A radio group in the UK has plans to reactivate the Dutch frequency of 1395 kHz. In a message to the Music Radio News discussion forum, Brett Orchard, Managing Director of Gloucestershire’s Star107, says that OneGold Radio intends to be on DAB and on the BSkyB satellite platform in the UK, possibly also the Virgin platform, and also on 1395 kHz, the Dutch frequency previously used by Big L.
The station’s website says its presenter lineup will be ”boasting some of the best known names in broadcasting from the last three decades.” According to Mr Orchard “The 1395 licence has been recently acquired from its previous owner and can be operated at a fraction of the costs Big L had and on much increased power which should offer a service until other options can be secured.”
Mr Orchard says that the station is geared up to be a commercial alternative to Radio 2. The output will have similarities but with a much wider playlist. He also says that “Although we plan to bring back personality radio and hopefully have some fun with it this radio station has a strict commercial plan where sales/marketing and programming all have an extremely important job to do.”
Andy Sennitt comments: Radio discussion groups on this side of the North Sea are sceptical about the prospects of using 1395 kHz. Increased power from the current site is not possible, and even Dutch radio entrepeneur John de Mol decided that operating Radio 10 Gold on mediumwave was an expense he could no longer justify.
The station that OneGold claims it will be competing with, BBC Radio 2, has only been on FM for many years, so it’s unlikely that UK listeners looking for an alternative to Radio 2 are going to be tuning around mediumwave. And the British government wants to stop all AM broadcasting by 2015, so it seems a strange time to launch a new mediumwave station aimed at listeners in the UK.
on Aug 2nd, 2009 at 18:25
Lets go for it !!!
on Aug 2nd, 2009 at 20:54
I just spoke to someone in the UK who is rather close to the peple behind this project, but I am afraid it does not look very good.
In the meantime a group in Holland are trying to use the frequency and facilities for the now running Veronica 50 years celebration programme.
This is now on 1584, but only 100W. For an audio stream try http://www.veronica192.nl
Any ow, something should happen on the frequency otherwise the government will take it back.
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 00:21
Nice story….I heard total different one but the organisation asked us to keep it in embargo till they give it a “go”.
One thing is for sure: The licence has never been sold to an another organisation and in Holland everything is ready to restart BigL ( aquipment plus financial!! )
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 05:47
This has got to have something to do with Big L, if it’s true. Star 107.5 is Gloucester’s local radio station. It was taken over by Brett Orchard’s Storm Media last year and Mike Read, who was on Big L, now works for it. His show is then relayed on the Big L stream and is listed on the schedule of Big L ( http://www.bigl.co.uk ). Emperor Rosko is also on both stations.
Brett Orchard said a year ago that he would look at hiring out a studio at Cheltenham to Big L, which would cut their costs. 1395 belonged to the owners of Big L. The proposed format sounds very much the same as Big L too. They wanted to create a commercial Radio 2 with a wider range of music.
A day or two back, I looked at the Big L website for the first time in ages and on the Home page, there was a piece of artwork announcing the new Big L with a new logo design and the words “growing old disgracefully” which was suggested by the feller who did the Channel 4 programme - I forget his name.
Now, however, it’s gone and there’s just a big blue space where it was. Perhaps the plan has changed. If the story is true, I’d be interested to know if Brett Orchard has just bought what remained of Big L, including the 1395 licence, or whether he has simply bought the 1395 licence ( it couldn’t have cost him much ), allowing Big L to continue on DAB at some time perhaps ?
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 06:21
Yes. Just as I thought. This isn’t “A previously unheard-of radio group”. It’s just Brett Orchard using yet another name. The website can also be seen courtesy of his Red Media Services here : http://www.redmediaservices.co.uk/onegold/onegold.htm
and Mike Read has his own page on there too, where he has a promo for the new station : http://www.redmediaservices.co.uk/MikeRead/
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 07:30
I can not believe anyone is taking this joke even remotely seriously …
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 12:57
Well, the reason that I am covering it here is that people keep asking me what’s happening with the Dutch mediumwave frequencies. And it does create extra page views and comments. I can’t imagine what “strict commercial plan” would include operating on mediumwave from the Netherlands. One of the most successful Dutch businessmen, John de Mol, has decided that it doesn’t make commercial sense even for broadcasting to an audience within the primary coverage area. So these British-based organisations clearly have more marketing skill than the man who developed the Big Brother format
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 17:18
So perhaps they will use 1395 until the money runs out and the license is theirs for another year? Or are they speculating to get onto Dutch DAB+ when current license holders will get their analog licenses extended in return for joining the digital radio effort?
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 17:38
I cannot imagine anyone wil join the Dutch digtal radio scene.
I just spoke to very experienced commercial radio entrepreneur, who told me that this is just a move to have the big national stations to keep their license an it does not help the small FM and all AM stations. Struggling as they are they are faced with even more costs without extra audience and revenues. It is Government policy nonsense, business as usual.
My guess t it is just a bunch of fine radio entousiastics lead by Mike Read who want to ofer something different. There seems to be a new investor around, so new opportunities.
But I wonder if they really know all about 1395.
I dont want to be arrogant, but I strongly advice Mike to contact me for detailed info on 1395 before he signs any contract.
on Aug 3rd, 2009 at 20:48
This is not going to happen. The people behind this ‘onegold’ sham are claiming that the ‘power’ has been ‘turned up’ on 1395, this is absolutely not possible as we all know. It will only go downhill from here. This is 295LW all over again, boys and girls.
[COMMENT EDITED BY MODERATOR]
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 06:33
Why would the UK want a UK targeted station catering to BBCR2 audiences broadcasting from the netherlands on MW1395kHz via a low power 100W dutch AM transmitter that probably would not be heard all over the UK until after dark mainly covering South and South East England during daytime hours? Seems pointless. It would be better off on Eurobird1 S1 Europewide beam covering the UK and Europe thru Skydigital and Freesat, and DAB in the UK plus online. When AM broadcasting is ended by the Govt, what would a planned replacement be? DRM-SW from a European tx site aimed at the United Kingdom?
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 07:21
Ruud, why don’t you call Mike and talk to him? 01242 699555
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 07:22
Sorry, thought the first post had been rejected.
Anyway I reckon there is a tie up with Big L and that this will be revived too. Don’t think ray Anderson is involved tho’ sadly.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 07:29
I’ll tell you the real reason this will fail - Mike Reed and his ex BBC cronies!
Sorry to say but Mike has absolutely no “commercial” sense when it comes to broadcasting.
At Big L it was always about “him” and not the station and this will be no different. Basically the 2 guys who pumped the money in were in awe of him and the like and were trying to impress their “friends” with the fact that they employed the great Mike Reed thus recreating their youth when R1 was the only station with mass appeal - they were sold a pup by Ray and when times got tough, with no real business plan to speak of, it was too late.
Sadly Brett and co will be the same - swayed by the boyhood fantasy of recreating Radio
1. You only have to see the video of Brett and co visiting Big L on YouTube to see this!
Lets also not forget that Brett has been asking anoraks this weekend on the Jinglemad forum for copies of Mike’s Radio 1 Jam jingles so it will “save getting them remade”. This begs a couple of questions:
1. Does he realise that they would still have to pay a licence fee to Jam to re-broadcast them?
2. If so why not get dubs from the master at Jam directly?
Doesn’t this just show complete naivety? Especially as Jonathan Wolfert president of JAM Jingles is a regular on that forum and so therefore it would be very easy to get caught out if it was the former!
[COMMENT EDITED BY MODERATOR]
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 08:44
Gentlemen,
Please be careful how you phrase your comments. I do not want personal attacks on individuals, or statements accusing others of telling lies, one of which I had to delete for legal reasons. There are other places for that. And please remember that this is an international forum. Thank you.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 08:46
It’s the August silly season for news stories.
1395 is a rubbish frequency - if you had the money you would deal with cash strapped
Groot Nieuws Radio. Let them have 1395 and use 1008 for the ‘export’ station.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 09:29
Graham,
1008 as it is uses an aerial system that radiates a directional pattern that favors the Netherlands.
Anyway the main problem is declining AM audiences. Even the use of a powerful station in the greater London area wouldn’t solve this fundamental fact.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 11:20
I have just made a factual correction to the story, as it turns out that, according to Music Radio News, Brett Orchard is not the MD of OneGold, but the MD of Star107 in Gloucestershire where Mike Read is employed. He was, apparently, “just passing on” the information. But that wasn’t at all clear from the original message, and the use of the term “we” implied that Mr Orchard is involved in the project. What’s even more confusing is that Big L continues to have 1395 on its logo, despite not using it for the past year, and Mike Read is still listed as a Big L presenter. The people behind this project desperately need a PR company to organise their publicity and give a clear message to potential backers and advertisers, otherwise they’re shooting themselves in the foot before they even get going.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 16:15
It seems to me that I got it right in the first place ( my comments above ). Brett Orchard is involved, although I doubt that he is managing director because it is a fairly big company that has a director; to have a Managing Director, one needs a board of directors.
On this page of Star’s website : http://www.totalstar.co.uk/Public-File.aspx, it is confirmed that Star 107.5 belongs to Red Media Services ( Brett Orchard’s company ) :
Red Media Services Limited. Registered in England 06718245
Star 107.5, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 9EJ
Tel: 01242 699555 Fax: 01242 699666
Company Registration: 06718245
Registered office: Star 107.5, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 9EJ
Furthernmore, my comment above is correct. The onegold website is simply a page on Red Media’s website, but it’s done in frames so you are not suppopsed to know that. I gave the correct page, though : http://www.redmediaservices.co.uk/onegold/onegold.htm which, it can be seen is redmediaservices.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 17:02
What makes me laugh is how when any new radio project is announced the same people usually troll out with the stories of gloom and doom, never willing to give something at least a chance.
I have my reservations about this new station, but I do believe there is space for such a commercial radio format and to be handled right which is clearly not happening now.
These people who are always so quick always to knock new projects often have their own personal agenda.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 07:45
Problem with a Radio 2 format station on AM such as OneGold is that quality on MW is poor and mediocre and has limited dynamic range for music type output,declining AM listenership and poor reception at night, along with the fact that Andy mentions that who will want to tune into to a R2 type station on AM when BBCR2 has been on FM for a number of years since the relinquishing of it\’s 693/909kHz MW frequencies to BBC Radio 5, then BBC Radio 5 Live in the early 90\’s and BBC Five Live as it stand today. Also with the 100w MW1395kHz transmitter situated in the Netherlands coverage during daytime hours is very likely to be limited to S & SE England only getting further afield to the rest of the UK after dark with horrible interference and fading which will be another distracting factor and something which will put listeners off;much as Radio Luxembourg\’s transmissions did. During daylight hours you could only hear the German Service of R.Luxembourg in Germany and surrounding areas on 1440kHz(except in Winter when propagation is more active and you heard it more widely mid to late Winter afternoons as it went dark earlier)and at night across the whole of Europe as night-time skywave propagation bounced the signal around the continent and across the UK and slightly further afield. Satellite coverage across the UK and Europe via one of Astra 2A/B/C\’s south beam transponders or Eurobird1\’s Fixed or European S1 beam thru Skydigital and Freesat would give it high quality 24:7 coverage without the problems and limitations of poor quality MW transmission/reception along with DAB coverage in the UK and online listening.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 10:47
I rather preffer an AM station with the format that I do like, than an FM with terrible format.
1395 was great in scandinavia during dayligth hours in winter season, nov. -february.
Best during mornings.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 10:49
If One Gold plays music similar to BBC Radio 2 and other commercial stations, I fear it will go the same way as Big L. I agree with the comments made that “Who’s going to listen on AM to what’s available on FM?
What’s needed is something completely different. I would suggest an English version of Radio 5 Nostalgia. There is a lack of programmes for the older listener in the U.K.. A nostalgic format would plug a huge gap in the market. As Radio 5 Nostalgia has been successful in Holland I’m sure it would also be successful in the U.K. I would urge those planning One Gold to look again at their plans and consider this as their is no U.K. station aimed at the older listener.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 11:11
Yes, Stephen, there would indeed be an audience in the UK for a format such as the Dutch Radio 5 Nostalgia. The problem is that in this part of the world stations catering for the 50+ audience cannot attract sufficient advertising. Radio 5 Nostalgia wouldn’t survive as a standalone commercial station. Don’t forget, also, that a large proportion of radio listening at home in the Netherlands is via cable. So although Radio 5 Nostalgia is only available on mediumwave outside the home, it does reach many people via FM on cable.
I don’t think any ‘national’ station in the UK without FM delivery in at least some of the major cities is commercially viable, especially during a recession when there’s less advertising to go round. I’d love to see the “strict commercial plan” that Brett Orchard referred to in his original announcement. If it contains references to operating on 1395 kHz from the Netherlands then I, for one, cannot take it seriously
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 11:18
The over 50s format was tried in the UK and appeared to fail. There was a chain of local Saga stations on VHF FM, with an affiliated national DAB station “Primetime”. Subsequently, there have been experiments such as “UK Light Radio” as an Internet stream (which seems currently to be dead), none of which seem to have made much impact.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 14:25
By the way Radio 5 Nostalgia. can be received on the 747 kHz AM. Greetings of Nico from Gouda, the Netherlands.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 15:21
I have been listening to radio 5 Nostalgia on 747khz for some time. I like the station so much that I recently installed a satellite dish and receiver to get the station in high quality.
It’s a pity that they don’t broadcast in the evenings and at weekends. I also get several other Dutch stations. Why are Radios 2, 3FM and 4 encrypted?
With regard to Andy’s comments, I’m sure people will listen on AM if there is a good enough programme that is not available anywhere else. It appears that One Gold intends to build an audience on 1395 and then persuade them to switch to DAB as the roll out of digital radio grows in the UK.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 15:42
Stephen, you cannot ‘build an audience’ if people can’t hear you. The present site used for 1395 kHz can only use restricted power - less than 30 kW - due to its location near a yacht club. Furthermore, the local council wants the site closed as soon as possible, and has the option of not renewing the environmental licence, which is issued separately from the licence to broadcast. As Ruud will tell you from bitter experience, having the licence to broadcast means nothing here, because you still have to find a site and get local approval. The higher the power you want to use, the more difficult it is.
Ruud had a licence to broadcast from Lopik with 500 kW on 1395 kHz, but this is now legally impossible because the transmitter operator signed a local ordinance that restricts the total power to 120 kW, which only allows 675 kHz plus a backup transmitter for 747 kHz when Flevo is down for maintenance.
The current site used for 1395 kHz does not even have total national coverage of the Netherlands. I think it covers about two thirds of the country adequately. Radio 10 Gold ditched it for 1008 as soon as 1008 became available. Nobody here wants 1395 any more, apart from a few ageing broadcasters in the UK who grew up listening to offshore radio. But the offshore stations were a generally a lot stronger in the UK than 1395 is. It’s bit like Radio Sutch in 1964
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 16:11
Well said Andy.
The reality is one would put a better signal into the UK on 1395 from Albania than one would from the Netherlands …
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 16:42
Indeed so. And remember that we at RNW once broadcast in English into Western Europe on mediumwave from Kaliningrad on 1386 kHz, despite there being a Dutch station on the adjacent frequency. Mind you, we found the signal from Kaliningrad too variable - when it was good it was very very good, but when it was bad it was horrid
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 17:18
Yes, Andy I remember the 1386 RNW days, even in the studio in Hilversum I had a problem with 1395. 1395 (Newsradio) itself struggling with Albania.
However there is a plan to improve 1395 coverage in the UK dramatically, but some work needs to be done.
First of all financing needs to be in place for this project, and I have my feelings that this is not the case.
The format should really offer something more than Radio 2, better music/presenters??
The name, a combination of Radio One and Gold might not be ideal.
But yes, there is a demand for a real good 60-80-ies station (with some 50 and 90-ies),
but this must have something extra like the pirates had in sixties.
Even on AM this might be viable.
Actually the same format lacks here in Holland as well, as in many countries.
Bear in mind that Classic Hits is a sucess in the US, with WCBS in NY in the number 2 seat, albeit on FM. In some US markets Classic Hits is #1.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 17:45
Andy Sennitt August 5th, 2009 - 15:42 UTC
Stephen, you cannot ‘build an audience’ if people can’t hear you. The present site used for 1395 kHz can only use restricted power - less than 30 kW
Hallo Andy Sennit.. The maximum power of the Dutch 1395 kHz-transmitter is only 20 kW at Trintelhaven, the current location of this transmitter. But I know from RNI2020 in a posting of him about half May this year in the Dutch newsgroup nl.media.radio that BigL is trying to relocate this transmitter from the Trintelhaven to near Sluis in Dutch Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for a much better receipt of its transmitter in South-East England than at the current location at Trintelhaven. Greetings of Nico from Gouda, the Netherlands.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 18:04
Thanks Ruud and Nico for those clarifications. But finding a new site, getting an environmental licence, building the antenna and installing the transmitter will all take some time, so I’ll be very surprised - even if the project does turn out to be adequately financed - if anything happens in the remainder of this year.
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 20:31
I wish it well (anything is better than DAB looped announcements), but it\’s certainly a hopeless brand name.
The ‘One’ is presumably a reference to the Digital One mux in Great Britain, but the significance will be lost on most people and it makes it sound like a BBC station such as 1Xtra or 6Music.
Similarly, ‘Gold’ is the name of the merged Capital Gold and Classic Gold stations, so more confusion there.
But perhaps I’ve missed the point. In prompted surveys, if asked whether they listened to, say, BBC R2, BBC R4 or onegold, many people might vote for onegold when they had really been tuned to Gold… !
on Aug 5th, 2009 at 21:32
Concerning the “Albania problem” remember also the fate of VNR:
http://www.middengolf.info/veronica_nieuws_radio.htm
(The description is not absolutely correct in as far as these three hours do not contain a single second of own Radio Tirana programming but are entirely leased to Trans World Radio.)
on Aug 10th, 2009 at 16:09
All I can say is radio has taken such a battering over the years anyone who has at least a spark of a chance should go for it.
on Oct 9th, 2009 at 11:00
I am sorry Andy that you felt so offended on another website about this subject, and in particular about the 1395 which seems to have become very controversial with both you and Rudd.
The same comments I made there are clear to see here back in early August, and it is said with all sincerity as I have always respected both you and Rudd, with me also having worked in the commercial radio industry for now well over 30 years plus, 21 of those year for one station to managerial level.
Nothing I said was intended to offend, like you even replied and agreed with when people have invested good money into a radio project it would be sad to see it fail because of the comments of professional people.
I do feel so sorry to read that you will be no longer visiting that website.
on Dec 19th, 2009 at 02:49
i agree with stephen topasna we need more for the older listener esp where i live in torquay,but good luck
on Feb 14th, 2011 at 20:42
1395 am is a regrettable failure as far as the UK is concerned.
Maybe interested radio groups should be looking at possible alternatives.
If Sealand is the sovereign state it claims to be,why not approach the \’owners\’ to base a station Tx there?
on Feb 15th, 2011 at 08:59
Rough Tower is the remains of HM Fort Roughs. It is a wreck boarded and held by UK nationals after the MoD abandoned its full time occupation. British taxpayers have always paid for the buoys within spitting distance of Rough Tower. In 1990 an international court case in the USA with UK participating ended all ambiguity over its status and that is why the Haven Co project fell apart when the US backers understood that they had been conned. This is a myth like claims that the Earth is flat that just keeps on going. But try setting up an unlicensed station transmitter there and you will find yourself facing Crown Prosecution very quickly.
on Mar 20th, 2011 at 18:48
Anyone know why we have to hope 1395 from Holland will give us a station we like when the Dutch are permitted to use a transmitter allocated to the BBC which they don\’t use? [Orford, Suffolk,] Why are UK operations not allowed to use it?