Isle of Wight Radio

Infobox Radio station


name=Isle of Wight Radio
airdate= 15 April 1990
frequency=102.0 MHz and 107.0 MHz
area= Isle of Wight
format =Contemporary
owner = Local Radio Company / Portsmouth FC

Isle of Wight Radio is an independent local radio station in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The station began transmitting from Briddlesford Farm AM transmitter on April 15, 1990. It was independently-owned for two years and was then purchased by GWR (now GCap Media). The station is currently owned by The Local Radio Company. Isle of Wight Radio has broadcast on FM since 1998.

Ownership

It is controlled through a joint venture between TLRC and the Portsmouth FC. [ [http://www.thelocalradiocompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=40 Joint venture to be created with Portsmouth FC - the local radio company plc ] ] The joint venture also controls Spirit FM in Chichester and 107.4 The Quay in Portsmouth.

Awards and Shows

The station boasts shows such as Alex 'Big Al' Dyke's "Mid-Morning Boogie". It was briefly broadcast across the UK by the local TV station Solent TV until Solent TV's insolvency in May 2007.

In January 2006, the station was named Radio Academy Station of the Year for the South & South East for the third year running (stations with a target audience under 1 million).

In March 2006, both Isle of Wight Radio and Alex Dyke were nominated for Sony Radio Academy Awards. On March 29 2006, the station was on the shortlist for Sony Award Station of the Year (under 300,000 listeners) for the third time, and the second year running. Alex Dyke was also on the shortlist for Best Interactive Show as was the station's network evening show 'Simon James & Hill'.

On May 8 2006, Alex Dyke's Phone-In won the Bronze in the Sony Award's Interactive Programme of the Year, beating Radio Five Live's 606. The station's evening show, The Simon James & Hill Show, won a Silver Award in the same category. Also for night-time shows, Isle of Wight Radio missed out on the Gold Award in the Station of the Year Award, losing to North Wales' Coast 96.3. It was the second year running the station had just missed out on being named Britain's number one station (with an audience under 300,000).

On December 13 2006, the station won the Radio Academy Station of the Year for the South & South East for the 4th year in a row. In March 2007, the station was nominated for the Sony Award Station of the Year (in the category for stations with under 300,000 listeners). [ [http://www.radioawards.org Sony Radio Academy Awards ] ] [ [http://www.solent.tv/pageviewer.aspx?page=S633106360954220000] ]

Presenters

Isle of Wight Radio's Presenters can be seen here: [http://www.iwradio.co.uk/presenters.aspx Isle of Wight Radio's Presenters List] . Previous DJs have included Gavin Harris, Duncan Smith, Simon Butler, Chris Mew, Paul Seed and Allan Lake.

References

External links

* [http://www.iwradio.co.uk Isle of Wight Radio website]
* [http://www.jeanpaulhansford.co.uk Founder Jean-Paul Hansford's website]
* [http://www.alexdyke.com Presenter Alex Dyke's website]
* [http://www.tlrc.co.uk TLRC (The Local Radio Company)]