West Cornwall’s volunteer-run local radio station Penwith Radio has announced it will be

changing its name later this year.

Penwith Radio was formed by Chris Goninan and the Penwith Fifty Plus forum back in 2005

and has broadcast on FM from transmitters at Penzance and St Just since August 2014. Following a recent move to new premises at the Penwith Building in Parade Street, the station has announced it will be changing its name to Coast FM.

Penwith Radio chairman, Alan Shepherd, said: “Coast FM is a new and exciting name for a radio

station that I hope the people of West Cornwall will take to their hearts and treat as their own. The name Penwith Radio has served us well but it’s time for a new lick of paint and a re-focus on being the radio station of choice for radio listeners in West Cornwall. The unique point of a licensed community radio station is that we’re measured on the good we do for our community and are run on a not-for-profit basis.

“The presenters that we have are unpaid so really want to be there informing and entertaining

both our local listeners and visitors alike. They’re there because they care about their community and not for a pay cheque.

“Volunteer does not mean amateur, and what has surprised me since being invited to chair Penwith Radio last year is the high professional standards that the volunteers and the station achieve. And with a re-launch with a fresh new name we’re hopeful it will make us a force for even more good for both the rural and coastal communities we serve."

Alan added: “One of our key aims is to help combat rural isolation and loneliness and we’re

received grant funding for this year from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to fund

a post to support this. As well as covering local issues like no other radio station can we also

hope our on-air personalities will become the companions on the dial that people will want to

listen to every day.

“We’ve just started selling advertising on Penwith Radio and the new Coast FM too and are

receiving promising feedback from businesses who not only want to reach out to their catchment area but now find radio advertising is within their budget. The listeners and advertisers we have spoken to all said they love our new name."

The National Lottery Awards For All England have funded new studio equipment and a new

transmitter relay link has been hosted courtesy of Devon and Cornwall Housing and Bill

Radmore at the 360 Penzance.