Stray FM has more than doubled its transmission area with the acquisition of the licence previously held by Fresh Radio, the local station covering the Yorkshire Dales. Stray FM’s programming output will now be broadcast from Harrogate to a larger patch which includes Skipton, Ilkley, Otley and the surrounding areas.
Sarah Barry, Managing Director of Stray FM, confirmed that the acquisition would lead to people being recruited in the News and Sales teams to cover the new area:
We are looking to build a strong locally relevant presence in the new part of the TSA and our whole team is really excited about the opportunity this presents us to grow our station and our business more generally.
What is particularly exciting about this opportunity is that our listeners in the Skipton area will be able to tune in to their local station on FM for the very first time. We are making a significant investment in new technology to make this possible. For a short period, the service will continue to be broadcast on medium wave
The deal means that Stray FM’s parent company, UKRD Group, now owns and operates nineteen licences across England, reinforcing its position as the dominant commercial radio player in North Yorkshire. It also owns radio stations based in Scarborough and York.
William Rogers, UKRD’s Chief Executive, said that he was pleased with the acquisition and felt that the newly enlarged Stray FM would deliver:
Great, locally focussed and relevant radio.
We have been looking at this licence for some time and I am delighted that we have been able to come to a satisfactory agreement with the owners to acquire it.
Roger Tempest, the previous owner of Fresh Radio, said that he felt this change would be a really positive move for the station and he was excited about the plans that UKRD had:
I believe this will bring real benefits to both listeners and advertisers and I am delighted the station has found a home with UKRD.
Stray FM is available on 97.2 FM (Harrogate), 107.1 FM (Ilkley, Otley and Pateley Bridge), 102.6 FM (Richmond), 1413 AM (Skipton) and 936 AM (Wensleydale).
