The Spirit of Salisbury returns

Salisbury’s local radio station has returned to its spiritual home.  Salisbury Radio began broadcasting from the former studio location of Spire FM today at 5pm.

Over 80 business and community leaders from across south Wiltshire and west Hampshire gathered for the official opening by John Glen MP at 5pm as the new news jingle was broadcast, “Live from Salisbury’s City Hall Studios”.

The City Hall studios are located on the top floor of City Hall and were originally built for Spire FM which operated from there between 1992 and 2020.

Managing Director David Harber said, “Considering it was 1999 when I last worked in these very studios, it’s an oddly familiar and comfortable feeling being back at City Hall. There are a great many memories up here.

“I think it’s still the same carpet”.

Salisbury Radio was created during Covid and applied to the broadcast licensing authority Ofcom to continue a local radio service for south Wiltshire and west Hampshire, ahead of the impending closure of Spire FM.

Although Ofcom appreciated the sentiments of the applicant group - particularly as Covid so closely followed Salisbury’s agonising Novichok unease - the authority declined, but agreed to offer the city a new DAB (Digital Radio) transmission solution.

Salisbury MP John Glen who cut the ribbon to open the facility said, “We all need to get behind this venture and support Salisbury Radio”.

On the day Spire FM became part of Bauer’s ‘Greatest Hits’ Network (1st September 2020), Salisbury Radio launched as an online-only station awaiting the licensing and operation of DAB transmitters for the area.  This took 18 months; Salisbury Radio launched on DAB on the morning of 28th March 2022.

City Hall operated as a regional vaccination centre during the Covid era and was then closed in January 2023. It reopened as an entertainment venue late last year and plans began to return local radio to the popular city venue.

As well as the presentation team which included Pat Sissons, Matt Rogers and Ian Burrage, attendees at the event today included Mayor of Salisbury and, councillors and council officials, representatives from The Stars Appeal and Salisbury Hospice as well as and heads of businesses from companies like Cara Glass, Bailey’s Domestic Appliances and Salisbury Racecourse.

Listen to the launch here:

Salisbury Radio broadcasts on DAB digital radio from two transmitters, one in Salisbury and one in Bulford. The station is also available on a variety of platforms, including smart speakers, just ask your digital device to “Play Salisbury Radio”.