City Stonehaven First air date 6 June 2009 | Broadcast area Aberdeenshire | |
Frequency 105.7 MHz, 106.2 MHz, 107.3 MHz Format Community Radio Station Owner Mearns Community Radio Ltd | ||
Mearns FM is a community run radio station based in the North East of Scotland. There are transmitters in Laurencekirk, Inverbervie and Stonehaven leading to a coverage area stretching from St Cyrus to Newtonhill. The studio is located in Stonehaven Town Hall.
Contents
History
The station began as Stonehaven Community Radio well over a decade ago. After a break the group reformed as Mearns FM which started broadcasting in the summer of 2009.
Community Radio in the Mearns began in 1993 following a visit to North East Community Radio by some members of the Stonehaven Community Centre Management Committee. A steering group was formed and Stonehaven Community Radio was formed. It transmitted for the first time during July 1994 from the old primary school toilet block in Stonehaven Community Centre. At that time community stations could only operate for 28 days at a time.
In 2004 five year community radio licences were introduced and a few enthusiasts decided to call a meeting. Around 30 people turned and up and a small group was formed to take the project forward.
A draft constitution was adopted at the first AGM which was held in the late Summer of 2005. The project was delayed because a round of broadcasting applications had just closed and Ofcom, the regulating authority, did not invite new applications until the late autumn of 2006. It was necessary for the organisation to become a Company Limited by Guarantee and a registered charity.
The committee originally planned the station to be named Stonehaven Community Radio but it was decided to become Mearns wide and be called Mearns FM. Because of the large geographical area of the Mearns the station applied for three transmitters which Ofcom subsequently agreed to and a licence was issued in early July 2007.
6 June. 2009 was chosen for the station's launch as it coincided with the annual Stonehaven Feein' Market. At 11am the station was officially opened by the local MP, Sir Robert Smith.
Mearns FM was granted a 5-year license extension in 2014.
Programmes
Mearns FM broadcast a wide variety of music from the 1960s to present day hits.