About Us
WELCOME TO OUTREACH RADIO – YOUR TRULY LOCAL RADIO STATION
Our unique story and journey from our inception to the present day forms the very fabric of what makes local radio, and Outreach Radio in particular, so special. This is our story…
HOW IT ALL STARTED…
Our story began in March 2020 , when we began broadcasting as Lockdown FM, on 100.7 FM, one of eight temporary COVID-19 Short-Term Restricted Service Licences (SRSL’s) granted by OfCom to radio stations across the UK seeking to support their local areas during the pandemic which ensued.
Our Founder & Managing Director, Osman, a.k.a. Oz, or “DJ Oz, The Wizard”, had only been home from hospital for two weeks after undergoing open-heart surgery when the UK entered the first lockdown in March 2020.
Wondering if others may be feeling the same from the dismal news on the radio and TV, and being a former pirate radio operator, his then 15 year old son Onur, (a.k.a. The Groovy Pelican), helped Oz to set up the radio station from his home in Chandler’s Ford, using his existing studio and some FM transmitter equipment he happened to have lying around.
Before long, Lockdown FM had attracted a wonderful team of nearly 30 radio presenter volunteers, all working from home to provide uplifting music, information and entertainment to the communities across our broadcast area.
At the end of the first nationwide lockdown in September 2020, Lockdown FM was rebranded to Outreach Radio, as it was thought that the lockdown was over and life would be returning to normal – how wrong we were!
The R–EA–CH in the name OUTREACH represents the communities from which we emerged, mostly across Romsey EAstleigh and CHandler’s Ford.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR
Osman Sen-Chadun began his professional journey in banking after studying Business & Finance. However, his passion for broadcasting, technology and music soon led him down a different path.
A self-taught electronic engineer, he designed and built FM transmitters for pirate radio stations in the late ’80s and ’90s. For nearly a decade, he operated his own pirate community radio station, until he was caught late at night installing an antenna on a multi-storey car park roof.
A friendly DTI Radiocommunications Agency Investigation Officer by the name of John Garlick suggested he use his talents to pursue a university education and seek a “proper” career in broadcasting – a pivotal moment that shaped his future, and to which he remains grateful to Mr Garlick for planting the seed that changed his life.
Oz became a vocal advocate for licensed community radio, lobbying/hassling the Independent Broadcasting Authority, (IBA), later the Radio Authority to support local communities, ethnic minorities, and under-represented music genres.
He has advised community radio stations across the UK & Ireland over the last 20 years, guiding them through licence applications, business planning, and technical setup. He’s even manufactured FM transmitters to legal standards, helping many former pirate radio colleagues transition into legitimate broadcasting.
He later went on to hold a senior role at Arqiva, (originally the IBA, later ntl), a leading broadcast infrastructure provider. Starting as a broadcast engineer in London where he looked after FM & TV transmitters for the UK’s biggest broadcasters, he rose to become Head of Technology Development, where he led an award-winning team that spearheaded groundbreaking innovations for major global broadcasters. He also served as Executive Director for an international technology standards body in Berlin, working with broadcasters and regulatory bodies in shaping the future of streaming services.
Oz’s career reflects a unique blend of technical expertise, community service, and dedication to mentoring young people in media, broadcasting and technology.
OUR JOURNEY TO DAB DIGITAL RADIO
After being informed by Ofcom that the temporary FM licence was going to end in September 2020, on the basis that the lockdown was over, Outreach Radio received a deluge of emails and letters of support asking if we could stay on the air. Unfortunately, permanent FM licences were no longer being issued, but in October 2020 OfCom granted a permanent DAB licence to Outreach Radio, allowing us to broadcast on the commercial DAB network serving South Hampshire.
THE CONTINUATION OF 100.7 FM
In November 2020, the second nationwide Coronavirus lockdown took effect, and Ofcom offered a further extension to our temporary Covid-19 FM licence, allowing Outreach Radio to broadcast simultaneously on FM and DAB. Outreach Radio was one of three radio services in the UK, (the others two were in Leicester and Wales), that maintained a 24/7 radio service throughout the time of the pandemic. The service continued until August 2021, when the temporary FM licence it came to it’s official end, leaving the 100.7 FM frequency silent once again.
OUTREACH DANCE – BRINGING THE FINEST DANCE MUSIC TO THE SOUTH COAST AND BEYOND
Following the success of “Club Lockdown”, Outreach Radio’s dance music radio shows, we spun off Outreach Dance as a new service in September 2022, bringing listeners the very best electronic dance music, from House, Techno & Trance, to Old Skool Rave, Jungle, Drum & Bass & Garage.
Supported by local DJ’s and DJ’s from across the world, Outreach Dance brings an amazing variety of dance music and DJ mixes to the airwaves of Hampshire and beyond!
WINCHESTER DAB & PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Due to the high operating costs of operating on the commercial local DAB network, and the extremely low advertising revenues experienced as businesses recovered from the impact of the pandemic, it had become financially unsustainable to remain on the local DAB network. Outreach Radio therefore transitioned away to the brand new small-scale DAB (SS-DAB) network serving Winchester and surrounding areas.
Until then, Outreach Radio had grown organically with very little planning, as it was never originally intended as a permanent service. Taking a step back provided the opportunity to develop a strategic plan and make technical and schedule changes for a more sustainable and robust future operation – especially in light of changes happening to the local radio landscape at the time…
CHANGES TO THE LOCAL RADIO LANDSCAPE
During the pandemic, around six months after Outreach Radio began broadcasting as Lockdown FM, local & regional radio stations across Hampshire and the UK were being “converted” into centralised operations to become national radio services, dramatically changing the local radio landscape.
Following the acquisition of all originally licensed commercial radio stations in our area, local studios were closed, staff dismissed, and all local programming discontinued. Whilst this was being presented to the general public as a change of radio presenters, the reality was that the knife had cut much deeper into the local radio industry.
In October 2023, the BBC reduced local staffing and centralised many local operations resulting in shared programmes across BBC Radio Solent, Berkshire and Oxfordshire regions. Sam FM and The Breeze in South Hampshire were amongst the first to be closed down, followed by the closure of Wave 105 March 2024; all replaced with national radio services.
To quote Oz, our Managing Director, who is very vocal and passionate about this subject:
This decimation of local radio is more than just a change of presenters. It appears, in my personal opinion, to be yet another case of profits before people, by creating another monopolistic cluster of one-size fits all national radio services at the detriment of radio stations that were originally licensed to serve local areas. I remember how tough it was in the 90’s to be awarded one of these licences, and your remit to properly serve the coverage area was of paramount importance.
Now, if you’re young person interested in radio broadcasting, media or journalism, this has destroyed the number of places left to go for work experience, let alone the career path that would lead to local jobs in radio – and that’s without considering all of the other local jobs impacted through these changes. You now have to be incredibly fortunate to land a job in one of these corporations – that’s if you’re also happy to move to London, or wherever.
Plus, if you’re a community group or local charity, access to the airwaves of any of our previous local commercial radio stations has gone, maybe with exception of paid advertising on some, which may not be viable for smaller groups. I find it very ironic that they can turn their back on local areas, yet still offer local advertising sales. It’s the old analogy of having the cake and eating it too, as they still make it difficult for independent local radio stations such as Outreach Radio to survive financially, in what is now an even more competitive market with more radio stations available digitally and online.
If seems to me, that more now than ever, it’s crucial that local radio stations such as Outreach Radio can develop as a place for training and work experience, and if we can make it financially, even become a local employer. But above all else, we need to ensure that we are a radio station that genuinely serves local people in every way possible, and to the best of our abilities.
OUTREACH RADIO ON THE TV
At around the same time that local radio stations were being closed down, a groundbreaking new UK-wide hybrid TV (part-Internet, part Digital TV) service was launched by Oz, making Outreach Radio, Outreach Dance and other radio stations across the UK available on Freeview channel 277, Freely channel 566 and on Amazon Fire TV sticks.
With TV as the dominant in-home media device, having Outreach Radio’s services available in audible and visual way compliments FM, DAB and online as way of making our radio stations as widely available and as easy to access as possible.
EXTENDED COVERAGE TO BASINGSTOKE, PORTSMOUTH & SURROUNDING AREAS
In our next phase of SS-DAB expansion across Hampshire, a new transmitter covering Basingstoke and surrounding areas took to the air in October 2022.
This new network provided Outreach Radio & Outreach Dance the opportunity to extend coverage into this area of North Hampshire, which is a key residential and business area that forms a crucial part of our local, social and commuter route.
In January 2023, Outreach Radio and Outreach Dance also joined the Portsmouth SS-DAB network, extending coverage across Portsmouth, and making Outreach Radio available to listeners across another major population area of Hampshire.
EXTENDED COVERAGE TO SALISBURY & ALDERSHOT
Outreach Radio joined the Salisbury SS-DAB network in March 2023, followed by the Aldershot SS-DAB network in June 2023, making Outreach Radio & Outreach Dance available across all SS-DAB transmitters in Hampshire and immediate surrounding areas.
THE COLLAPSE OF WINCHESTER & BASINGSTOKE
In November 2023, Outreach Radio and Outreach Dance, together with a number of community and hospital radio stations suffered a major setback as the local company operating Winchester and Basingstoke SS-DAB networks entered administration, resulting in the shutdown of the local SS-DAB transmitters.
Despite the impact to our business, we were devastated by this news, as the SS-DAB company was operated by a wonderful person who had worked very hard for many years to support community and charity radio stations.
In a urgent attempt to recover the situation, the management of Outreach Radio rapidly formulated a plan…
THE RETURN OF WINCHESTER SS-DAB
Oz, the MD of Outreach Radio lead the efforts in setting up a new company and consortium who were able to take on the SS-DAB licences and purchase the transmitter equipment for Winchester & Basingstoke. As a former pirate radio operator, Osman was accustomed to setting up transmitters in unusual places, and his 25 years of experience in Arqiva meant that he was well equipped to develop complex technical plans and work to tight deadlines whilst meeting Ofcom regulatory requirements.
With support from some friends, who also happened to be ex-pirates that had transitioned to the legal broadcast industry, a crack team was formed. Oz was joined by Alan Beech from local broadcast installation services company Commtronix and also Chief Engineer for Radio Caroline’s current AM service, and Rashid Mustafa MBE from digris who pioneered the concept and development of SS-DAB whilst working for Ofcom.
The team worked tirelessly as new engineering and transmission plans were developed, leading to the creation of a new SS-DAB transmitter site. Winchester SS-DAB returned to the airwaves in February 2024 – a record 3 months after it’s shutdown, bringing Outreach Radio, Outreach Dance, Winchester Radio (based at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital), and Southampton community radio stations, Voice FM, Fiesta FM and Awaaz FM back to the airwaves of Winchester.
EXTENDED COVERAGE TO SOUTHAMPTON
In August 2024, the long-awaited SS-DAB network for Southampton took to the airwaves.
The licence for this area was awarded to a consortium made up of a larger commercial radio broadcaster as majority shareholder, partnered with several community radio stations from Southampton.
With a short time remaining in which to bring Southampton SS-DAB on-air, the commercial radio group decided to exit, citing financial non-viability, thus leaving the community radio stations stranded with what was deemed not enough time to construct a new plan for approval by Ofcom, let alone carry out the complex installation works.
Once again, Oz and Alan stepped up to the challenge, producing new plans, and completing the installation a few days shy of the licence deadline, bringing Outreach Radio, Outreach Dance, Voice FM, Fiesta FM and Awaaz FM to SS-DAB in Southampton.
OUTREACH CLASSICAL – THE FINEST CLASSICAL MUSIC TO HAMPSHIRE & SURROUNDING AREAS
Outreach Classical launched on DAB in October 2024 as a classical music radio service for Hampshire. With a rich heritage of classical music across our area, this service was created to support local classical music, including as broadcasting performances from local ensembles.
THE RETURN OF BASINGSTOKE SS-DAB
Basingstoke SS-DAB returned to the airwaves exactly one year after it’s closure in November 2023, after the original operating company fell into administration
The crack team comprising of Oz, Alan & Rashid created a new plan, that would ultimately lead to the installation of a brand new transmitter site for Basingstoke.
The complex legal work required took a most of the year to ratify, and the end of November 2024 saw the re-launch of Basingstoke SS-DAB, carrying Outreach Radio, Outreach Dance, Outreach Classical, Basingstoke Hospital Radio and Basingstoke Community Radio.
OUTREACH RADIO RETURNS TO FM
In July 2024, Skyline Gold, the long-standing and well-respected community radio station serving the southern parishes of South Hampshire for 19 years sadly decided to close down their service, also citing financial difficulties.
Outreach Radio was passed the baton to continue the operation of the FM service on 102.5 FM, bringing us back onto the local FM band.
Several former Skyline Gold radio presenters have since joined the Outreach Radio family, and in recognition of the Gold music service that warmed the Hampshire airwaves for nearly two decades, Outreach Radio has created “Super Retro Sundays”, playing music strictly from the 1950’s to the 1980’s from 6am to 6pm.
OUR COMPANY, INDUSTRY, ETHOS & VALUES
With all of the local & regional commercial radio stations across our region now taken over by major media corporations, re-branded, and “converted” to national services from centralised locations in other parts of the country, Outreach Radio is now the only locally-based independent radio station serving all of Hampshire.
This is an important responsibility, as we know first-hand the value that local radio can bring to an area, and the social benefits that we can provide.
Whilst we are a volunteer-based not-for-profit company, we depend entirely on revenues from advertising and sponsorship to sustain our service. If you are interested in advertising or supporting Outreach Radio, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you, and hope you enjoy listening to Outreach Radio.
OUTREACH: an effort to bring services or information to people where they live or spend time (Cambridge English Dictionary)
OUTREACH: the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. (Wikipedia)
OUTREACH: often meant to fill in the gap in the services provided by mainstream (often governmental) services, and is often carried out by non-profit, nongovernmental organisations. (Wikipedia)
OUTREACH RADIO: a superb collective of local radio stations founded in the Romsey, Eastleigh & Chandlers Ford area during the pandemic of 2020, and operated by a wonderful team of volunteers Reaching Out to serve Hampshire & surrounding areas with great music music, information and entertainment. (Oz, Founder of Outreach Radio)