About
QUALITY RADIO (was previously known as Paisley FM until August 2022) is licensed by Ofcom to serve Renfrewshire on 107.5 FM and to Glasgow and Edinburgh on DAB.
Engineering test transmissions commenced on Friday 1 March 2019 with regular programming commencing on Monday 18 March 2019.
Picture above shows High Street, Renfrew and Renfrew Town Hall – part of the FM 107.5 reception area.
On Thursday 1 February 2018, Ofcom announced that Paisley FM (2017) Ltd., has been awarded an FM radio broadcasting licence to serve Renfrewshire.
The 107.5 FM service covers the entire population of the Renfrewshire Council local government authority area. The population of Renfrewshire is 201,000 with the main town being Paisley with a population of over 75,000. Other places served with good quality FM reception include Johnstone, Linwood, Kilbarchan, Howwood, Brookfield, Bridge of Weir, Houston, Bishopton, Dargavel Village – Bishopton new settlement, Erskine, Inchinnan and Renfrew to include the Braehead Shopping Centre area.
There is unavoidable overspill reception of 107.5 FM in and around Clydebank, west and south Glasgow.
Paisley (pictured with Paisley Abbey) is the administrative headquarters of Renfrewshire Council. Paisley is defined by its population size and by its history, culture, tradition, sporting achievements, architectural heritage and shared sense of community.
Renfrew is three miles from Paisley town centre and Johnstone (pictured, Houston Square in Johnstone town centre), again three miles from Paisley town centre. Both former Burgh towns.
Renfrew is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the ‘Cradle of the Royal Stewarts’ for its early link with Scotland’s former royal house, Renfrew gained Royal Burgh status in 1397.
As the county town, Renfrew once was a centre of local government for the surrounding area. Whilst the county remained known as “Renfrewshire”, the focus of local government gradually shifted from Renfrew to its larger neighbouring town, Paisley.
Following local government council reorganisation in 1996, Renfrewshire was divided for local government purposes into three council areas as:
Renfrewshire Council with considerably smaller boundaries than the old county, including the former Burgh towns of Johnstone and Renfrew and with its administrative centre at Paisley.
Inverclyde Council with its centre at Greenock, covering the western part of the county around the Firth of Clyde.
East Renfrewshire Council as part of the reorganisation, took the former Burgh town of Barrhead (picture – The Foundry Leisure Centre, Main Street, Barrhead) from Renfrewshire into East Renfrewshire. Headquarters are centred at Giffnock, south of Glasgow.
The boundaries of the historic County of Renfrew remain for a number of ceremonial and administrative purposes.
Quality Radio covers Renfrewshire on 107.5 FM and East Renfrewshire on DAB digital radio with 107.5 FM.
Quality Radio Enterprise Ltd., is a company limited by guarantee and without share capital. Company is registered in Scotland, number SC571770. For the purposes of applying for, and operating an Ofcom broadcasting licence, a legal entity can only apply to Ofcom for an on-air broadcasting licence.
Quality Radio is a team of people from who have years of experience of working in the local community radio, commercial radio and national BBC Radio .
The application to broadcasting regulator Ofcom was lodged shortly before the closing date for applications on 27 July 2017. Ofcom made a decision on award of licence on Thursday 1 February 2018.
Regulator Ofcom allocated the 107.5 MHz FM frequency to transmit the programme service. Regular programming commenced at 7.00am on Monday 18 March 2019 with the Breakfast Show presented by Iain Rose.
Quality Radio on DAB+ digital radio
Quality Radio (and as-was Paisley FM) also transmits on the DAB+ digital radio waveband to the Glasgow city area with carriage on the Glasgow small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex. This extends the broadcasting coverage area to compliment coverage and reception on 107.5 FM.
DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting plus) is the latest over-the-air transmission development. DAB+ provides improved audio quality over standard DAB as DAB+ uses AAC encoding. This is more robust, providing improved coverage. Quality Radio transmits on AAC 48 kbps stereo. Read more on the How to Listen page here.
Quality Radio is also available on the internet to a world-wide audience, on smart-speakers “Alexa, Play Quality Radio UK” and on the Quality Radio App for phones and tablets.
Get involved
As part of our remit, Quality Radio wants people that live and work in Paisley, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to get involved with the radio station activities. If you would like to get involved or express an interest, and want further information, then send us an email to: admin@qualityradio.uk
Ofcom Broadcasting Licenses
Quality Radio (was Paisley FM [2017] Limited) holds the Ofcom community radio broadcasting licence CR102170 to transmit a programme service for the people of Paisley and Renfrewshire on 107.5 MHz FM.
Quality Radio also holds an Ofcom Community Digital Sound Programme Service (C-DPS) licence No. CDP103950BA/1 to transmit on the Glasgow City small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex. The new full-time DAB radio multiplex came on-air in August 2022.
Quality Radio holds an Ofcom Digital Sound Programme Service (DSPS) licence No. DP102742BA to transmit on DAB+ digital radio across Edinburgh city with reception in and around Midlothian.
Indoor DAB radio reception across Glasgow city covers an adult (15+) population of 738,000.
Quality Radio can also be heard in the Edinburgh city area on DAB+ digital radio at 32 kbps AAC stereo to an Edinburgh city area population of 438,00 adults.
Quality Radio on 107.5 FM across Renfrewshire, on DAB radio across Glasgow and Edinburgh cities, has a total population coverage of 1,335,000 adults.
Charity Registration
Quality Radio Enterprise Ltd., is a registered charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Quality Radio Enterprise Ltd. charity registration number: SC049193. Registered on 3 April 2019.
