Red Kite radio, the new not for profit radio station, will officially launch at 11am on Sunday (18 June) on 107.2fm.
Broadcasting from a newly created studio at the Haddenham Garden Centre, Red Kite Radio will be a voice for Thame, Haddenham and the surrounding villages, including Cuddington, Towersey, Ford, Ilmer, Kingsey, Dinton, Chearsley, Long Crendon and beyond.
The Red Kite Radio team was awarded a 5 year community radio license by communications regulator Ofcom in spring 2016. The license win followed the successful Summerfest Radio pop up stations in support of the Haddenham beer festival.
Mark Chapple, the Chairman of Red Kite Radio said: “Summerfest Radio was dreamt up by one of our founders, Mark Zeall. He used to bump into a trustee from the Haddenham Beer Festival while walking the dog in the village each morning. One day he asked if the festival might like its own radio station to promote the event. They agreed and Summerfest Radio hit the airwaves in 2013.”
In 2015, following the success of Summerfest Radio, the team behind the station realised there was a desire for a local radio station exclusively serving this area. “It was clear that a hyper-local station exclusively talking about Haddenham, Thame and all these pretty villages around us would be a great addition to this area,” Mark Chapple added.
It was after a curry in the House of Spice, Haddenham, that the Summerfest Radio founders decided to apply for what would become one of the last FM frequencies available in the UK. Mark Chapple said: “We set about gaining support letters from people who’d appeared on Summerfest Radio and carried out research into what local people wanted to hear. We gained support from a huge range of organisations, groups, clubs, charities and local businesses.”
The station launches on Sunday 18 June from a renovated building at the Haddenham Garden Centre. The Hawkins family, who own the centre, have supported Summerfest Radio and Red Kite Radio from the very beginning.
“We’ve worked tirelessly since winning the license to get Red Kite Radio on the air,” said station founder Mark Zeall. “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short time. Working day and night we’ve managed to secure grant funding, renovate a dilapidated building into a permanent home for the station and built a first class radio studio.”
Work to convert the station’s building was carried out with help from Buckinghamshire charity Toolshed with grant money from the Rothschild Foundation.
A generous grant from the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust covered the cost of purchasing the essential transmission system and money from the Aylesbury Vale District Council Community Chest helped purchase much needed equipment.
Mark Zeall said: “Red Kite Radio does not have shareholders and every penny raised through grants and advertising will pay for the station’s operating costs including the large annual bill we have to pay in music royalty fees to PRS and PPL. The directors and supporters of the station have given their time for free and even donated equipment.”
He added: “Right now we’re offering special founder discounts to local businesses who sign up for an advertising campaign. The benefits of advertising on the radio are huge and by supporting us they’re playing a big part in this community project hopefully securing it for years to come.”
Red Kite Radio’s directors are all volunteers and the station will employ two part time staff.
Chairman Mark Chapple said: “We’re delighted that Simon Guettier, a former presenter who travelled the world with the British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) is joining us to present mornings. Alongside Simon will be afternoon presenter Howard Bond, who lives in Thame and joins Red Kite Radio from nearby radio station Brill 1449.”
A team of experienced radio people from this area have given their time to Red Kite Radio including Fiona Leslie, former News Editor at Mix 96 and journalist with the Bucks Herald. Also giving their time for free are Mark Chapple, Mark Zeall, Pete Simester, Ian Noakes, Richard Carr and Alex Grout who have all graced the airwaves of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire during their careers.
Training…
Red Kite Radio will be launching a training course for local people to learn the skill of radio presentation and production. Management at the station hope to train up the next generation of radio presenters and introduce them to the Red Kite Radio schedule in the coming months. The first course will take place this summer.
Founder Mark Zeall said: "One of our key aims is to make Red Kite Radio an open door radio service. We want people in Thame, Haddenham and all the surrounding villages to play a part. They will be able to pop in and see us at the Haddenham Garden Centre, feature in our regular community information updates, take part in programmes and use our VoiceBox facility.”
The VoiceBox is an app on www.redkiteradio.com which uses the built in microphone in smartphones, computers and laptops to record messages for use on the radio. Any charity, group, club, school, team, church or community group in the area can use the app to get on Red Kite Radio. The VoiceBox involves recording a short message containing appeals for help, community news, what’s ons and events. It can even be used to say thank you to someone special or show gratitude towards a good samaritan.
“We’re immensely proud of the VoiceBox and hope members of the community get into the habit of using it to shout about their news, happenings and events. It’s completely FREE and an approach we’re pioneering,” said Red Kite Radio Chairman Mark Chapple.
Mark Zeall said: “The beauty of Red Kite Radio is that we will be full time and will stay on the air, unlike Summerfest Radio which disappeared the day after the beer festival each year. We really hope local people like what we do and support the station. This area is sandwiched between Oxford and Aylesbury and often forgotten by larger radio stations. Our hope is that Red Kite Radio will promote a sense of togetherness between our town and villages.”
Red Kite Radio launches on Sunday 18 June at 11am on 107.2fm. Listeners are invited to join celebrations at the radio station’s Haddenham Garden Centre home from NOON.
