A West Lothian radio station that boasts listeners from all over the world is in jeopardy and appealing for music lovers to step in and help.
Online station Regal Radio is a charitable organisation and is entirely run by a dedicated team of committed local volunteers.
It broadcasts a huge range of music, from rock, punk, country, classical and pop, reflecting the passion our presenters have for great sounds and bringing something positive to the airwaves.
But the pandemic and resulting series of lockdowns and restrictions has hit the station hard, along with its sponsors who are also struggling in the financial climate.
To help, Michael Kelly from the station has set up a gofundme page which has so far raised £1300, smashing his £1000 total.
He said: “Our local community has a rich musical history and a habit of using this to bring people together - which is why we started our station several years ago.
“We have dedicated our time to setting up the station, with our aim to train up local presenters from all walks of life, giving our experience in the industry to enable them to have a go, learn new skills and have the confidence to get on the air.
“Most of these amazing people are now presenting their own shows, bringing great music and local news to our listeners.
“Over the years we have made it our mission to promote local talent and keep music live, broadcasting a range of outstanding live sessions each week, raising the profile of the wonderfully talented musicians we have in our community.
“Each week we bring local news and information to keep our communities connected. We also like to blether!
“We deliver a lively programme of interviews with local people, groups and businesses, folks talking about the good opportunities and events that bring benefit and joy to our listeners.
“We promote the local economy and people, raising awareness of initiatives designed to improve our area, and ensure we contribute to events - bringing fun, music and noise where it’s needed.
“We believe in giving back and have been committed to building a station run by local talent for the good of the community. We have listeners all over the world, bringing West Lothian into the homes of thousands of people.
“Like all of our local businesses and community groups, Covid has hit us hard. We have not sought additional funding from our sponsors - they are in the same boat as us and we want them to survive. But we desperately need to raise funds to keep our wee station alive.
“Our hope is that we raise enough to keep the lights on and the airwaves rockin’. We want to (virtually) train new presenters and get more shows on air to keep local folks connected, and to give us all a reason to keep going. We need enough funding to keep our small studio going, without which, we can’t manage to broadcast safely.
“It’s tough for everyone, and this is a hard thing to ask for. If you can afford to donate to help the station out, we would be massively grateful.”
gofundme.com/f/regal-radio-sos-save-our-station
