An internet radio station set up four years ago to serve Basingstoke is to start broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Station director John Hicks said he had decided to stream Radio Basingstoke as a stand-alone station to raise its profile, with a range of local presenters coming on board to provide topical content. The service currently shares its broadcast stream with Radio Alton and the UK-wide station, Radio UK International.
The combined stations attract more than 200,000 listeners each month, with the www.radiobasingstoke.com website receiving around 300,000 visitors each month as well. John said: “With new technology, allowing easier and wider access to internet radio stations now coming on-line all the time, we expect these numbers to rise dramatically. That, combined with positive feedback from the local community, gives us the confidence to take Radio Basingstoke to the next level.”
Mr Hicks said there would be six local presenters involved in the project, while the station would be working with BCOT to develop ways that students could produce shows, radio commercials and radio imaging as port of their work experience portfolio. The music on offer will range from 1950s and 60s doo wop to today's top 40 tracks, with local news, event information and conversations. As part of its raised profile in the town, the station will be promoting a weekly live music event at Bar Rock, in Winchester Street.
Scottish 70s pop rock band Marmalade will kick off the schedule with a show on September 8, and there will be a monthly blues and jazz club on the second Thursday of each month, and a country music club on the third Thursday. A Pop Idol finalist will also be taking to the stage next month.
Mr Hicks launched his first radio station, CMR Nashville Radio, 10 years ago with partner Lee Williams, and it has since gone on to become Europe's number one internet country music station. Other stations the pair operate include UK Jazz Radio, which gets 3m listeners a month, and Radio Bracknell, which has proved so successful Bracknell Forest Council has taken over the running of the station. Also in the pipeline is a plan to launch a UK Jazz TV channel on Sky.
"Radio Basingstoke has been ticking over and we hadn't taken it to the next level, which is what we are seeking to do now," said John. "We've had a number of local people express an interest in training. If the content is good enough we will syndicate it, so there are plenty of opportunities for people who are passionate about a genre of music or the theatre or something else. It's a great outlet to share that passion. We want to encourage more people in Basingstoke to get involved ."
Radio Alton (Wey Valley Radio) will share the Radio Basingstoke stream while that station's future development is discussed with the local community. Members of the station will be meeting listeners in Festival Place on August 25 and 26, from 10am to 4pm, as part of the BCOT Roadshow. For more information, visit www.radiobasingstoke.com
