Wey Valley Radio

What Wey Valley Radio does

Wey Valley Radio is a not-for-profit community radio station incorporated as Wey Valley Radio (Alton) Ltd (company number 09822128) and broadcasting from 37 High Street, Alton, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The station delivers live local radio on 101.1 FM, small-scale DAB+ digital radio (Block 8A, currently active in Petersfield and Liphook with the Alton transmitter pending Ofcom approval), and online streaming via weyvalleyradio.uk. Its programming consists of music, local news bulletins, weather and traffic updates, community event coverage, outside broadcasts from local markets and festivals, and listener song dedications — produced entirely by approximately 35 unpaid volunteer presenters, news readers, and technicians.

The station is licensed by Ofcom under community radio licences CR101263BA/1 and CDP106041BA/1, and is licensed by PRS and PPL for music broadcast. It is a member of NCVO and registered with the ICO under ZC132136 for UK GDPR compliance. The technology stack is conventional community-radio infrastructure — FM transmitter, DAB+ mux participation, website streaming, Mixcloud for catch-up audio, and standard SaaS tools (PayPal, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, WhatsApp, Cloudflare Web Analytics) for back-office and donation processing. The corporate history includes a relaunch in June 2017 after a seven-year absence from local radio, an Ofcom licence award in July 2016, a 2018 National Lottery grant, a studio move in June 2024, and ongoing DAB+ expansion targeted for 2025-2026.

The business model is not commercial: revenue is derived from voluntary listener donations processed via PayPal, local business advertising (capped by Ofcom regulations on the share of income community stations may derive from ads), and grants/sponsorship from Hampshire County Council, Alton Town Council, East Hampshire District Council, and individual sponsors. The customer base consists of residents of Alton and North East Hampshire (primary segment), local SMB advertisers, music enthusiasts, and community groups and charities. Pricing to listeners is freemium with free song dedications; advertising rates are available only on direct enquiry.

Name

Wey Valley Radio

Legal name

Wey Valley Radio (Alton) Ltd

Website

https://weyvalleyradio.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wey Valley Radio is a not-for-profit community radio station broadcasting on 101.1 FM, DAB+, and online from Alton, Hampshire, serving residents and local businesses across North East Hampshire with music, news, and event coverage produced entirely by around 35 volunteers.

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

Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Nonprofit Radio Networks (NPR-style) (MPABABAB), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Local FM radio
• Digital radio DAB+
• Online radio streaming
• Volunteer radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

Alton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations: Voluntary donations from listeners to support the not-for-profit community radio station. Every penny donated goes directly back into the station operations.
2. Local Advertising: Revenue from local businesses advertising on air, with rates, audiences and formats available on the Advertise page. Regulations limit how much income can be raised through advertising.
3. Grants and Sponsorship: Funding from local government bodies including Hampshire County Council, Alton Town Council, East Hampshire District Council, and other sponsors such as Keith Gotts. Also received National Lottery grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wey Valley Radio is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run community radio station broadcasting on 101.1 FM, DAB+ (Block 8A, expanding across East Hampshire) and online streaming. Its programming centres on local news, weather, traffic, community-event updates, music, sports coverage, and song dedications produced by approximately 35 volunteer presenters for listeners in Alton and surrounding North East Hampshire villages.

Product overview

Wey Valley Radio is a not-for-profit community radio station offering a multi-platform broadcasting service consisting of live FM radio on 101.1 FM, DAB+ digital radio (expanding across East Hampshire), and online streaming. The station complements its core radio broadcasts with news bulletins, a song dedications service, on-demand catch-up content, local advertising opportunities, and community volunteer programmes. All programming is produced by volunteers and the station operates under Ofcom community radio licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FM Radio Broadcasting (101.1 FM) Live radio broadcasting over FM frequency 101.1 FM, serving Alton and surrounding villages in North East Hampshire with music, news, weather, traffic, sport and community programming produced by volunteer presenters.
• DAB+ Digital Radio Broadcasting Digital audio broadcasting via small-scale DAB in East Hampshire (Block 8A), currently available in Petersfield and Liphook with Alton transmitter pending Ofcom approval.
• Online Streaming Live internet radio streaming via the station website, allowing listeners worldwide to access broadcasts in real time on computers, mobile phones and smart speakers.
• Local Advertising & Sponsorship Local advertising opportunities for businesses across FM, DAB+ and online platforms targeting Alton and North East Hampshire listeners, with rates, audiences and formats available on request via the Advertise page.
• Catch-Up / Listen Again Audio On Demand On-demand listen-again service allowing listeners to access previously broadcast shows, interviews and bulletins via the station website and the Mixcloud platform.
• Outside Broadcast Event Coverage Mobile outside-broadcast coverage of local community events, festivals, fetes and markets across Alton and North East Hampshire using the station's outside-broadcasting capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Returned to air in June 2017 after seven-year absence, demonstrating resilience and community support

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hampshire County CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government sponsor providing financial support and endorsement for the community radio station.
• Alton Town CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTown council sponsor providing funding and community endorsement for local radio service.
• East Hampshire District CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDistrict council sponsor providing financial support for community broadcasting.
• Keith GottsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual local sponsor supporting the station.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorOthersProud members of NCVO - Championing Voluntary Action, demonstrating commitment to the voluntary sector.
• PRS and PPLcoreOthersMusic licensing partnerships allowing the station to stream and broadcast recorded music legally. Station is Licensed by PRS and PPL.
• OfcomcoreOthersRegulatory licensing: Ofcom licences CR101263BA/1 and CDP106041BA/1 for community radio broadcasting.
• Radio HaslemerecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in small-scale DAB licence application for East Hampshire, working together to secure digital radio coverage.
• Shine Radio (Petersfield)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in small-scale DAB licence for East Hampshire, collaborating on digital radio expansion.
• PayPalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPayment processor for donations. Payment details handled directly by PayPal under their own privacy terms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Angel Radio (Havant): UK community radio station broadcasting on FM, DAB and online from Havant on the south coast. Operates a comparable not-for-profit, volunteer-led model with nostalgia music, local news and community programming that mirrors Wey Valley's structural setup.
• Shine Radio (Petersfield): Community radio station serving Petersfield in East Hampshire, co-applicant with Wey Valley Radio on the small-scale DAB licence for the region. Operates a similar volunteer, not-for-profit model with local news, music and event coverage targeting overlapping listener geographies.
• Radio Caroline: Independent/community-licensed UK radio station broadcasting on AM, DAB and online. Comparable to Wey Valley as a small-scale, volunteer-supported UK broadcaster focused on music programming and listener-funded sustainability.
• Radio Haslemere: Community radio station in Haslemere, Surrey, partnered with Wey Valley Radio on the East Hampshire small-scale DAB licence. Both are volunteer-led not-for-profit stations broadcasting on FM and DAB+ in the same region with similar local news, music and community-event programming.
• Unity 101 (Southampton): Southampton-based community radio station licensed by Ofcom and broadcasting on FM, DAB and online. Operates a similar volunteer, not-for-profit model targeting a defined geographic and cultural community, providing a relevant UK community-radio comparable.

Emerging players

• HCR (Hospital Broadcasting Service style stations): Network of UK hospital and community broadcasters that share Wey Valley's volunteer-driven, not-for-profit operating model and rely on donations and grants. While serving different audiences, they operate under the same Ofcom community radio regulatory framework.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Radio Surrey: BBC local radio station covering Surrey and parts of Hampshire including areas overlapping Wey Valley's broadcast region. Represents a deep-pocketed public incumbent offering free local news, talk and music that competes for both listeners and council advertising spend.

Regional players

• Eagle Radio: Commercial local radio station covering Surrey and North East Hampshire, including Alton. While Wey Valley's volunteer and DAB-focused model differs, both compete for the same local advertising budgets and listener hours across the same catchment area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weyvalleyradio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@weyvalleyradio6463
• Facebookfacebook.com/weyvalleyradioalton
• Instagraminstagram.com/weyvalleyradio

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Wey Valley Radio