Community radio station prepares to hit airwaves

Swindon 105.5 will go on air from its studios, at Swindon Town Football Club, on March 15.

It begins broadcasting 39 years to the day since the club beat Arsenal to win the League Cup in 1969.

"We're not a football station, but our studios are at the County Ground so this was the obvious date for us to begin broadcasting," said Shirley Ludford, one of the presenters on the new station.

"March 15, 1969 was a great day in Swindon's history and we hope March 15, 2008 will be significant too."

The station will not be commercial and is staffed mostly by volunteers. It will rely on fund-raising events, donations, grants and sponsorship to keep going.

Also on board is ex-BBC presenter Peter Heaton-Jones.

"Community radio licences were made available across the country a few years ago," he said.

"The whole idea was for them to serve the community or an area of their town and each station is different from the next.

"When we were applying for the licence we decided to look at what other stations in Swindon were not covering, the sort of programming they were not providing.

"We have had a fantastic response and have already trained groups on how to use the equipment.

"We're always happy to hear from anyone else who wants to get involved.

"We'll be aiming to promote the cultural, spiritual, social and economic life of the town."

Mr Heaton-Jones will also temporarily return to Swindon's breakfast airwaves as guest presenter of the station's morning show from Monday, March 17, between 7.30-10am.

He said: "I'm excited to be back on the radio in Swindon, "105.5 is a community station, so its job is different from that of the existing services."

The station has been given a five-year community radio licence by OFCOM and test transmissions will start soon.

For more information about the station, and to find out how to get involved, visit the station's website at www. community radioswindon.com or call Shirley on 01793 612517.