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Chiltern Radio
Chiltern Radio, Chiltern 97, B97, Chiltern FM
Bedford's ILR station came to air as Chiltern Radio on 1st March 1982, currently broadcasting from studios at 55 Goldington Road in Bedford.
It used to be part of the Chiltern Radio Network with other local stations Northants 96, Severn Sound and Horizon Radio also sister stations in neighbouring counties. Chiltern Radio commenced broadcasting on 97.5FM & 362 (828kHz) AM with another service on 95.5 vhf & 792 AM, from studios at Chiltern Road in Dunstable - a pre-launch newspaper released in Autumn 1981 referred to a launch across Bedfordshire & North Hertfordshire on October 15th 1981 announcing a strapline of '362 the whole day through'. There were 350 local shareholders across the transmission area at launch.
Luton's Chiltern Radio service commenced 15th October 1981, currently broadcasting on 97.6FM as 97.6 Chiltern FM.
Network News was set up from the Chiltern Radio area as a competitor for IRN, delivered by satellite: Angus Moorat was the main controller of the new news service which was set up around the time that both them and ITN felt it was time to give IRN a run for their money. After a difficult start, Network News had just begun to start making an impression into IRN's market, with several stations joining the new service with a subscription. Upon the takeover of Chiltern Radio Group, GWR told the space sharing news service that there was no room for it in their plans (obviously), and so gave it it's notice. With the immense cost of relocating and even finding suitable accommodation, this proved the final nail in the news service's coffin - it ended through GWR's immensely ruthless takeover of UK ILR stations and groups.)
The Chiltern Network provided a central corridor of different radio stations, down the M1 from south of Leicester to the outskirts of London which gave a great deal of listening pleasure to many - making journeys rather more easier to bare. This ended in 1995 when Chiltern Radio Group was purchased, but not without a fight, by GWR who were raging through the ILR sector with similar acquisitions across the UK. GWR changed Chiltern's 96.9 service to give it a more local identity for Bedfordshire, and it became the oddly titled B97 - however Chiltern's name was of such high status locally, that eventually, the name returned in time for the corporate GWR Mix network flare design as 96.9 Chiltern FM. The current licence runs until 14th October 2009.
News output is perhaps one of the most likely pieces of broadcasting content that can be got wrong easily. And in 2003, for 97.6 Chiltern FM, it's coverage of the firefighter's dispute led to a £5,226.92 fine by the The Radio Authority for failing to comply. A listener complained that the station had breached undue prominence rules in it's output - and so, as per standard procedures, the RA asked for tapes of two successive days worth of output. Chiltern were unable to supply, which didn't allow the RA the chance to conclude whether the station's output from mid November 2002, had been right or wrong.
Output content must be retained by radio stations for 42 days after live broadcast - and must be made available to the RA on request. As this was not possible, a fine of £5,000 plus other associated costs totally £226.92 were imposed, although the station's reputation for previous good behaviour was considered along with other comments made to the panel by station management. The RA's Richard Hooper was disappointed that a group the size of GWR could not retain adequate programming archives.
Information amended from the excellent Aircheck UK webpage
Chiltern Radio Jingles
- Chiltern Radio - jingle examples (TM/Standard Sound 1987) some of our favourites
- Chiltern Radio - 20/20 News Headlines (TM/Standard Sound 1987)