Andrew Jones has written to the parent company of Stray FM to seek reassurances over the radio station’s future.

In a post on his website, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP said he was “disappointed” that Bauer Media’s “winning formula is set to change.”

Bauer announced five days ago that Stray FM, which has covered the district since 1994, will come off the air and become Greatest Hits Radio. There will be a regional drivetime show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire but the majority of the programming will follow the national schedule.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Last week, there was a huge outcry on social media from people who have fond memories of the radio station.

That led the Liberal Democrats to launch a petition last week calling for Bauer Media to reverse its decision to replace Stray FM with a national radio station.

Read more about this story:

• What will happen to Stray FM when it comes off the air?
• Want to save Stray FM? Liberal Democrats launch petition

Mr Jones said:

“It’s local, it’s interesting, it’s current and it’s presented by people we know and trust. But it’s more than that. It is a radio station that supports local events and charities. It’s a station that supports the community and the community repays this by supporting the station.”

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Steve Parsley. Steve’s voice was the first heard on Stray FM almost 26 years ago. This week it was announced that StrayFM will be turned into a national radio station, Greatest Hits Radio. The journalist-turned-copywriter reflects on its history – and the future of local media:

Memories of that first broadcast on launch day on July 4 back in 1994 are not as clear as they might once have been – largely because there were plenty of other events at the station after that which were ultimately more challenging.

There were nerves on that first day of course – enough to convince us to record the first-ever news bulletin at 7am in advance. We were that determined that there shouldn’t be a single stutter, cough or blunder to mar a watershed moment which had been years in the planning.

But the rest that morning were done live and, once the pressure was off, we were already beginning to enjoy ourselves – and, indeed, that’s how I’ll remember the first few months that the station was on air.

Stray FM’s roots were as an amateur operation run on a part-time licence during the Harrogate International Festival from a Portakabin on the car park at St Aidan’s School.

But, within a few weeks after its full-time launch, it had already become a popular community service; there was no doubt about that. The station’s minute-by-minute coverage of the first snows of the winter, the dramatic story of the animal rights fire bomb attacks on a gaggle of town centre stores and its determination to include local folk in its programming saw to that.

The groundswell of support was tangible and the presenters – and even the news team – began to realise they even had a little local celebrity. They were definitely exciting times.

However, the euphoria began to wear a little thin when the inaugural team’s enthusiasm and relative inexperience ran up against the commercial realities of financing and running a radio station.

Within a year, a new management team had taken the helm, there were departures among stalwarts who had been with the Stray FM brand right from its very inception and even a sad and devastating suicide among the presenting team.

However, slowly but surely, the station put a rocky first anniversary behind it, remained true to its principles – if not its original format – and cemented a place for itself as a source of local entertainment and information and as a new cheerleader at many of the Harrogate district’s local events.

Run on a shoestring in years two and three and now focusing as much on sales as content, Stray FM shrugged off its reputation for an amateur but well-meaning approach to broadcasting to become a proper RAJAR contender.

Some established names from rival commercial stations in Leeds even began to appear in its presenter line-up. News too was revamped to include a half-hour drive-time programme and live Saturday coverage.

But, perhaps predictably, the station’s success was noticed eventually by the larger players and, in 1999, Stray FM was to be acquired by GWR – then the owners of Classic FM – for a cool £3m.

The purchase certainly offered a great return for shareholders who had invested in the early days of the station, helping to get it off the ground. I remember staff being assured their jobs were secure and glasses being raised to a job well done.

But, for me personally at least, the magic was over. Important decisions were no longer made in the meeting room in Harrogate but in a distant boardroom. The station was also expected to conform to the GWR format. However, the final straw was an instruction not to focus so much on news but “infotainment”. From that moment, my own departure was inevitable.

Nevertheless, I remained a supporter and was as pleased as anyone when, in 2008, Stray FM was given an Arqiva Award as the best station for its size. I claim no credit whatsoever, but I still remember hearing the news with some pride. It was the same too when the station appeared more than once on the Sunday Times Best Places To Work list.

I will always remember my six years on the team with fondness. Indeed, my parting gift – a framed montage of some of my favourite sayings (which, sadly, I can’t repeat here) and commemorating the weird way I wore my headphones – still hangs on the wall in our smallest room at home.

It is therefore with great sadness that I heard the news this week of the station’s demise. I‘ve grown used to seeing newspapers I worked for become shadows of their former selves in a world where information is now gathered mostly for free on the internet and on social media.

But, for me at least, commercial radio was somehow insulated from the ravages on the online world. I thought it was still a place we went in our cars, for local news and content or for music on Sunday mornings.

The decision made by Stray FM’s new owners suggests I’m wrong and I have no hesitation in admitting that is both a shock and source of considerable sadness. For me, it’s also another step towards a grey and uniform world where automation is more important than character and content. But that, perhaps, is the modern reality.

Read more about this week’s news story on Stray FM:

• StrayFM to close as Bauer Media announce it’s to become part of a national radio station
• Harrogate district community groups devastated by loss of StrayFM

A petition has been set up calling for Bauer Media to reverse its decision to replace Stray FM with a national radio station.

Launched by the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, the petition says the loss of the service will be “a huge blow to our local communities”.

As announced this week, the 26-year-old Harrogate station is set to be replaced by Greatest Hits Radio, with three hours a day of regional presenting covering Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Lib Dem spokesperson Judith Rogerson told The Stray Ferret:

“For me, it came as a bit of a shock. During the week, I was talking to one of my friend from outside Harrogate and saying we’re lucky to have local radio, and then this news was announced.

“Stray FM is such a huge part of the community. So many of us just have it on in the background. It always sticks with me how good they are at what they do – in emergencies, like floods and snow, but also the fun stuff like the bed race. You see people around and recognise them and it’s a brand that everyone knows and likes.”

Ms Rogerson said she was concerned about the impact on community groups and events which are supported by Stray FM. Some of them have already spoken to The Stray Ferret about the imminent loss of help from local presenters, journalists and others at the station.

Stray FM entered and supported the Knaresborough Bed Race, among other community events

With the new station offering mostly national content and a small amount of regional programming, she said she fears its reflection of the unique nature of the Harrogate district will be lost.

She also expressed support for the Stray FM team, whose roles are currently under consultation for redundancy.

“It’s dreadful it has come at this time. Everyone’s life is so uncertain at the moment and the community has been really strong during the pandemic. To lose such an important bit of that community is awful, and I really feel for the people who work there too.”

The petition, which she said is for the community rather than a political statement, has already attracted more than 400 signatures in just a few hours. While she doesn’t know whether it will be enough to persuade Bauer to change their minds, she added: “It’s really important that someone speaks up to gather that strength of feeling.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for his views on the changes at Stray FM but has not received a response.

To view or sign the petition, click here.

News that local radio station Stray FM will be coming off the air later this year has been met with dismay.

The station, based at Hornbeam Park, has been serving the district for 26 years, but owner Bauer Media, which purchased Stray FM from UKRD last March has announced it will become part of a national network with “nationally known presenters” and will continue to provide news, travel, weather and other local information under the Greatest Hits Radio brand.

The change is a particularly heavy blow to Knaresborough Lions, which has been running Knaresborough Bed Race for many years with Stray FM as its media partner.

Kevin Lloyd, who is the Lions’ Bed Race Chairman, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is terrible news for us and other charities and organisations across the district, as a community-focused radio station, they have been fantastic advocates for all kinds of causes from their local heroes awards to the incredible support that they have given us over the years in making the Bed Race the highly successful and much-enjoyed event that it is today.”

The Knaresborough Bed Race draws in lots of visitors. Photo: Andrew Hawkes/Knaresborough Bed Race

Mr Lloyd, says that lines of communication are being kept open with Bauer Media, which has supported the development of the Virtual Bed Race to be held in place of the real event on Saturday 13th June. However, he doesn’t know if there will be a continuing relationship beyond this year, as Stray FM becomes Greatest Hits Radio.

John Fox, chair of Harrogate at Christmas, said he was devastated by Bauer’s announcement, which affects Stray FM and nine other local radio stations in the UK.

He, said:

“Stray FM is deeply-rooted in the Harrogate Community. In times of flooding, or disruptive weather, we could count on Stray FM to keep us informed, to get us safely to work or home. They are always there to promote and support community events.”

One such event, was the annual switch on ceremony for the Christmas lights in Harrogate at which Stray FM’s team were ever-present to support and cover the official start of the festive season in the town.

Mr Fox, pointed out: “Audiences grew from around 300 to thousands.”

Mark Smith, managing direction of the Ripley-based HACS construction group has been a listener for many years and said:

“Stray FM  have been a great asset to the local community, supporting many events across the locality from Knaresborough Bed Race to the Great Yorkshire Show, as well as many charities – they will be sorely missed.”

Stray FM is set to come off the air after owner Bauer Media announced it was making it part of a national network.

The station, which has covered the district since 1994, will become Greatest Hits Radio.

While there will be a regional drivetime show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, most of the schedule is set to be the same as the rest of the national Bauer group. It is not known whether any of the current presenters will be transferred to the regional or national shows, but Bauer said it would use “nationally known presenters”.

The company, which bought out former Stray FM owner UKRD last March, has vowed to provide news, travel, weather and other local information, but has not yet revealed how this will be delivered.

The Stray Ferret understands Stray FM will continue to broadcast from its Hornbeam Park station until September. Bauer said some staff roles have been put into consultation for redundancy, and freelance contracts are being reviewed.

While it has not confirmed how many jobs could be lost, industry publication RadioToday has estimated that only 40 of the current 200 presenters across the UK will be needed – and that’s without taking into consideration the journalists, engineers, admin, management, sales and other staff currently working at its 56 stations.

Dee Ford CBE, Bauer’s group managing director for radio, said:

“Audiences love and trust radio. Expanding the Hits Radio Brand Network will ensure listeners to these acquired stations benefit from multi-platform digital distribution meaning they can continue to broadcast in an increasingly competitive, digital and voice-activated world.

“This ensures the provision of local news and information, traffic and travel as well as access for advertisers to highly valued audiences.”