WR started life as Wrekin City Radio (WCR) on the 28th March 1982. They broadcast fortnightly to Telford on 94.2 FM with the aim of bringing local radio to the area. With that in mind they carried lots of local news and information and gained the support of local MP Warren Hawksley. In 1984 they even had someone run the Telford marathon in their support!
The Government announced plans for experimental community licences in 1985, so in March the station went off the air in the hope of gaining one of the licences. However, the Government then scrapped the plans, so the station returned as just Wrekin Radio or WR, “The Hot FM”, on Boxing Day 1985 on a new frequency of 104 FM. They stayed around 103.6 to 104 FM through 1986, settling into a schedule of broadcasting on the last Sunday of the month.
In 1987 the station moved to 105 FM and they continued their monthly broadcasts with DJs Paul Kaye, Dave Jones, John Turner, Dave England, Stuart Scott, Jason Brown and not forgetting Auntie Jackie’s story time! There would also sometimes be special programmes such as a recording of local band T’Pau in concert.
At Easter 1989 they could be heard on both 105.5 and 97.9 calling themselves 98WR. 98 then became their main channel for the rest of the year until Radio 1 moved to 97.9! They then moved to 105.5 with sometimes an additional relay for Telford town centre on 95 FM.
There were a number of ‘spin off’ stations from WR including Radio Mi-Amigo in 1985 and, from Easter 1989, WPGC on 105.5. There were also broadcasts on Short Wave as WR International.
The pirate broadcasts ended in 1992 as many WR staff had become involved in numerous RSL broadcasts around Telford. Later, in 1998, they applied for the local license advertised by the Radio Authority. They were unsuccessful and the license went to Telford FM.
Many former WR staff now work in legal radio.
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