Phoenix FM 96.7

What Phoenix FM 96.7 does

Phoenix FM 96.7 (legally Phoenix Radio Limited, company no. 04322133) is a not-for-profit community radio station headquartered at E Mill, Dean Clough Mills, Halifax, United Kingdom. The station broadcasts 24/7 on 96.7FM in Calderdale and worldwide via online streaming, with programming covering local news, views, events, music, and community issues including housing, education, sport, and disabilities. It is staffed entirely by volunteers primarily drawn from in and around Calderdale and is a member of the Community Radio Association. The station achieved full licensed community radio status in December 2006 after operating since the 1990s under earlier names (originally Spark FM).

The station's core technology consists of FM broadcast infrastructure on 96.7FM with online streaming capability and podcast distribution via Mixcloud. Its product surface extends beyond broadcast radio to include the Phoenix Radio Education Platform (PREP) — an online learning companion launched in 2021 — paid corporate business training workshops, the Roving Folk podcast, the Audio Cinema Trail of Halifax (a cultural heritage audio walking tour), and online safety educational content. Phoenix FM runs the Phoenix Radio Empower Project, which delivers ASDAN Youth Achievement Award-certified radio training to young people aged 16-25 and was the first in the UK to develop CD-ROM-based portfolios for this award.

Phoenix FM's revenue model is diversified across donation, grant, and advertising streams typical of UK community radio. The Phoenix 500 programme targets 500 monthly donors contributing £1 each to cover core operational costs. The station also receives grants (notably European Social Fund and Learning + Skills Council funding for the Empower Project) and one-off crowdfunding via GoFundMe and JustGiving for specific capital projects such as the 2025 studio soundproofing campaign. Local advertising revenue exists but was described as severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The station was recognised with 3 national Community Radio Awards for Innovation, a 2019 Calderdale Community Spirit Award (Breakthrough of the Year), and Disability Confident accreditation, and was honoured by West Yorkshire's Lord Lieutenant in 2020 for maintaining live broadcasting through the pandemic lockdown.

Name

Phoenix FM 96.7

Legal name

Phoenix Radio Limited

Website

https://phoenixfm.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phoenix FM 96.7 is a volunteer-staffed, not-for-profit community radio station broadcasting 24/7 on 96.7FM in Calderdale, UK and worldwide online, serving local listeners with news, music, and community programming while delivering training for young people and people with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Local radio programming
• FM radio station
• Online radio streaming
• Community radio training

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Phoenix FM is a not-for-profit organisation that depends on grants and donations to survive. Revenue comes from European Social Fund grants, Learning + Skills Council funding, and general donations. The station runs a Phoenix 500 campaign seeking 500 monthly donors at £1/month each to cover core costs.
2. Advertising Revenue: The station generates advertising revenue from local businesses. However, advertising revenue was severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Phoenix 500 Monthly Donors: Recurring monthly donations of £1 per month from community supporters, targeting 500 donors to generate £500/month for core operational costs including rent, bills, and licence fees.
4. Crowdfunding Campaigns: One-time crowdfunding campaigns via GoFundMe and JustGiving to raise funds for specific projects such as new studio construction (£1,500 target for soundproofing materials and labour).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Phoenix FM 96.7 is a community radio station that broadcasts local news, sports, events, music, and topical discussion on 96.7 FM in Calderdale and via worldwide online streaming. It produces volunteer-driven programming featuring local musicians, comedians, bands, poets, actors, writers, and community groups, while providing training opportunities for young people and people with disabilities.

Product overview

Phoenix FM 96.7 is a community radio station operating as a single unified service (not a modular platform) from its base at Dean Clough Business Park in Halifax, Calderdale. The core offering is its 24/7 FM and online radio broadcast service, supplemented by the Phoenix Radio Business Training workshops for corporate clients, the Phoenix Radio Education Platform (PREP) for online learning, the Roving Folk podcast, the Phoenix 500 membership programme, the Audio Cinema Trail of Halifax cultural heritage product, and internet safety educational content. The station relies on volunteer presenters and community support rather than a software platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phoenix FM 96.7 Radio Broadcast 24/7 community radio broadcast on 96.7 FM in Calderdale and worldwide online, serving as a voice for local community groups and featuring local musicians, comedians, bands, poets, actors, writers, and business professionals while highlighting local issues such as housing, education, sport, disabilities, and local recruitment.
• Phoenix Radio Business Training Communications-based training workshops for companies covering teamwork, communication skills, advertisement development, radio programme creation, studio equipment use, and presentation building, offered in courses of one to five days duration. Targeted at corporate clients seeking to develop employee communication and presentation skills.
• Phoenix Radio Education Platform (PREP) Online learning companion platform supporting the Phoenix Radio Empower Project, providing radio-based training for young people aged 16-25 with ASDAN Youth Achievement Award certification. The platform supports online learning and skill development in radio broadcasting.
• Phoenix 500 Monthly Donation Programme Monthly donation programme seeking 500 supporters to contribute £1 per month to cover core station operational costs including rent, bills, and licence fees, ensuring the continuation of 24/7 broadcasting.
• Roving Folk Podcast Folk music programme broadcast monthly featuring folk music, artist interviews, and music recommendations, available as a podcast for on-demand listening.
• Audio Cinema Trail of Halifax Audio walking trail exploring Halifax's cinema history, featuring narrated audio guides about historic cinema venues in Halifax, available via SoundCloud for visitors and cultural heritage enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained young people aged 16-25 through Phoenix Radio Empower Project with ASDAN Youth Achievement Award certification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Urban Film Festival (BUFF)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 October 2024Phoenix FM broadcasts 3 script readings from BUFF's winning shortlist as part of the 2024 British Urban Film Festival. Station Manager Howard Priestley presented the award for 'Best Scripts' in 2023. The partnership provides content for both organisations and cross-promotional opportunities.
• Square Chapel Arts CentrecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 October 2024Square Chapel in Halifax is a host venue for the British Urban Film Festival 2024, partnering with Phoenix FM for the event programme.
• Lee Mount Care HomeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 June 2024Lee Mount Care Home co-hosted the Summer Time Jam fundraising event with Phoenix FM. The partnership combines community engagement with fundraising for the radio station.
• Timothy Taylor'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTimothy Taylor's brewery provided beer tasting at the Summer Time Jam fundraiser event.
• Community Radio AssociationcoreOthersPhoenix FM is a committed member of the Community Radio Association, adhering to their code of practice for serving the listening audience through selective programming and responsiveness to audience feedback.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Greatest Hits Radio: National commercial radio network with regional coverage across Yorkshire. Operates at significantly greater scale but competes with Phoenix FM for older listener demographics and local advertiser budgets in Calderdale.
• Hits Radio (Bauer Media): Bauer Media's national commercial radio network with West Yorkshire local opt-outs. A much larger commercial competitor for local advertising spend and listener share in the Calderdale broadcast area.
• BBC Radio Leeds: BBC's regional service for West Yorkshire, including Halifax/Calderdale. While much larger and publicly funded, it competes for the same local listener and advertiser audience as Phoenix FM in the Calderdale area.

Direct peers

• Resonance FM: London community radio station championing arts, culture, and underrepresented music. Both Resonance FM and Phoenix FM operate as volunteer-driven, non-profit community broadcasters producing niche local content beyond commercial radio's mainstream.
• Andover Radio: Andover-based community radio station operating on a similar small-scale, volunteer-led model. Comparable in audience focus (local news, music, community events) and funding approach (donations plus local advertising).
• Radio Verulam: St Albans community radio station run by volunteers and serving a defined local community. Closely comparable in scale, volunteer model, and reliance on donations and local advertising.
• BCB Radio 106.6: Bradford-based community radio station broadcasting on 106.6FM. BCB is one of the closest geographic peers to Phoenix FM, serving a neighbouring West Yorkshire community with a similar volunteer-led, community-focused model and mix of music, speech, and local content.
• Ujima Radio: Bristol-based community radio station focused on equality, diversity, and inclusion. Ujima shares Phoenix FM's emphasis on marginalised voices, training programmes for new presenters, and community-led governance.
• ALL FM 96.9: Manchester community radio station on 96.9FM, run largely by volunteers with a focus on marginalised voices and underrepresented communities. Directly comparable to Phoenix FM in mission, volunteer-led operations, and nonprofit status.
• Hillz FM: Coventry community radio station serving a diverse urban audience. Similar operational structure, community-licence mandate, and reliance on volunteer presenters and small grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fm_phoenix
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/pg/phoenixfm96.7/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/96.7phoenixfm
• TikToktiktok.com/@phoenix.96.7fm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Phoenix FM 96.7