The station, which proudly describes itself as “The Station That Loves Northampton”, is asking Northampton to show that love in return and help secure its future.
NLive Radio has announced plans to become an independent community organisation, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter that will allow the station to continue growing, serving local people, and championing Northampton for years to come.
The University of Northampton, through a subsidiary company, has funded the station for over 10 years supporting the station manager and volunteers to grow and establish its loyal listener base. The challenging and changing times in the Higher Education sector has meant that the University has regularly been reviewing all its financial expenditure and whilst it recognised the civic value of NLive Radio, it has chosen to prioritise spending on educational delivery and the student experience.
The University has welcomed plans for NLive Radio to continue independently and remain on air for the community and have agreed to support this transition.
To support this transition, NLive Radio has launched a major fundraising campaign and is appealing for support from listeners, local businesses, community organisations and anyone who values local radio.
The fundraising campaign aims to raise the money needed to establish the station in its new structure, including securing new studio premises, moving equipment, maintaining broadcasting licences, upgrading ageing technology and covering essential operating costs.
Alongside one-off donations, NLive Radio is encouraging supporters to consider making small monthly contributions to help create a sustainable future for the station.
Rebecca Steers, Station Manager of NLive Radio, said:
“It’s been a pleasure to lead NLive Radio for the past seven years, helping to grow as a station and across the area, winning awards and supporting Northampton.
We’ve been at the heart of local communities. Not only promoting local charities, celebrating local achievements, supporting community events and playing local musicians; but we’ve also given hundreds of people the opportunity to get involved in broadcasting and journalism.”
Now we need Northampton’s help. We’re asking listeners, businesses and organisations across the town to stand with us and help secure the future of truly local radio. Whether it’s a donation, an advertising campaign, volunteering your time or simply spreading the word, every bit of support matters.”
NLive Radio loves Northampton. We’re now asking Northampton to love NLive Radio and help us continue serving the town for many years to come.”
The transition is being led by Rebecca Steers, who has managed the station full-time for more than seven years and has played a central role in its growth and development. However, Rebecca will be leaving her role in the coming months without the successful fundraising appeal.
NLive Radio currently reaches more than 17,000 regular listeners and continues to provide a unique platform for local voices, community groups, charities, arts and culture organisations, campaign groups, local musicians and businesses across Northampton and the surrounding area. Often giving a voice to the voiceless in our town.
As part of the appeal, the station is also urging local businesses to consider advertising on NLive Radio. To mark the launch of the campaign, the station is introducing a special offer giving businesses the opportunity to secure a 12-month advertising campaign for half price.
All NLive Radio presenters are volunteers, and the station expects to become a fully volunteer-run organisation in the future. The station is therefore also recruiting new volunteers to help behind the scenes, support fundraising and operations, produce content, and present programmes.
The station has operated since 2016 and was established as a joint project between the University of Northampton and the local community.
There has also been further positive news for the station, with media regulator Ofcom recently granting NLive Radio a five-year licence extension, enabling the station to continue broadcasting until 2031.
The station says this long-term licence provides a strong foundation for the future, but that community support is now essential to ensure it can continue delivering local radio for Northampton.
Anyone wishing to support the fundraising appeal should head to www.nliveradio.com/loveus or anyone interested in how to volunteer, discuss advertising opportunities, or find out more about the future of NLive Radio is encouraged to contact the station.
