The Voice of a Nation: Colin Paterson on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales at 40
Colin Paterson
Editor, Radio Wales
This is a big year for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales. On 13 November, we celebrate the station’s 40th birthday, and this has given us an opportunity to listen to our audiences, reflect on what the station means to them, and to redefine the way we communicate with them.
On-air, that has given us the opportunity to celebrate with some special one-off events. During our birthday week in November, we’ll be taking to the roads on our 40th birthday celebration bus to meet as many listeners as we can in communities the length of breadth of Wales. We’ll also be broadcasting a number of special celebratory programmes and the centrepiece to our celebration will be a night of music and comedy at Swansea’s Grand Theatre, hosted by Owen Money.
But there are also some big changes happening off-air as we extend Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales’ reach on FM further than ever before. Over the years, audiences have told us that they are often frustrated by some Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales FM blackspots. By the end of the month we will have extended FM coverage to an additional 400,000 people across Wales, and around 550 additional miles of road. Areas set to benefit from the boost to Radio Wales on FM include Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells, Ruthin, Brecon and the A55 and A470 road networks as we bring the area of Wales where Radio Wales is available on FM up from 79% to 91%.
Changes will impact on some Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3’s listeners who may have to retune or access Radio 3 digitally in order to continue to access the station.
Also in November, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales will be part of the launch of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds is our brand new audio app and website, bringing together live and on-demand radio, music and podcasts into a single personalised app. Your Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds app will be completely unique to you, as it’s designed to learn from your listening habits. Along with the FM reception extension, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sounds is another exciting development, making it easier to access Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales and other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ services.
As a national broadcaster, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Wales has an important role to play in giving a voice and a platform to the people of Wales. As we celebrate our 40th birthday, we will continue to listen to our audiences and implement the changes that they want to see. And I’m pleased that as we celebrate our birthday, we have been able to make changes that if you’re at home or in the car, more listeners than ever can tune in to enjoy the unique mix of entertainment, music and sport Radio Wales has to offer.