History
The history of the station dates back to 1992 when two local radio entrepreneurs, Mark Briggs and Matthew Wheeler, conducted several highly successful pilot broadcasts in Hastings (HLR) using Restricted Service Licences, as well as two in Eastbourne 'ELR' and 'Sovereign' which broadcast from the bridge of the "Earl OF Zetland" a floating restaurant at Sovereign Harbour. A third trial broadcast to Hastings "Splash FM" took place in June 1993; the licence holder was local DJ Terry James and the station manager was Terry Kane.
The group disbanded a year before the Radio Authority advertised a licence for one or more services in East Sussex, leaving well respected local businessman Bill Uttley-Moore CBE to assemble a consortium of local investors and existing radio operators.
His company, Conqueror Broadcasting Ltd, was awarded the licence for Hastings in the summer of 1997. Founder Mark Briggs joined as Managing Director and successfully launched the station on Good Friday, April 10, 1998.
By 2000 the station became part of a larger radio company, Radio Investments Ltd, which also had interests in nearby stations. This group went on to become The Local Radio Company which then sold Arrow FM along with sister station Sovereign FM to Media Sound Holdings in 2009.
The station is now branded as a "feel good" station, like the other three stations owned by Media Sound Holdings
In November 2010, Ofcom approved Media Sound Holdings's application to share all programmes across their four stations Arrow FM, Bright FM, Sovereign FM and Splash FM, given that the stations "already share all programming outside of breakfast, so these changes will not substantially alter the character of the service."
Read more about this topic: Arrow FM (Hastings)
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