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Wikipedia / Phoenix FM

Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and Billericay, United Kingdom, broadcasting on 98.0FM, east London, south and west Essex, north Kent and east Hertfordshire on DAB, and worldwide online. Their FM/DAB broadcasts cover an area of over 3,200,000 people.

History

The station was formed in 1996 and has been broadcasting full-time on FM since 23 March 2007, having completed twelve 28-day Restricted_service_licence broadcasts on FM between 1996 and 2006.

Phoenix FM was also the first community radio station in the UK to provide a streaming internet service, in 2001.

On 16 February 2006, Ofcom announced that Phoenix FM, after ten years of campaigning, had been awarded a full-time Community Radio licence.

Having previously set up studios in Ongar Road, The Hermitage and Hutton Poplars Lodge, Phoenix FM moved its base of operations to the Baytree Centre in early 2007 and started broadcasting full-time on 98.0FM at 7pm. on Friday 23 March 2007. The station relocated to the Brentwood Centre in February 2012.

Phoenix FM left the Brentwood Centre in July 2026 and moved into new studios in Thorndon Country Park, Brentwood.

The station's Creative Sessions have given studio recording time to unknown and young local bands as well as featuring established recording artists such as Republica, Imogen Heap, Turin Brakes, Salad, Echobelly, Midway Still, Chris T-T, Inme and MJ Hibbett.

DAB

East London and Essex Digital, a consortium led by Phoenix FM and including Basildon station Gateway 97.8, was awarded the DAB multiplex licence for North East London/South West Essex by Ofcom in July 2024.

Phoenix FM started broadcasting from DAB multiplexes in Southend on 30 April 2025, North East London/South West Essex on 5 January 2026 and Harlow on 17 February 2026. The combined terrestrial coverage of the station now exceeds 3,200,000 listeners.

Notable current and former presenters

References