Radio in Scotland

Commercial radio licences are awarded by government body Ofcom, which advertises a licence for a specific area and holds a contest to determine which station will be granted permission to broadcast in that area. Stations submit detailed application documents containing their proposed format and the outcome of research to determine the demand for their particular style of broadcast. Most commercial stations broadcast to a city or group of towns, or regional stations covering larger areas.
Many local and regional radio stations are owned by large radio groups which broadcast a similar format to many areas. The largest operator of radio is Global Radio which bought the former media group, Gcap Media. It owns Classic FM and London’s most popular commercial station, 95.8 Capital FM. Other owners are Bauer Radio and UTV Radio, which mainly own stations that broadcast in highly populated city areas.


Listening outside the UK
Since 2006, many of the UK’s commercial radio stations have been restricting live stream access to users from the United Kingdom only. This came as a response to PPL’s announcement that they would only grant radio stations the webcasting rights to stream to audiences within the UK only, or to face additional costs. Stations marked ‘UK only’, are restricted to UK IP addresses, those marked ‘Use UK Postcode’, will require you to type in a UK postcode to listen.

Station
Coverage
Frequencies
Argyll FM (No stream)
Kintyre, Mid Argyll, Islay & Jura
06.5 (Campbeltown), 107.1 (Ballygroggan), 107.7 (S Knapdale)
Falkirk, Stirling
103.1 (Earls Hill)
Clyde 1 (UK only)
West Central Scotland
102.5 (Black Hill), 97.0 (V of Leven), 102.3 (Rothesay), 103.3 (Rosn), 11C (DAB)
Clyde 2 (UK only)
West Central Scotland
1152 (Dechmont Hill), 11C (DAB)
Skye & Lochalsh
102.7 (Skriaig), 106.2 (Portree)
Forth One (UK only)
East Central Scotland
97.3, 97.6, 102.2 (Penicuik), 12D (DAB)
Forth 2 (UK only)
East Central Scotland
1548 AM, 12D (DAB)
Pitlochry and Aberfeldy
97.5 FM
Glasgow (for the blind)
101.0 FM (Glasgow), also available on Sky, Freesat & Online
Isles FM (No stream)
Isle of Lewis
103.0 FM
Kingdom FM (UK only)
Fife
105.4, 106.3, 95.2 (Dunferml.), 96.1 (Glenrothes), 96.6 (Kirkcaldy)
Lochbroom FM (No stream)
Ullapool
96.8, 102.2 FM
Inverness & N E Scotland
1107 AM (MFR), 96.6 (Speyside), 96.7 (Fraserburgh), 97.4 (Inverness), 102.5 (Caithness), 102.8 (Keith), 1B (DAB)
Nevis Radio (No stream)
Fort William and Lochaber
96.6 (Ft Will), 102.3 (Skye & Mallaig),102.4 (L Leven), 97.0 (Glen)
NorthSound One (UK only)
Aberdeen and Peterhead
96.9, 97.6, 103.0 (Peterhead), DAB 11C (Aberdeenshire)
NorthSound Two (UK only)
Aberdeen and Peterhead
1035 AM, DAB 11C (Aberdeenshire)
Oban FM (No stream)
Oban
103.3 FM
Aberdeen and NE Scotland
106.8 (county), 106.3 (city)
Radio Borders (UK only)
Borders
96.8 (Selkirk), 103.4 (Eyem), 102.3 (Berwick-U-T), 103.1 (Peebles)
RNA FM (No stream)
Arbroath
96.6 FM
Smooth Radio (UK only)
Glasgow
105.2 FM, DAB 11D (Central Scotland)
SIBC (No stream)
Shetland Islands
96.2, 102.2 FM
Tay FM (UK only)
Perth and Dundee
96.4 (Perth), 102.8 (Dundee), DAB 11B
Tay AM (UK only)
Perth and Dundee
1584 (Perth), 1161 (Dundee), DAB 11B
Gairloch and Loch Ewe
106.0 (Gairloch), 106.6 (Loch Ewe)
Wave 102 FM (Use postcode)
Dundee
102.0 FM
Waves Radio (Use postcode)
Peterhead and Fraserburgh
101.2 FM, DAB 11C (Aberdeenshire)
West FM (UK only)
Ayrshire
96.7, 97.5, 106.7 (Rothesay), DAB 11B
West Sound (UK only)
Ayrshire
1035 AM, DAB 11B
West Sound FM (UK only)
Dumfries and Galloway
96.5 (Stranraer), 97.0 (Dumfries), 103.0 (Kirkcudbright)
W. Dumbarton. & Inverclyde
103 (Dumbarton), 106.9 (Inverclyde)

 

Share Button