New, full-time radio station for Thame and Haddenham

THE team behind a series of short term radio broadcasts to support and promote Haddenham’s summer beer festivals, has been awarded a full time radio licence by the government regulator Ofcom.

Red Kite Radio, based at the Haddenham Garden Centre, won the five-year licence after convincing the body that this area deserves and can sustain a full time version of its successful Summerfest Radio broadcasts.

Pete MacFarlane, General Manager of Red Kite Radio – Image courtesy of Haddenham.net

Covering Haddenham, Thame and all of the surrounding villages, the team of volunteers, with professional backgrounds in national and local radio, have operated three highly successful short term broadcasts supporting and promoting the Haddenham summer beer festivals (Summerfest) with a fourth due to hit the airwaves this June.

Summerfest Radio began life after a conversation in a pub and has grown ever since, heavily supporting the beer festival, which has also grown significantly during the three summers it has been on the air.

Pete MacFarlane, General Manager of Red Kite Radio said: “We are all delighted to be awarded this licence by Ofcom. The regulator can clearly see the huge amount of support from charities, groups and residents of both Haddenham and Thame for what we do. We’d like to thank the people and organisations who took the time to write and support our application and those who participated in our application research.”

Red Kite Radio will continue to support the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust, promoting not just one but both its annual fundraisers; “Being on air 365 days a year means we will now be able to promote the Winterfest event and cover the various beneficiaries and the subsequent grant awards by the trust throughout the year,” added Pete MacFarlane.

On air 24 hours a day, the station will cover and promote local news and issues, charities, schools, sports clubs, churches, community groups and offer radio skills training courses to people in the area.

The Red Kite Radio team has two years to launch the FM radio station. Local businesses will have the opportunity to promote themselves through cost effective radio advertising and at the same time know that they are helping to fund a unique broadcast service in the area.

SOURCE: Contributed