Time 107.5FM: Popular radio station pulled from airwaves after 21 years as beloved presenter says he 'didn't get to say goodbye'
A popular radio station covering east London and west Essex has been axed from the airwaves after 21 years.
Time 107.5FM launched in the region in 2004 and ceases broadcasting earlier this month after being taken over by Nation Broadcasting. The station has since been rebranded as Nation Radio London, with plans for the new-look station to cover a wider audience across the capital city.
The move came as a shock for not only listeners, but Time’s presenters themselve. Breakfast show host Neil Andrews, who hosted in the slot for 18 years, found out his show had been culled after he had been on the air for the last time.
He told The Romford Recorder: “Nobody had any idea it was happening. I finished my breakfast show at 10am on August 1, came off air and was told that was it – it’s over and the programmes were coming to an end at 2pm that afternoon. It was as abrupt as that.
“What hurt me more than anything else was that I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. I’ve worked in radio for almost 30 years and I know everything comes to an end. But it would have been nice to have said goodbye to the loyal listeners who rung us up on a daily basis.”
The takeover of Time 107.5FM has caused concern amongst some listeners and even local Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, who wrote to Ofcom over the matter. Mr Rosindell, who was seeking clarity on the impact on the local community and licencing compliance, called the previous station a “vital source of local news and community engagement” in his letter to the media watchdog, adding: “Its locally produced content and community-focused broadcasting has been an essential part of its public value for many years.
“It has come to my attention that following the acquisition, the station has been rebranded to ‘Nation Radio London’ and now primarily broadcasts networked content from other Nation Broadcasting outlets, with only one remaining local show.”
Nation Broadcasting has not commented directly on concern surrounding local programming. Founder Jason Bryant previously said in a statement: “The ability to launch Nation Radio on FM to a large part of the capital alongside DAB, presents an attractive opportunity to increase the reach of the station and to market our wider range of services, including the Nation Player app, to London.”