89FM

yesterday was a good news day for community radio hamilton. after years of trying, we've finally been allocated an FM frequency, and some time next year will be broadcasting on 89FM. this is a huge shift for the station, which is currently broadcasting on 1206AM and on low-power 106.7FM.

the AM broadcast actually has a much wider reach than the FM one, in terms of geographic location. but the problem is that not many people listen to AM any more, and many devices these days don't even offer an AM option. so while the new FM signal will be limited to hamilton and surrounding areas, it will hopefully reach a wider audience.

community radio is a key component of public broadcasting. we have a wide range of community groups able to have a media voice, to discuss their issues, provide programming in their own language and play music that you'd never get to hear on commercial radio. it really is the voice of the community, and i really enjoy my part of making sure it continues to provide that space, particularly for marginalised groups of all kind.

the shift is going to cost money. for the size of our organisation, a significant chunk of money. so the next few months are going be a concentrated fundraising effort, as we try to drum up the cash for all the technical equipment and a rebranding of the station. if you're interested in helping out, i'll put up more information in a few weeks. in the meantime, for those not in hamilton, you can listen online here and find the schedule of programmes here.

and finally, a big thanx to our station manager, phil grey, and his team for the hard work they've put in to secure the frequency. we've been turned down before, so it's great to finally be successful.