MARTIN’S RADIO STATION IS NO FLASH IN THE PAN!

Radio listeners in the Havant area had a pleasant surprise when they tuned in their FM radios w/c Sunday 8 March 2015. This new station was The Flash FM, 87.9 Mhz, a special station broadcasting from a portakabin next to The Curlew pub, near the town centre of Havant for a one week trial period. Local community station Angel FM started this way some years ago.

I caught up with station manager Martin Kirby (see pic) during his trial week and asked him what The Flash FM was all about. Martin told me all about his frustration in not being able to hear classic rock albums on the radio and how commercial stations only play top 40 “boy band” tracks. His vision is for The Flash to achieve a community radio station licence and to become a permanent feature of local FM broadcasting scene in Havant. Martin started listening to Radio Caroline and other offshore pirate stations in the 1980’s as they played album based rock music. He wanted to get more involved so started his own land based pirate station, Freesound International which broadcast on Sundays from his home in South Hampshire on the 48 meter shortwave band.

Martin's Radio

Martin then teamed up with local radio legend Tony Smith who founded Angel FM which was to become one of Britain’s first licenced community stations. Angel began as a pirate and then had a number of RSL broadcasts before it eventually became a fully licensed community station. Angel FM, which targets older listeners with pre 1959 music, broadcasts from Havant on 101.0 FM and on DAB Digital Radio (South Hants 11C DAB). Martin then moved on and started The Flash as an internet station in 2012, playing classic rock albums, based in his own home in the Havant area. In 2013 he had his first RSL licence and broadcast for a week from the Churchillian pub, Portsdown Hill, overlooking Portsmouth. This broadcast was a great success raising much awareness of the station.

In December 2014, The Flash moved to its own premises, a portakabin next to The Curlew pub in Havant. The portakabin contains a full radio studio with mixing desk, CD players, record library, PCs and all you need to broadcast.

Martin has funded the trial broadcast through his own income as a part time DJ, limited local advertising and contributions from supporters.

Although The Flash only broadcast on FM from 8-14 March 2015 they can be heard on the internet 24 hours a day by going to www.theflashonair.co.uk .

By
David Harris, Freelance Writer
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