Frequency 107.9 MHz Format Talk and Music Website Radio Scilly | First air date 3 September 2007 Owner Community Radio | |
Broadcast area Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom | ||
Radio Scilly is a not for profit, non-profit distributing community radio station. It launched at 2 pm on 3 September 2007, and broadcasts to 2,100 residents of the Isles of Scilly. In 2008 the station was featured on the BBC2 programme An Island Parish.
Contents
Technical
It broadcasts on FM on 107.9 MHz from the existing radio mast by the Coastguard Tower at Telegraph on St. Mary's island. Currently, BBC Radio Cornwall transmits from there on 96 MHz. Tests show that all of the Isles of Scilly can be covered from this site, and the transmitter output power is 100 watts vertical polarisation, although the station is licensed for up to 200 watts mixed polarisation.
It claims to be the world's smallest radio station, due to the small number of residents on the islands, and the fact that reception beyond islands is very limited (reception is possible in St. Just in Cornwall). However, its licensed service area population is slightly larger than that of the UK's smallest licensed station Two Lochs Radio which broadcasts to an official service area population of just 1,681.
Funding
The radio station is funded in part by a local weekly lottery, licensed by the Council for the Isles of Scilly. It costs £1 a week to enter and there is a weekly prize of £1000. The number of players is limited to 2,000 each week. Any money remaining after the prize has been paid goes towards the cost of running the station or to local clubs or organisations that request a grant.