Tag Archives: focal

Potteries Legend Sam Plank Saved By Business Entrepreneur Mo Chaudry!

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mo2A multi-millionaire has stepped in to rescue a struggling commercial radio station.

Focal Radio, based in Stoke on Trent, started broadcasting to Staffordshire and Cheshire at the beginning of November but was forced off air a fortnight ago when the company ran out of funds and went into liquidation.

The radio station has been inundated with emails and messages of support ““ all asking when it would return and today it was back on the air (MONDAY) thanks to businessman Mo Chaudry, owner of Stoke-on-Trent’s Waterworld theme park.

His intervention has saved 20 jobs at the commercial station after he took over the DAB license from Ofcom.

Providing topical community led speech and music from the past 5 decades, Focal Radio, broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio and on-line at www.focalradio.com.  The radio station caters primarily for over 35′s in the day with specialist shows in the evening after 6pm including youth programmes, education programmes and broadcasting to the ethnic communities of our area.

Station Manager, Verity Hilton said “Focal Radio is a distinctive local radio station which reflects a positive outlook for the whole area.  Our team have been raring to get back on air since the plug was pulled on February 11th and they are thrilled that Mo is on board with a belief in them”.
mo1
Businessman Mo Chaudry has been following the radio station since its inception.  When he bought Waterworld from Rank Leisure he quickly turned a loss into a profit and knows he can do the same for Focal Radio.

“We believe we can forge a niche market by reaching out to local people and giving them a platform to discuss issues that affect our area” said Mo.  “Focal Radio covers every topic from sport to music and politics to an Asian show and I am delighted to be part of such an exciting venture!”

Mid-morning Presenter Sam Plank is ecstatic that Mo is in board.  “I am chuffed” said Sam.  “He has been so supportive through our plight which has been a difficult time for all the team.  Everyone has been working hard behind the scenes to get us on air and with Mo leading us we will come out of it stronger, bigger and better!  This radio station is for the people of our patch and we promise that their voice will be heard!  I’ve already said to Mo that if I’m not there ““ he should start without me!”

PITSNPOTS NEEDS YOU! – WE HIT THE AIR NEXT WEEK!

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This time next week pitsnpots – the Radio Show hits the air waves and we need you!

We are on Focal Radio between 8 & 10pm next Friday night, the 14th November.

We will have a couple of studio guests and we will do a live blog show and we want you, our regulars, to get involved!

You will get the chance to be involved on a couple of levels, either by posting your comments on the blog and having us read them out in the studio or better still, ring live to the studio and making your comments on the blog subject or quizzing our studio guests.

As far as I know this is the first time an independent blog will have it’s own radio show and to be honest I can’t wait.

It’s cutting edge and innovative broadcasting but it will only work if you guys make it happen. I know that the idea is already raising eyebrows in the media and I back our contributors to make the programme a huge success!

We have to be mindful of the libel laws and legalities of being on a radio station which are vastly different than that of a blog site.

The show will be a mix of music, a review of the best and most commented blogs and the live studio guests.

I would like comments and confirmation that you guys are up for this never before tried, idea.

You can click on any of the Focal logo’s on our page, which will take you to the focal site where you can access the “listen live” option. Alternatively you can listen on DAB Radio.

Over to you, let us know if you intend to get involved and who you would like to see us have in the studio as guests……….

FOCAL RADIO TEST BROADCAST ON DAB – NOW!

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What’s the point of hosting a blog if you can’t throw a few harmless plugs out for yourself and your mates…… Well here goes!

My good friends Sam Plank & Verity Hilton are just a few day’s away from the launch of a much needed Radio Station for our area, FOCAL RADIO. You can listen on DAB or at Focal Radio.com

The music policy is great, it’s like the soundtrack of our lives! There are some talented presenters too, like Glyn & Katie Johnson, Leigh Preece and of course the man Sam Plank! (pictured)

You can also hear me on there too as I will be co presenting the sports programmes on Friday evening and of course Saturday afternoon. The sports programme is going to be a mix of great music and sports news and we will be very fast at getting those all important scores out on the air in super fast time.

I went down to the studio yesterday to do a full test show and I have to say I was like a kid in a sweet shop. The studio set up is bloody amazing, no expense has been spared, the best equipment that money can buy has been installed and the station is going to rival anything else that’s on offer in this area! Focal will be a station with real Jocks and not just people who play the same old, same old again and again.

Sam & Verity keep dropping into the blog so I want us all to send our best wishes to these brave people who are risking an awful lot to bring a new sound to our city and in true Plank style you can be sure that Focal will be for Local!

I am talking to Focal about working in some way with pitsnpots. The two have the same aims in many ways in as much as we are both passionate about our city and we both want to tackle local issue and be of assistance to local people.

DAB is a great media the sound quality is superb and if you haven’t got a DAB set yet I urge you to do so, they are relatively cheap and are widely available. I always listen to the radio through my PC when I am working or blogging and you can bet my station of choice will be Focal on the 5th!

So please, leave your good luck messages for Sam and Verity on the blog and let’s hope that Focal is a massive success story for our city

SAM’S BACK! – FOCAL FOR LOCAL!

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Now me and Sam Plank go back years to when
Robateux’s was the place to be seen and Sam was the number 1 nightclub DJ and I was……. somewhere near the bottom of the pile! Sam went onto BBC Radio Stoke and then onto Signal2 and i drifted off into obscurity and a bit of Sports Commentary and a wee bit of News.
Sam’s programme was axed by Signal and a huge public outcry happened, why, simply because Sam and his wife Verity are ours as sure as Wedgewood, Doulton’s and Oatcakes!
Sam has recently fought a fight bigger than keeping a radio show on air, he has successfully battled cancer and the great news is that he is back looking good and sounding great!
Focal Radio which can be found on DAB and the Internet will commence broadcasting on 5th November and it will hit the airwaves with a bang!
Focal will be what Sam & Verity have always been LOCAL. Great music, from great presenters, news and sport with a good smattering of the “Plank” thrown in.You never know you may here me occasionally as well!
What I want you our followers to do is tell everyone you know that Sam’s Back and where you can find him!
Focal is the only Radio Station we will work with and that’s because they want what we want, the local voice to be heard!
Click here to visit the Focal Radio Website, that’s right do it now!