New owner of Shropshire radio station The Severn revealed
A Shropshire commercial radio station which was due to cease broadcasting has been bought by UTV Media it was revealed today.
The Severn, which broadcasts across Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Telford, announced in November last year that it would switch off its transmitters as a result of difficult trading conditions in the current economic climate.
Owned by MNA Broadcasting Ltd, part of Midlands News Association, the station was due to close on December 31st but its bosses kept the station on air after a number of potential buyers came forward.
The new owners of the station were today revealed to be UTV Radio Part of the UTV Plc group of companies.
UTV Radio owns national radio station talkSPORT, 13 local radio stations as well as interests in eight of the UK’s digital radio multiplexes.
Calum Macaulay, Director of Local Radio for UTV Media (GB) said: “UTV’s local radio business is all about delivering entertaining, engaging and relevant radio to listeners at a local level, and our recent RAJAR results continue to encourage us along this path. The purchase of these three licences is an important step in growing our local network.”
Rob Cross, Director of Claverley Group Limited, MNA’s owners, said: “We are pleased that UTV agreed to buy the licences as it ensures the survival of The Wyre and The Severn radio stations and is in the best interests of the employees involved in the transfer”
The Severn launched in September 2006 broadcasting from Shrewsbury and Oswestry on 106.5 and 107.1FM. In 2009 the station relocated to Telford and began sharing presenters with its sister station 107.4 Telford FM which last September was rebranded to take the name The Severn.
Sister Station
107.2 The Wyre which is also owned by MNA Broadcasting Ltd and broadcasts to north Worcestershire from Telford has also been purchased by UTV Radio.
