on 30 May 2008.[3][4][5]
In 2013, Nation Radio increased its coverage area via DAB - it began broadcasting to north-east Wales and parts of Cheshire and Merseyside in March, via MuxCo's Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool multiplex.[6] In August, the station launched in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire via the Muxco Mid and West Wales multiplex.
In December 2017, Nation began broadcasting on FM in Carmarthenshire (102.9 FM) and Pembrokeshire (107.1 FM)[7] Since March 2018, the station has broadcast in stereo on DAB+ in North East Wales.[8]
In December 2018, OFCOM gave the station's owners permission to replace sister station Radio Ceredigion with a relay of Nation. Five months later, it was reported Nation had decided to retain the local service and would request to reverse its decision on the station's format.[9] In May 2019, Nation Broadcasting withdrew its request and Radio Ceredigion was replaced by a relay of Nation Radio Wales as originally planned.[10]
Programming
Most of Nation Radio's programming is produced and broadcast from its St Hilary studios.[11]
Some off-peak programming - including the Russ Williams afternoon show and Fox's Jukebox on weekday evenings - is shared with other Nation-owned stations, including Nation Radio Scotland.
News
Local news bulletins air hourly from 6am - 7pm on weekdays and 7am - 1pm at weekends with headlines on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime.[12]
National news bulletins from Sky News Radio air hourly at other times.[13]
Frequencies
Nation Radio's main transmitter is at the well-positioned Wenvoe site near Cardiff, broadcasting on 106.8 MHz, serving Cardiff, Newport, the Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales Valleys, Monmouthshire, the Brecon Beacons and the Gower A.O.N.B. Unofficially, the 106.8 MHz frequency from Wenvoe also serves Bristol, Gloucestershire and parts of Somerset, Wiltshire and Herefordshire.
Kilvey Hill serves the Swansea area on 107.3 MHz albeit with a very small coverage area, Carmel serves Carmarthenshire on 102.9 MHz, Preseli serves Pembrokeshire on 107.1 MHz and Blaenplwyf serves Cardigan on 103.3 MHz.
References
- ^ WalesOnline: Channel Xfm radio changes hands. Icwales.icnetwork.co.uk (2 June 2008). Retrieved on 31 December 2011.
- ^ "RAJAR".
- ^ Shepherd, Rob (30 May 2008). "GCap sells Xfm South Wales". Broadcast. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ "XFM South Wales sold". Radio Today. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
- ^ "Xfm south Wales: GCap sells station to Town and Country Broadcasting". The Guardian. Retrieved on 31 December 2011.
- ^ "Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool". MuxCo. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Listen to Nation in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Nation Radio Wales/
- ^ Our DAB transmisisons in North East Wales are changing soon, Nation Radio Wales
- ^ Nation requests Radio Ceredigion to continue in Format u-turn, Radio Today, 12 April 2019
- ^ Radio Ceredigion withdraws format change request, Radio Today, 31 May 2019
- ^ Nation Radio current schedule
- ^ Nation Radio public file, April 2022
- ^ Nation Radio public file, April 2022
- An application for the Ceredigion FM licence from Radio Ceredigion Ltd
- Reference Offer for the provision of Transmission Services in respect of Re-advertisement of FM local commercial radio licence for Ceredigion
External links
- Official website
- v
- t
- e
Radio stations in South Wales
- BBC Radio 2 89.5, 89.9
- BBC Radio 3 91.7, 92.1
- BBC Radio 4 94.3, 94.6
- Hits Radio South Wales 96.4
- BBC Radio Cymru 96.8, 104.2
- Radio Carmarthenshire 97.1
- BGfm 97.3
- Bro Radio 98.1, 98.4, 100.2, 106.1
- Radio Cardiff 98.7
- BBC Radio 1 99.1, 99.5
- Classic FM 101.3, 101.7
- Swansea Bay Radio 102.1
- Radio Pembrokeshire 102.5
- Capital 103.2, 97.4
- BBC Radio Wales 103.9, 93.9
- Heart 105.4
- Rhondda Radio 106.1, 97.5
- Bridge FM 106.3
- Radio Tircoed 106.5
- Nation Radio 106.8, 107.3
- GTFM 107.9
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| MuxCo Mid & West Wales (including Swansea) | |
| NOW South East Wales (including Cardiff) | |
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National network FM frequencies are given for main transmitters covering Cardiff and Swansea. Other relay frequencies may exist in other areas.
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| Welsh DAB multiplexes |
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| UK national commercial services |
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| UK national DAB multiplexes | |
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51°39′31″N 3°49′56″W / 51.6585°N 3.8323°W / 51.6585; -3.8323
