Black Country Radio

What Black Country Radio does

Black Country Radio is a UK community radio station operating under an Ofcom community radio licence and held through Waterfront Media CIC, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. The station was awarded its licence in 2005, commenced broadcasting from studios in Brierley Hill in 2008, and has since had its licence renewed twice (2012 and 2017). It serves residents of the Black Country boroughs (Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton) and parts of Birmingham, providing hyper-local news bulletins, music programming, sports coverage, community events, and a local business directory. Programming is produced and broadcast 24 hours a day across multiple channels.

The product surface is multi-platform: the main station broadcasts on FM (102.5 and 92.2), DAB across Birmingham, and online streaming at 128 kbps stereo MP3 with a lower-bitrate mobile stream. A secondary channel, Black Country Xtra, offers additional programming. Supporting digital products include native iOS and Android mobile applications, an online news portal, podcasts (hosted on Captivate.fm and AudioBoom, including syndicated titles such as The News Agents and How Very Hannah), an unsigned-music upload facility, an events calendar, on-demand content, and an online streaming player distributed through UK Radioplayer, TuneIn, and smart speakers. Technology infrastructure is built on the Aiir CMS platform for the website and integrates with MailChimp for email marketing and with Apple Music for track-level linking.

The commercial model is diversified across local advertising (sold via an 'Advertise With Us' page), competitions and promotional partnerships, and unspecified ancillary income. Pricing is non-public, with advertisers engaging through direct inquiry. The technology stack relies on third-party platforms (Aiir, UK Radioplayer, Captivate.fm, AudioBoom, MailChimp, Sky News Radio) rather than proprietary infrastructure. The station is not PE/VC-backed, has no disclosed M&A activity, and operates without a salaried C-suite beyond a Chairman (Tom Westley), reflecting the volunteer and CIC governance structure typical of UK community radio.

Name

Black Country Radio

Legal name

Waterfront Media CIC

Website

https://blackcountryradio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Black Country Radio is a UK community radio station broadcasting hyper-local news, music, and community programming on FM, DAB, and online to listeners across the Black Country and Birmingham, operating as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Local news and music
• Digital audio streaming
• Online radio advertising
• Podcast distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Brierley Hill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The station sells advertising space on its broadcast and digital platforms to local businesses. The website features an 'Advertise With Us' page indicating commercial advertising as a primary revenue stream.
2. Competitions and Promotions: The station runs competitions with prizes, which may involve promotional partnerships and entry-based revenue opportunities.

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Country Radio is a community radio station that broadcasts locally produced programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 102.5 FM and 92.2 FM, DAB digital radio across Birmingham, and online streaming. It delivers hourly local news bulletins, music programming, local sports, community event coverage, and podcasts from its studios in Brierley Hill, with commercial advertising to local businesses serving as its primary revenue stream. The station also operates a secondary channel called Black Country Xtra, mobile applications for iOS/Android, and on-demand audio content.

Product overview

Black Country Radio operates as a community radio station with a multi-platform offering centred on live audio broadcasting. The core product is the main station (102.5 FM, 92.2 FM, DAB, and online), supplemented by a secondary channel called Black Country Xtra. Supporting digital products include a news portal, podcasts hosted via third-party platforms, a mobile app for iOS and Android, an online streaming player (integrated with UK Radioplayer and TuneIn), on-demand content, an unsigned music submission facility, a local business directory, an events calendar, competitions, and advertising services. All programming is produced from the station's Brierley Hill studios and distributed across FM, DAB, and internet channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Country Radio Main Station A community radio station broadcasting locally produced programming across the Black Country region 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via FM (102.5 FM and 92.2 FM), DAB digital radio covering Birmingham, and online streaming. It is targeted at residents of Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, and Birmingham.
• Black Country Xtra A secondary radio channel operated alongside the main Black Country Radio station, available online and via the station's player, offering additional programming content distinct from the main station output. Targeted at existing Black Country Radio listeners seeking extra programming.
• Black Country Radio Mobile App Native iOS and Android applications that allow listeners to stream live Black Country Radio, access on-demand content, and receive station notifications. Available via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• Black Country Radio Podcasts Podcasts distributed through the station's website and hosted on third-party podcast platforms including Captivate.fm and AudioBoom. Programming includes syndicated content such as The News Agents and How Very Hannah, plus original station podcasts.
• Online News Portal A news website section delivering local, national, world, sport, entertainment, business, and travel news, including local headlines, weather updates, travel news, school closures, and national headlines sourced from Sky News Radio. Targeted at Black Country and Birmingham readers.
• Advertising Services Commercial advertising opportunities for local and regional businesses, enabling them to reach the station's audience through on-air spots and digital advertising packages across FM, DAB, online streaming, and mobile apps. Priced via direct inquiry (rates not publicly disclosed).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sky News RadiocoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides national and world news content for broadcast outside of local news hours, with hourly news bulletins prepared by Sky News Radio integrated into the station's programming schedule
• UK RadioplayercoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary streaming partner providing the station's online audio stream through their platform, which is the standard for BBC, commercial and larger community radio stations across the UK
• AiircoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the radio website CMS platform that powers the station's website and digital infrastructure
• Local Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious partnerships with local charitable organizations, community groups, and good causes through free event listings, interviews, social media promotion, and roadshow services

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Touch FM (Coventry & Warwickshire): Touch FM is a commercial local radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire. Comparable because it follows a similar local radio model targeting a specific UK region, though its geographic coverage is to the south of Black Country Radio's footprint.
• Wyvern Radio: Wyvern Radio is a commercial local radio station serving Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Comparable because it operates a local radio model with regional advertising focus in the West Midlands region, though geographically distinct from the Black Country.

Broad incumbents

• Capital Birmingham: Capital Birmingham is Global's flagship CHR station serving Birmingham and the West Midlands. Comparable because it competes for younger adult listeners and major regional advertising budgets in the same geography, though it operates as part of Global's national network.
• Smooth Radio West Midlands: Smooth Radio West Midlands is a national commercial station with regional opt-outs for the West Midlands, owned by Global. Comparable because it broadcasts to the same audience pool with music-led programming, though it operates as part of a much larger national network.
• BBC Radio WM: BBC Radio WM is the BBC's local radio station for the West Midlands and Birmingham, broadcasting from the same region as Black Country Radio. Comparable because it targets overlapping audiences with news, music, and community content, though as part of the wider BBC network it has substantially greater resources and reach.

Direct peers

• Unity FM: Unity FM is a Birmingham-based community radio station serving the local community. Comparable because it operates the same community radio licence model with hyper-local content targeting Birmingham residents, directly competing for community advertising and listener engagement.
• Sabras Radio: Sabras Radio is a community radio station based in Leicester serving the local community under an Ofcom community radio licence. Comparable because it operates the same community radio model with hyper-local content and non-commercial CIC/community ownership structure.
• Free Radio: Free Radio (formerly BRMB, Free Radio, and Signal) operates commercial local radio stations across the West Midlands, including Birmingham and the Black Country. Directly comparable because it competes for the same listener base and local advertising spend in the same West Midlands geography.
• Greatest Hits Radio West Midlands: Greatest Hits Radio West Midlands is Bauer's heritage music station serving the West Midlands. Comparable because it targets similar adult demographics in the same region, competing for local advertising spend and listener share.
• Hits Radio West Midlands: Hits Radio West Midlands is Bauer Media's local commercial station serving Birmingham and the surrounding region. Comparable because it competes for music-led listeners and advertising revenue in the same West Midlands broadcast area as Black Country Radio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wearebcr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-country-radio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Black Country Radio