ONE of Scotland’s oldest community radio stations has announced it will close after 34 years due to the “current financial climate”.
Radio bosses behind the Crieff-based Heartland FM said they have made the “incredibly difficult decision” to leave the airwaves after more than three decades, after struggling to maintain a “sustainable future” for the station.
The station, which launched in 1992 in Pitlochry, has not yet announced when its final broadcast will take place.
Owned and run by the registered charity, the Heartland Radio Foundation, the station is one of the longest-serving community radio broadcasters in Scotland.
It currently serves Perthshire’s towns, villages, and hamlets on 97.5 and 107.3 FM.
A statement on the Heartland FM website read: “After 34 years of serving our community, we have had to make the incredibly difficult decision for Heartland FM to cease broadcasting and close our doors.
“This decision comes after a long journey of trying to find a feasible business model for the station, but due to the current financial climate and the increasing challenge of maintaining a sustainable future for the station, we are no longer able to continue operating.”
The station scaled back its broadcast service in March 2023 due to financial issues.
However, it extended its service to cover the whole of rural Perthshire for the first time.
The station moved from its previous base in Pitlochry after merging with Crieff-based Radio Earn in October 2023.
The statement continued: “Heartland FM has always been about more than just radio.
“It has been a community, a platform for local voices, a source of local news and information, and a place where friendships and connections have been built.
“None of this would have been possible without you—our loyal listeners.”
