ExmouthAiR Radio expands its coverage across the Sid Valley

After four years of planning regulators Ofcom have granted an extension which will allow ExmouthAiR Radio to extend its service on 95FM to listeners across the Sid Valley.

ExmouthAiR Radio originally launched as Bay FM in 2006 by founders Andy Green and his wife Julie.

"The FM licence for Exmouth took seven years to get," said Andy.

The station launched on the March 29, 2013, and it's gone from strength to strength, rebranding in June 2018 as ExmouthAiR Radio. The rebrand was to give the station a stronger local identity and eliminate confusion with ties to Torbay.

Last year the station was given a 200% signal boost by regulators Ofcom to improve coverage and has now been granted another extension. The station has also just finished building its second studio.

Station manager Andy Green said: "Our plans have always been to extend our service across the Sid Valley, but it went on hold in November 2017. An online station had launched in the area with plans to apply for an FM licence, but they missed the only opportunity to do so in June 2018, so our plans went ahead."

"In January 2017 we received a lot of support from the Sid Valley community including the former MP Sir Hugo Swire and the current East Devon chairmen councillor Stuart Hughes, who wrote in his support, 'It has a significant and beneficial effect on the community and life in the Exmouth area'.

"The station has the potential for being a community resource of immeasurable gain not just for Exmouth but for Sid Valley too."

Andy added: "We also received letters of support from residents of the Sid Valley who regularly listen to us online and they welcomed the opportunity to receive us on FM in the area too. And there's no big mast being erected to do this either, just a small low-powered aerial on an existing building.

"It's a very difficult time for many people with this Covid-19 and many people around Exmouth have found us a great comfort which we are looking forward to extending on 95FM across the Sid Valley soon."