Calon FM set to return to the airwaves with members of local community urged to get involved

A community radio station is set to return to the airwaves after being saved by a team of former presenters and staff.

Calon FM was revived after the group stepped in after its closure earlier this year.

At the time, the end of Calon FM after 13 years was attributed to the withdrawal of support from Wrexham Glyndwr University, which the radio station board said left them in an ‘untenable position’.

However a group of volunteers organised and entered a process alongside two other interested entities to effectively take over the remnants of the Calon FM setup and then reboot a local station.

Their community company, Wrexham Community Broadcasting, is in the process of securing the OFCOM licence and has plans to increase broadcasting hours from a brand new, purpose built town-centre location.

Now Calon FM is returning to the airwaves, with the organisation’s first major event set to be an online concert featuring a fantastic range of local talent.

Evrah Rose, Andy “The Duke” Duncan, Check Masses and many more acts are confirmed for the gig, which will broadcast for six hours on May 23.

Director Andy Snowden said: “Calon means ‘heart’ in Welsh and we intend to be at the heart of the community with a new base right in the town centre. We’ll be building on our long-standing reputation with new programmes and added features.

“To make this happen, we’re delighted that the vast majority of previous presenters have been involved in setting up the new venture as well as experienced former staff and community leaders.

“We’re launching a crowdfunder to enable local people to play their part in ensuring the new project hits the ground running. Please go to bit.ly/calon_give as every donation is appreciated no matter how large or small.

“We intend to launch in the coming weeks and urge everyone who’s interested to contact us at [email protected] for the latest information.”

“We’ve had to start afresh, and desperately need funds to get back on air as soon as possible.

“We offered a vital service during the pandemic, and want to resume as quickly as we can, as well as continuing to offer work experience and career opportunities to our community.”