City Beat will broadcast from Preston Guild Hall

Preston FM is set to change its name, as part of a re-launch taking place on May Bank Holiday.

The community radio station will be known as City Beat as of May 4 this year and will bring with it a new sound, logo and programming schedule.

The station will also be moving to a new broadcast media centre in the Guild Hall, away from its previous location on Cannon Street.

Some live programmes were suspended in January as plans for the future of its broadcasts were decided upon, however all presenters who currently have a show will continue under the new name.

City Beat will have an official launch party on Sunday May 3 at Mundo Tapas bar in Preston’s Guild Hall, with DJs, singers and even studio tours from 8pm.

Darren Ofsarnie, marketing director of the station, is keen to show the new sound and image and said they are looking to “be more of an image, rather than just a sound.”

On the name change, Darren said they wanted to lose the ‘FM’ as the station is heard on many different platforms across the world and three or four names were discussed before settling on City Beat, “The name came about rather than FM, we went with the beat. Beat with the music, local beat with the news.”

“We are not losing the name Preston for a reason.”

The City Beat logo

He added that the station hopes to branch out to surrounding areas in Lancashire and hopes the new name will show this. Darren was also keen to make use of Preston’s city status with City Beat.

He said: “I think the way that Preston FM is at the minute, the way that community radio is at the minute, it’s not just Preston FM. It is stations like it up and down the UK. They are struggling to survive, the funding pot is drying up.

“It’s finding ways to make money so we can continue to broadcast.”

He added that Preston FM currently doesn’t currently attract an audience for advertising and struggles with its current branding, something they hope to change to reach a new demographic.

The team have supported the re-brand, and hope to reach out to have the resources to be a part of local communities and to be a visible part of local events.

The full name for the station will be City Beat Preston – so as not to be confused with a Northern Irish radio station in Belfast which is also called City Beat.

What do you think of the new name and plans for the station? Do you listen at the moment? Let us know in the comments below