Heart Somerset (formerly Somerset's Orchard FM) was an

Independent Local Radio Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2003, ...

station serving

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England. Originally owned by (and officially remains licensed to) Orchard Media Ltd, the company was purchased by

GWR Group GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in May 2005. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. ...

in 1999, and subsequently became owned by

GCap Media GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in May 2005. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. ...

in 2005. Somerset's Orchard FM (later Heart Somerset) broadcast from studios at Haygrove House (a converted farmhouse and grounds) at Shoreditch near Taunton Racecourse,

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

, adjacent to the M5.

History

In November 2005 it was announced that GCap's local radio stations in the South West, including Orchard FM, were to be sold. This is because they were outside of the company's primary target area. This sale was called off in Spring 2006 because the bids received were much lower than hoped. 2008 saw the takeover of GCap Media by Global Radio. On 20 January 2009, it was announced that Orchard FM, along with 11 other stations in Southern England, would be rebranded as Heart on 23 March 2009. Presenters on the station over the years included Bob McCreadie (later Pirate FM and Radio Plymouth), Phil Easton, Steve Bulley (now at

Wessex FM Wessex FM was a local radio station for the Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport areas of Dorset, originating from studios in Dorchester. It broadcast on 97.2 MHz in Weymouth and Dorchester (from the Bincombe Hill transmitter), and on 96.0&n ...

), Jennie Gow (now presenter of

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

for the BBC), Steve Carpenter (

Radio Exe Radio Exe (formerly Exeter FM) is an Independent Local Radio station based in Exeter, Devon, England. As of March 2023, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 39,000, according to RAJAR. Presenters Presenters include Matt Rogers, Ne ...

), Jon White (now The Breeze), Mike Harwood, Dave Hills, Dan Jennings, Alex James (Alex Breingan), Tim Ley, Gregory Steven's, Dave Gould, Robert D'Ovidio (now

Capital 95.8 Capital London is a radio station owned and operated by the Global Media & Entertainment, Global media company as part of its national Capital (radio network), Capital FM Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as o ...

), Jeremy Kyle, Ian Burrage, Laura James (now The Breeze), Matt Bown (later BBC Southwest) and Ben Clark. Newsreaders included Rachel Hart, Lindsey Ashwood, Dominic Cotter, Greg Bown, Angus Walker, Nicola Maxey, Darren Bevan, Helen Martin and Lisa Hay (later BBC Southwest, Mike Marsh. Black Thunder was the name given to Orchard FM's promotional team and their heavily branded 4x4 vehicles based at the Taunton studios, staffed by presenters including Laura James and Matt Bown along with promotional staff Becci Balliston, Matt Burd, Jodi Peppin, Becky Rayfield, Jemma Crook and thunder biker Simon Clark.

Network restructuring

On 21 June 2010, Global Radio announced plans to close Heart Somerset and merge the station with

Heart Bristol Heart 96.3 (formerly GWR FM Bristol) is a radio station serving Bristol and surrounding areas and broadcasting on 96.3 MHz in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. Launched in 1981 as Radio West, it was merged with neighbouring Wiltshire Radio a ...

and Heart Bath as part of plans to reduce the Heart network of stations from 33 to 16. The final local programme was broadcast on Friday 16 July 2010 by long-standing breakfast presenters Ian Burrage and Laura James. The new station, ''

Heart West Country Heart West Country was a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network, broadcasting to Bristol and Somerset. It launched on 16 July 2010 as a result of a merger between Heart Bristol (formerly GWR FM), ...

'', began broadcasting from Bristol on the same date.Heart slims but strengthens
, RadioToday, 21 June 2010

Transmitters

The main frequency is on 102.6 MHz FM from the

Mendip TV Mast The Mendip transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on the summit of Pen Hill, part of the Mendip Hills range in Somerset, England, at above sea level. The station is in St Cuthbert Out civil parish in Mendip ...

. This is at 4 kW, mixed polarisation. The signal is highly directional, with the maximum ERP only being radiated to the south and into Somerset in order to prevent a coverage and thus programming overlap with Heart from Bristol. Other frequencies are 97.1 MHz FM from

Chedington Chedington is a small village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, situated near the A356 road southeast of Crewkerne in Somerset. Dorset County Council estimate that in 2013 the population of the civil parish was 130. It is administered as ...

(near

Crewkerne Crewkerne ( ) is a town and electoral ward in Somerset, England, southwest of Yeovil and east of Chard all in the South Somerset district. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Coombe, Woolminstone and Henley – and b ...

), which is at 400 watts, but again directional in order to prevent interference with nearby Wessex FM from the Dorchester area, which broadcasts on 97.2 MHz FM. This transmitter exists to reinforce coverage in the Yeovil, North Dorset and South Somerset areas. 96.5 MHz FM radiates from a 60 watt transmitter located in the grounds of the converted farm at Shoreditch in

, from which Orchard FM and Heart Somerset were based. This transmitter reinforces signal in the Taunton area.

References

{{Global Radio Radio stations in Somerset Radio stations established in 1989

Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom