A PLAN to merge the UK's oldest community radio station with its Dundee neighbour has been approved despite objections after the broadcast regulator agreed the move was needed to ensure its future.
Volunteer-run Heartland FM in Perth and Wave 102 in Dundee announced earlier this month it hoped to join forces but was put on temporary hold to allow for a consultation.
The Heartland station was saved from closure last year after losing core funding from Perth and Kinross Council.
Last month it launched a crowdfunding campaign to raised £15,000 to find a new home and "secure a long term future" after its landlord had plans for it small office in Pitlochry. But it is understood the appeal was withdrawn.
The communications regulator had said in a consultation document that it believed the changes proposed would "represent a significant change" to the output of the existing Heartland FM service received by listeners in Perth.
But Ofcom has given the okay to the stations to join forces saying they had "accepted that the proposed changes were necessary to ensure the ongoing financial viability of the Perth licence".
"In reaching this view we were also mindful of the fact that, since it launched in 2008, this is the second time that the Perth licence has experienced significant financial difficulties."
Heartland FM took over the licence fro original owners Perth FM in 2011.
Ofcom said it was not satisfied that amongst people living in the area, there was evidence of significant support for the change. The main grounds of complaint from the public surrounded the new Perth service being Dundee-dominated.
There were also concerns that specialist music programmes, covering country music and folk, which currently air on Heartland would be lost.
And Ofcom said a number of objectors suggested the difficult financial situation had been caused by "poor management rather than the Perth licence being inherently unviable".
But the regulator said: "While acknowledging these concerns, Ofcom was satisfied that the proposed changes, taken as a whole, would not narrow the range of programmes available in the area by way of relevant independent radio services."
"While we acknowledge that there might be some narrowing of the range of programmes available if the specialist music shows currently aired by Heartland FM were to disappear from the Perth airwaves, we note that specialist music is not a requirement of the format of the Perth licence."
Approval meant that all of Wave 102’s programmes would appear on Heartland FM, which previously took over the Perth licence to add to its original Pitlochry & Aberfeldy licenced area.
And both radio stations would be co-located at Wave 102’s studios in Dundee.
Heartland wanted to replace locally-made programming from within the Pitlochry and Aberfeldy with that from the Dundee area.
And Ofcom said that for that to happen, the Dundee station would have to have permission to share its content in Perth.
Heartland, which began broadcasting in 1992, and has now become a charity, is reliant to keep going on a mix of advertising income and grant funding.
The charity's annual unaudited accounts for the year to September, 2015, published in the summer, show that during the year the local authority had discontinued funding.
While that had been replaced by £24,000 from the Griffin and Calliachar wind farm fund run by Perth-based energy firm SSE, advertising income dropped by £12,000.
Total funds amounted to £12,622, nearly half that of the previous year.
Heartland told Ofcom that the change would not substantially after the character of the service save for what it described as an "improved and dedicated" Perth and Perthshire relevant news and sports bulletins.
And Wave 102 said it was "committed to providing an enhanced local news service for the Perth area licence, saying a dedicated broadcast journalist will "ensure timely and updated relevant Perth and Perthshire stories and sports bulletins".
New Wave Media (which owns Wave 102) managing director Adam Findlay said in response to the Ofcom decision: “We are delighted to have this agreement approved by Ofcom and we very much look forward to working with Heartland Radio. This is good news for both Wave 102 and Heartland radio advertisers and great news for listeners which will see an increased level of local news for Perth and Perthshire as we introduce an hourly news bulletin with increased news and features for Perth and the surrounding area."
Heartland FM chairman Graham Huggins added: “The prospect of working with Wave 102 is very exciting which will help secure the future of Heartland Radio and see it continue to be the market leading radio station for North Perthshire super serving local audiences with our mix of talented local presenters and loyal local advertisers”.
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