Updated on 22nd February 2024
A couple of local streaming radio stations have popped up this year. Further down the page is info on historic broadcasting radio stations once based in Stroud.
Stroud Lockdown Radio I think this has since changed its name to Stroud Love Radio. They don’t really have any info about it anywhere although I once read it originated in the Toadsmoor valley.
Anyway, Stroud from Stroud, or some other Stroud in the universe was playing some good stuff on Saturday evening, described as Electronic, Melodic and Progressive House.
Another Streaming Stroud Radio Station, Deepbed Radio
Edge Radio
This appears to have closed down.
Proper broadcast radio stations from the past
Stroud Easy FM
Going back in time to 1983 was a station called Easy FM that broadcast from Stroud college, the old one thats since been pulled down and rebuilt. This used to broadcast during the school summer holidays on FM 87.7MHz.
Information on these older stations is hard to find as the Internet and social media didn’t exist back then so nobody documented things to the extent that they do now!
I did manage to find an old pdf from Short Wave Magazine dated June 1995 with some information on it but unfortunately it’s only the front page. I have added a link below it to an easier to read pdf.
Stroud Museum had a radio event back in September 2019 where they had this poster on display. I’ve no idea if it’s an original from the time or a reproduction.
Severn Sound
Another old radio station serving this area was Severn Sound being initially broadcast from a pub in Gloucester. It was started in 1980 and changed name many times over the years as it got taken over by other stations. It’s now part of Heart and is found on 103MHz (FM) in Stroud, assuming a hill isn’t blocking the signal.
The Falcon
Launched in 1998, Falcon Radio had premises in the Brunel Mall on London Road in Stroud. Owned by UKRD Group it was renamed Star 107 in 2002.
It later became Star 107.9 then Star Radio. It closed in 2006 no doubt suffering from an identity crisis. In truth, the owners said it had never made a profit and probably never would so they closed it down.
The station format is described on Wikipedia as Adult Contemporary. I’ve been told by a former presenter that after a couple of years the owners wanted the corporate sound so the early specialist presenters were dispensed with.
Stroud FM
In March 2008 there was a Stroud community radio station called Stroud FM that broadcast on 107.9MHz which is the same frequency Star above used.
Stroud FM suffered various funding problems over the years before chucking in the towel in February 2014. Notably it used to cover the Stroud Fringe Festival.
I think it started out being broadcast from the old Stroud college (since pulled down) near the leisure centre during the summer holidays.
Corinium Radio
Heading slightly out of Stroud there is another internet based station in Cirencester called Corinium Radio.
WebSDR
Slightly off topic but if you’re into broadcast radio there are many Internet based radio receivers known as webSDR (software defined radio) you can listen to. These aren’t streaming stations.
WebSDR are modern radio receivers on the Internet located around the world receiving signals through an aerial that you can tune into pretty much any frequency you want from your web browser if the receiver supports it.
They’re interesting as they continuously and instantly scan an entire band of frequencies producing a visual display of the signals found that can be listened to. They support lots of people listening to different frequencies all at the same time.
The image below shows a WebSDR interface. The vertical stripes at the top are radio signals that can be tuned into.
You can listen to all sorts of strange stuff on shortwave (best at night where the receiver is located), radio hams, normal broadcast stations along with communications with the International Space Station if it’s above a receiver.
Very early radio receivers
Stroud Post Office confirms people’s memories that the earliest licences for crystal sets would be issued about 1920, and the cost was then 10/-.
Crystal sets, also known as Cats Whisker radios are very simple early radio receivers that don’t require a power source such as batteries. They have no transistors or complicated electronics to make them work properly and to amplify the sound.
They produce just about enough energy to power a very sensitive earphone or headphones with the energy being provided by the radio signal.
They’re fairly easy to make and if you do make one you might never know for sure if you’re actually hearing a radio signal in the earphone or just think you are as the sound can be very quiet!
As a note, the BBC started broadcasting radio in 1922 with a station called 2MT and later 2LO.
Unless you lived near the radio transmitter the crystal sets probably only received anything during the night due to the way radio signals bounce around the ionosphere at night thus extending their range.
Sort of related: Test Transmission from the Edge of the World
A webSDR (new tab) http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/