Rutland and Stamford Sound, an independent rural radio station, is hoping to acquire an FM licence as users struggle to connect to the online resource.

Led by local celeb, Rob Persani, the radio station was set up in march 2021, and has been providing local content for the rural Rutland and Stamford communities since.

However, access to the service is limited by poor connectivity and access to the internet in rural areas.

As such, the team are hoping to get an FM licence to allow them to broadcast to a wider audience with more reliability and consistency.

Unfortunately, OFCOM are no longer issuing FM licences and so Rutland and Stamford Sound are unable to use an FM frequency.

The team said: "The future of Radio is increasingly digital and our aim is to offer you a varied choice of digital platforms, starting with online streaming, Smart Speakers and Smart TV access, with Smartphone Apps coming very soon.

"OFCOM have, however, begun licensing a number of small scale Digital Audio Broadcast (ssDAB) transmitters and when this becomes available locally we hope to be able to also provide a broadcast service from DAB+ equipped radio.

"If you are planning on buying a new radio look out for the Digital Radio Tick Mark as this means the radio is DAB+ enabled and will receive all available DAB, DAB+ and FM radio stations."

You can listen to Rutland and Stamford Sound via a range of online mediums. Image credit: Rutland and Stamford Sound.

Aiding this local campaign, Rutland and Melton's MP, Alicia Kearns, met with the Media Minister, John Whittingdale MP, to discuss Rutland and Stamford Sound's case for a FM licence.

Alicia Kearns, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton said: "I am determined to do everything I can to get Rutland and Stamford Sound a FM licence, and my meeting with the Media Minister was a really positive step towards this.

"Rutland and Stamford Sound are a much-loved voice for our rural communities. The Station played an invaluable role during the pandemic, spreading important information on vaccination services, culminating in their invaluable contribution to Rutland's impressive vaccination rate and speed.

"No community should be excluded from using this vital local resource, and I will continue to work with the Media Minister to ensure this. We are not there yet, but our plan is now starting to come together."

In April, Alicia also raised Rutland and Stamford Sound's bid in the Chamber for three RSL licences to cover Rutland, Melton and Stamford.