September Newsletter

Welcome to our third newsletter! There has been lots going on over the summer….

DAB+ update

Following our trial broadcast on DAB+ we are pleased to confirm that we will be continuing the on DAB+ service for the foreseeable future. However, we are currently in a period of transition during which a number of engineering and technical fixes need to be implemented. Listeners in Oakham and in the surrounding villages have experienced a deterioration in the DAB+ broadcast since early September, due to engineering works on one of the transmitters. This work is likely to continue until late September, and there is a risk that the DAB+ service may be switched off across the whole region for a period of up to 48 hours. Please bear with us until the DAB+ service is fully restored and please keep listening to Rutland and Stamford Sound online, on Amazon smart speakers and on our mobile phone apps.
We are grateful for all the comments received from listeners during the DAB trial. The feedback has been very valuable in helping us to work with the relevant parties to identify areas of improvement.
In the long-term we remain committed to our campaign to obtain an FM licence, as we believe FM is well suited to rural areas such as the Rutland and Stamford. To support our FM campaign, please sign the online petition /how-to-listen1/fm-petition/

We are recruiting!

Last month we received the wonderful news that we have been awarded a grant from Ofcom’s Community Radio Fund. To receive the award, Rutland and Stamford Sound had to compete against community radio stations based all over the UK, with only eleven grants awarded from eighty-one applications. The station has been provided with grant funding to pay for a new part-time Business Development Officer, for twelve months.
To be successful with our first application to the Ofcom Fund, against stiff opposition from other stations, is a real testament to the hard work put in by our volunteers, and to the widespread support from across the local community. Ofcom were clearly impressed by what has been achieved over the past three years in creating a much-loved community asset. We are very grateful to all our supporters across Rutland and Stamford who have helped us reach this stage.
The Business Development Officer will work alongside Station Manager, Rob Persani, with the objective of helping the station to build its long-term financial and operational sustainability. The application process is underway, but there is still time to apply before the closing date next week, on Tuesday 24 September. For more information on the new part-time role, or to express an interest in applying, please visit our website. /about-us/part-time-business-development-officer/

Pop up radio

Over the summer we took Rutland and Stamford Sound out on the road, broadcasting live from over thirty different venues including towns and villages as far afield as Caldecott, Market Overton, Easton the Hill, Stretton and Baston, as well as from plenty of events in Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford. Thank you to everyone who came to say hello and a special thank you to the team at Men in Sheds in Ashwell who helped with running repairs on our gazebo. We will be out and about again in the run up to Christmas. Come and see us at Stamford’s Christmas Market on Sunday 24 November, Uppingham Late Night Shopping on Thursday 5 December and Oakham Late Night Shopping on Monday 9 November.

Car stickers

Have you got yours yet? Look out for the car stickers at local petrol stations. Later in the year we will be running a competition with the chance for the owners of cars with a Rutland and Stamford Sound sticker to win a prize. Keep listening for details.