Wrexham’s Calon FM to close after 13 years

Members of the Calon FM Board made the announcement that the station, which has been broadcasting since 2008, is set to close following Glyndwr University ending its partnership.

On hearing the news that it was to close, Wayne Price, chair of Wrexham Town Centre Forum has expressed his sadness for the station which he described as being an 'invaluable tool and resource' for the community.

He said: "Calon FM has been exceptional during these difficult times, promoting the town centre, its traders, its small independent businesses, offering excellent business advice and being an optimistic soul, I hope that this will continue long after the pandemic has gone.

"We need Calon FM to exist to help the town centre bounce back after coronavirus is defeated.

"After all its name says it all ‘Calon’ is welsh for heart, and despite the pandemic, I hope it will continue to be one of the beating hearts of our local Wrexham community for a long time to come."

Tony Pugh, chair of the Calon FM Board, said: “We are hugely saddened to see Calon FM close. We felt that the station was thriving, despite the many challenges that the past year has brought.

“We do, however, respect the decision of the university, which has left us in an untenable position, with no alternative but to close the station and to hand the licence back to Ofcom.

“We know that the loss of Calon FM will be a great sadness to its listeners both in the UK and beyond.

"The Board would like to thank Amy Hughes and her former colleague Katherine Wade for their untiring effort and hard work that has made Calon FM the excellent community radio station that it now is.

“We would also like to thank the hundreds of volunteers, listeners and supporters over the years, without whom the radio station would not exist."

He added: “We are incredibly proud of what Calon FM has achieved through the years, supplying a vital service to the community of Wrexham and reaching across the globe through its online presence.

“The station has won awards, launched radio careers and given so many people invaluable opportunities to get involved in broadcasting since it was launched in 2008.

"Calon has undoubtedly changed lives through helping people with career opportunities and increasing their confidence.

“Although the radio station has continued to remain successful and broadcast excellent content throughout this challenging time and, in addition, has started to raise additional income through advertising and sponsorship, the university and the CCL board have had to recognise that the ongoing financial position of the company is untenable in the long term.”

A spokesperson for Wrexham Glyndwr, said: "The university has hosted Calon FM radio station since its inception in 2008.

"In that time, we have invested more than £1million into the station in the form of staffing, equipment and indirect costs such as premises and in-house professional services.

"We have worked with the Calon FM Board throughout that time, including supporting their work to secure additional revenue streams to help cover some of those costs.

"Sadly, those efforts have not delivered the desired result.

“In these incredibly challenging times we have had to prioritise our students, and the financial strain of fully subsidising the radio station is no longer feasible for us.

"We have therefore mutually agreed with the Calon FM board that the station will cease broadcasting later this month.

"Wrexham Glyndwr University would like to thank all those involved for the many years of service.”