Nova Radio North East
Nova Radio North East, (formerly NE1fm) is an FM community radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Launched in 2007, the station broadcasts 24 hours a day on 102.5 FM, and online via its website. The station is owned by CBIT (Community Broadcast Initiative Tyneside Ltd). They were awarded a five-year community broadcast licence by Ofcom in 2006, which has since been extended to 2022. Nova Radio NE carries a wide variety of content, catering for both mainstream and niche musical genres, and also broadcasts interviews and sports, talk and comedy-based shows. Nova Radio NE has broadcast more than 100 different shows during its time on-air, including enabling members of the local community to present as part of its open access programming. The station also broadcasts from musical and other events in the local area, promotes local bands, and highlights community issues on a regular basis. The name was a play on the postcode district NE1 (where the station was originally located). In addition to the station's community radio status where "anyone" can apply to broadcast or help out with the station's off-air operation. In June 2019, the station was rebranded to Nova Radio North East as the station was taken over, and merged with an online station of the same name in Newcastle. History 2004–2007: Pre-projects and station launch Prior to the formation of the project leading to the launch, a number of Restricted Service Licence broadcasts had taken place in Newcastle upon Tyne, many of which were operated by or involved founding members of the station. These included ACE Radio, West End Broadcast and City FM, the latter of which ran from 13 September 2004 to 9 October 2004. Following this broadcast, an application for Ofcom's advertised community radio licence for the area was made on 19 November 2004. The application of Community Broadcast Initiative Tyneside was successful, with a five-year licence awarded in 2006. The radio station launched on 8 June 2007 with a weekend of broadcasts from Newcastle's Green Festival, resulting in much of the launch weekend being conducted via an outside broadcast studio at Leazes Park. During the weekend, the station broadcast a large amount of live music, particularly electronic music, interspersed with interviews with festival participants and general continuity from a variety of on-air personnel. On Monday 11 June 2007, the stations regular schedule commenced with the long-running alternative music show Unknown Pleasures. 2007–2009: Transmitter thefts and programming expansions In the months following the launch, regular programming included Alternation, Atomic, Pavement Pizza and The Hedley Show. Broadcasts also took place from a number of other festivals, including the Asian-orientated Mela Festival, and the Newcastle stage of the AV Festival in March 2008, although broadcasts from the latter were met with problems and resulted in broadcasts ceasing before the festival's conclusion. Other festivals and outside events covered throughout the station's first year included the 2008 Irish Festival and the 2008 Eat Festival. The station was, in November 2007, presented with a plaque by hardware