A Music Station for the World
No tour of Penistone is complete without a look at our local music radio station. It launched in June 2009 but quickly became a recognisable 'brand' in the area. It broadcasts all day, every day and is streamed over the internet to bring a wide range of music and a taste of Yorkshire civilisation to distant lands.
'Community Radio' was introduced in 2004 as a new class of broadcast licence. It allows radio stations to be set up in small towns like Penistone, conditionally that they deliver 'Social Gain Objectives' for their communities. These stations are operated, owned and driven by people from those communities. The basic idea was that the local radio station would be the natural focus for local information, matters of community interest and a platform for people to discuss matters of interest; to 'get things off their chest'.
Penistone FM is a 'not for profit' station, run by volunteers who are passionate and often very knowledgeable about music. Presenters have a wide range of styles from the real Pro to the enthusiastic trainee who can further develop their expertise. The music range is from the 1950s to the present day, with a wide range of stops in between. Specialist genres include: folk, brass, soul, jazz, classical, ambient, electronica, organ, Motown, blues and 'Music from the Shows', all the way to mainstream music. Everything from Presley to the Pierces. Some programmes fill niches that are simply not available on other stations. There are more than 15,000 music tracks on the computer system and the list continues to grow. For a small station that is about twice as many as usual.
Although Penistone FM is a music station for perhaps 90% of the time, it also broadcasts some selected non-music material. A national Sky feed provides news and weather forecasts on the hour. On a random basis, there are also locally-produced items such as: interviews, what's-on, farming news, gardening tips, job vacancies in Barnsley and other community items. A monthly report from Penistone Mayor Cllr Steve Webber can be downloaded from their 'Listen Again' section. Penistone FM's sister website - 'This is Penistone' - is a good source of news, jobs and other matters of interest. See the links below.
These small pictures (not 'clickable') are from the 2009 presenter line-up. They show, left to right: Richard Ward, Jody Fendick, Andrew Millner, Lynnette Webber, Carly, Since then, some have left and others have joined. The picture below-right is Les Young at the controls during his Monday evening 'Wall-2-Wall' show, January 2012.
PFM News
Snippets picked up here and there...
The Hall of Fame
Every December Colin Geldard presents a 'Hall of Fame' of PFM listener-submitted favourites in his 'Top Forty' show. Here are the winners from recent years:
Runners-up for Christmas 2011: Second Place went to John Lennon's - 'Imagine'. Third Place went to Procol Harem's - 'Whiter Shade of Pale'.
Merchandise
Penistone FM-branded T-shirts, umbrellas, keyrings, mugs, pens and car stickers are all available from Hallmark Cards on Penistone High Street. Penistone FM umbrellas are king-size and a particular bargain at £5 each. Hallmark also have a range of Penistone-branded goods and postcards.
Links on This Website
This Penpictorial website is not connected with Penistone FM but here are some interesting details which have been gleaned along the way.
Penistone FM and Allied Websites
Here are external links to Penistone FM affiliates ...
Contact PFm
For listener feedback, music requests, quiz replies, community news items, jobs news, travel reports and enquiries from advertisers and sponsors. New presenters are being trained all of the time and Penistone FM is always on the lookout for new talent. Listeners can also offer suggestions and discuss Penistone FM radio output by joining their quarterly Listeners' Panel.
Ofcom:
'Penistone Community Radio aims to provide an interactive community radio facility which will enhance and enrich the community for the benefit of the people who live, work or are educated in the Penistone area.'
Other Radio Stations
There are some other local radio stations on FM around the area. Here are some that we might find in Penistone:
