16 Years of Serving Our Community

SWINDON 105.5 has been serving our community for sixteen years and celebrated the anniversary by launching a DAB service for Swindon and Marlborough on Friday 16thMarch 2024.

The town’s Community Radio Station launched on 15th March 2008 at Swindon Town Football Club after a 10-day countdown of daily Swindon Advertiser features – and played its first song “Dancing In The Streets” as Station Manager and Broadcast Shirley Ludford and ex broadcast colleague Peter Heaton Jones announced the Station live, to a large gathering of the public.

During its sixteen years, thousands of individuals of all ages and abilities, groups, communities and local businesses have received support, training, promotion and developed as volunteers. Many young people have enjoyed work placements, gone on to further education, employment or volunteering.

Several Presenters have received Awards for their programmes.

Shirley Ludford, Station Manager, says “We set out to provide a service that was local, inclusive and accessible and to live up to our tag line of ‘Daring To Be Different’ and have proudly done so. Meeting challenges along the way, moving studios twice, influencing a change for all Community Stations to be able to semi-commercial to help ourselves. There are so many inspirational stories.”

The Station has continually developed technologies and services, widened access to the Station’s systems supporting those needing to work from home, and meeting listener needs, the latest being to launch on DAB. (digital audio broadcasting) Setting up its own multiplex. This went live at 12 noon on the Station’s 16th Anniversary, Friday 15th March and can now be heard in this area as well as through a separate transmitter for Marlborough.

“Marlborough has never had its own service. FM reception is generally poor. And it's just down the road, so I obtained Ofcom approval to include the town in our application. We will be providing opportunities for Marlborough residents to have a voice too” says Shirley.

“Our initial set up costs of over £18,000 have been supported by Imagine Cruising, the NSBRC and Arkells and we thank them for their support and their belief in SWINDON 105.5 and the service we provide”.

The DAB multiplex has 12 channels, and other radio services are invited to talk to SWINDON 105.5 about opportunities to broadcast in this area. This includes online community broadcasters. Details and updates are available on the Station website.

Shirley says “We are a Station that does not stop. I believe in saying ‘Yes’, then working out how we will do it when opportunities, proposals and ideas come to us. One never knows where it will lead and what inspiring outcomes might occur. A proposal was made for us to set and run a full DAB multiplex, a big undertaking, but this development is exciting and it opens up even more opportunities.

Watch this space” says Shirley “More information, stories and initiatives to come. We are a Station that does not stop!”

For details or to get involved, call Swindon 611555 or press the Contact Us on the Station website or mobile app.

DATES

2006 A successful 4-week trail for a Community Radio service for Swindon
2008 SWINDON 105.5 launches at STFC
2010 Move to larger studios in Stratton Road
2014 The Station received a royal visit from the Duke of Kent, delivering a Queens
Award MBE. Shirley received the High Sherriff’s Award.
2015 A visit to the Station by the then Minister for Culture led to a change in the
commercial statues of all Community Stations.
2016 The Station moved to its current studio based in Liden
2023 A Prince Of Wales Award was received in recognition of service to our
community.
2024 A new DAB service is launched in Swindon and Marlborough

For details or to get involved, call Swindon 611555 or press the Contact Us on the Station website or mobile app