Campaign to save Stray FM's independence and local character for Harrogate

A new campaign has been launched to protect the independence of Harrogate's only radio station.
The golden days of Stray FM - A reporter from the Harrogate radio station conducts an interview in the town centre in 2008.The golden days of Stray FM - A reporter from the Harrogate radio station conducts an interview in the town centre in 2008.
The golden days of Stray FM - A reporter from the Harrogate radio station conducts an interview in the town centre in 2008.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems posted the online petition after Stray FM's owners, Bauer Media Group announced the Harrogate station would be among those joining its national Hits Radio Brand Network and that Stray FM would be renamed Greatest Hits Radio.

Greatest Hits Radio will play music from the 1970s, 80s and 90s along with as yet to be determined "regional drive time" content and networked breakfast shows.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Lib Dem petition reads: "I call on Bauer Media to reverse its decision to merge Stray FM into a much larger service and call on the Government to introduce legislation with greater protection for our access to quality local media."

Already backing the campaign is Simon Cotton, the general manager of Harrogate hotel group, HRH.

He tweeted his support saying" Losing @StrayFM will be a huge blow to our community. I've just joined the campaign to save it here, you can too!"

Media conglomerate Bauer has already been accused of "breathtaking cultural vandalism" and putting jobs at risk.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Bauer Media say they are fully committed to supporting all affected employees throughout this period and will be working closely with them over the months ahead.

The company owns 36 per cent of commercial local radio licences in the UK after acquiring the more than 30 stations that came with UKRD, Wireless and Celador and Lincs last year, according to Parliamentary records.

Records also note that OFCOM has relaxed the regulations regarding local content for commercial local radio stations so that they no longer have to produce a local breakfast show and are obliged only to produce three hours of local content, as opposed to seven previously on weekdays.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They are able to do this from regional centres distant from the area covered by the local radio station.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper