Sunshine Radio

What Sunshine Radio does

Sunshine Radio, operated by Sunshine FM Ltd, is a privately held UK local commercial radio station founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hereford/Ludlow, Shropshire (registered entity: Sunshine FM Ltd). It broadcasts across South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Worcestershire, The Marches, and Monmouthshire via FM and AM frequencies, with distinct local programming for Herefordshire, Ludlow, and Monmouthshire. The core product is a live radio broadcast featuring named local presenters (Nick Jones, Mark Edwards, Chris Blumer, Leon Oldman, Gary King), with companion mobile apps for iOS and Android offering live streaming, alarm functionality, and local news/weather. The company has extended beyond traditional broadcasting into a multi-product ecosystem: the Sunshine Savers voucher platform (sunshinesavers.co.uk), a Local Business Directory subscription service at £10/month, Sunshine VIP membership, multiple podcast series (including sponsored content), podcast studio hire, and meeting room hire at its Ludlow premises.

The business model is advertiser-led, with revenue generated primarily through Radio Airtime, Sponsorship, and Digital advertising packages sold to local SMBs by a small sales team (1-10 employees total), supplemented by recurring directory subscription fees, voucher transaction revenue, and minor facility hire income. Customer segments are local SMBs in the coverage area (primary advertising base) and local community listeners (primary audience), with limited enterprise sponsorship activity (e.g., Cotswold Hereford BMW). Distribution is multi-channel: FM/AM broadcast, mobile apps, online streaming, social media (30,000+ combined Facebook/Instagram followers), community events, and the local directory. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no M&A history, having operated continuously for over 30 years as an independent regional broadcaster.

Name

Sunshine Radio

Legal name

Sunshine FM Ltd

Website

https://sunshineradio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sunshine Radio is an independent UK local commercial radio station broadcasting across South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Worcestershire, The Marches, and Monmouthshire via FM and AM, serving local listeners and SMB advertisers since 1992.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC), Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• Commercial radio advertising
• Local business directory
• Podcast production services
• Discount voucher platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Revenue from local businesses purchasing Radio Airtime, Sponsorship and Digital advertising packages. The station has over 25 years of radio advertising experience with sales executives offering creative advertising solutions across radio, online and video platforms.
2. Local Business Directory: Monthly subscription service for local businesses to be featured in the Sunshine Radio Local Business Directory. Promoted on Facebook, Instagram, app notifications, and to VIP members and radio listenership. Costs as little as £10 per month.
3. Sunshine Savers Platform: Voucher/deal platform (sunshinesavers.co.uk) offering discounted tickets and experiences to listeners, generating revenue through voucher sales and partnerships with local attractions and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sunshine Radio is a local commercial radio station broadcasting live programming across multiple UK counties on FM and AM frequencies, featuring local presenters, news, weather, traffic, and music. Its core commercial offering is the sale of radio airtime, sponsorship, and digital advertising packages to local businesses, supplemented by a subscription-based Local Business Directory and the Sunshine Savers voucher platform.

Product overview

Sunshine Radio is a local commercial radio station providing regional broadcast radio services across South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Worcestershire, and The Marches via FM and AM frequencies. The core offering consists of live radio programming featuring local presenters (Nick Jones, Mark Edwards, Chris Blumer, Leon Oldman, Gary King) with news, weather, traffic updates, and music. The product portfolio extends beyond traditional radio to include the Sunshine App for mobile listening, the Sunshine Savers voucher platform, Sunshine VIP membership, podcast content production, a Local Business Directory, radio and digital advertising packages, podcast studio hire, and meeting room hire. The station has been serving the local community for over 25 years, operating from broadcast studios with Aiir-powered web infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunshine Radio Broadcast Local commercial radio station broadcasting across South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Worcestershire, and The Marches on FM and AM frequencies, featuring live presenters and programming with local news, weather, traffic, and music. Targeted at local community listeners and the advertisers seeking to reach them.
• Sunshine App Mobile application available on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices enabling listeners to stream Sunshine Radio live, set alarms to wake to the station, and access local news, weather, and presenter information. Available to general listeners.
• Sunshine Savers Voucher and deals platform offering discounted tickets and entries to local events and attractions, including half-price vouchers for festivals, museums, and activities. Targeted at local listeners seeking discounted experiences.
• Local Business Directory Online subscription directory featuring local businesses across 30+ categories (accountants, agricultural, building services, care, cleaning, motoring, retail, solicitors, etc.), promoted through radio airtime, app notifications, social media, and VIP member channels. Targeted at local SMBs seeking visibility to local audiences.
• Radio Advertising Packages Advertising solutions including Radio Airtime, Sponsorship, and Digital packages sold to local businesses to reach Sunshine Radio's audience. Targeted at local SMBs seeking marketing reach.
• Podcast Content Range of podcast series including A Sunshine Radio Podcast, School Of The Week, Living With Electric (sponsored by Cotswold BMW), What's on at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, The Lakefest Podcast Series, In Conversation with Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, and Fostering Information podcasts. Available to general listeners.
• Podcast Studio Hire Podcast studio hire service available at Sunshine Radio premises for external producers and businesses. Targeted at local content creators and businesses.
• Meeting Room Hire Small boardroom and meeting room available to hire at the Ludlow, Shropshire location. Targeted at local businesses and professionals needing meeting space.

Quantifiable outcome

• Directory reaches over 30,000 social media followers plus 2,000 VIP members and 10,000+ app users
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Cotswold Hereford BMWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCotswold Hereford BMW sponsors the 'Living With Electric' podcast series, a Sunshine Radio podcast about electric vehicles, the 2030 hybrid/electric switchover, charging infrastructure, and lifestyle changes needed for EV ownership.
• Lanyon Bowdler SolicitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal law firm featured in podcast series 'In Conversation with Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors' discussing legal topics relevant to the community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Radio Exe: Independent UK local commercial radio station serving Exeter and East Devon with FM broadcasting, local news, and a local business directory. Comparable to Sunshine Radio in scale, independent ownership, and focus on a specific UK regional market.
• Nation Broadcasting: Welsh-based operator of local commercial radio stations across multiple Welsh regions. Comparable in operating multiple local commercial stations with community-focused content, though larger in scale.
• Original 106 (Aberdeen): UK local commercial radio station operating in the North-East Scotland market. Closely comparable to Sunshine Radio in that both are independently-owned, single-region commercial stations broadcasting local news, music, and information to a defined geographic audience.
• Town & Country Broadcasting: UK-based operator of small-scale local commercial radio stations serving regional markets. Comparable to Sunshine Radio in targeting defined geographic UK markets with local commercial radio content.
• KMFM (Kent): Network of local commercial FM radio stations across Kent serving multiple towns with localized programming. Comparable to Sunshine Radio's multi-location model broadcasting to several Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Monmouthshire market towns.

Others

• Spotify: Global audio streaming platform that competes with traditional local radio for UK listener attention and advertiser budgets. Comparable as an audio content distribution and monetization channel, though operating at vastly different scale and with a different business model.
• RadioToday: UK radio industry trade publication that covers local commercial radio operations, advertising trends, and station launches. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant providing industry context relevant to Sunshine Radio's market.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Local Radio: Publicly-funded UK local radio network broadcasting across England with local news, traffic, and weather. Comparable in operating multiple UK local radio stations with similar content categories, though funded by the licence fee rather than advertising.
• Global (Global Media & Entertainment): Largest UK commercial radio operator running Capital, Heart, LBC, Classic FM, Smooth, and other national brands with strong local presence. Comparable as a UK commercial radio incumbent that competes for local advertiser budgets with broader scale.
• Bauer Media Audio UK: Major UK commercial radio group operating national brands (Absolute Radio, Kiss, Magic, Hits Radio) as well as local stations. Comparable as a UK commercial radio competitor for ad budgets and listener attention, though much larger and operating nationally.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sunshineradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunshineradiouk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunshine-radio-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunshine Radio