Better CHBN reception for Truro and mid Cornwall on 100.8FM

Over the past 18 months CHBN has been working on a major project to upgrade its FM transmissions to the Truro area on 100.8 MHz. The work had to begin with the most fundamental requirement: fund-raising, but also included a good deal of time-consuming administrative work.

OFCOM is the organisation which regulates all aspects of broadcasting in the UK. All licenses to broadcast are within their gift and, with very few exceptions, they typically allocate a power of 25 Watts to all community radio stations regardless of whether they are in urban or rural areas. Unfortunately the topographical layout of Truro, with the city centre lying at the bottom of a geographical ‘bowl’, is not ideal from a broadcasting point of view so our signal from high atop the hospital at Treliske has literally been going over the top of the city centre, which has been frustrating, to say the least.

National and local TV and broadcasters, aware of this issue, have a relay station which provides TV and DAB signals to the city centre. CHBN gave this possibility serious consideration, but in recent years OFCOM have become more amenable to awarding power increases to community radio stations if it’s felt to be justified. CHBN felt strongly that such an application was justified and put its case to OFCOM who agreed, awarding us a total of 160 Watts – a significant increase.

We began transmitting full-time from the Treliske site in 2014 using an aerial which had been hurriedly installed a couple of years previously for a temporary 4-week RSL (Restricted Service Licence) station, so we reckoned it was about 16 years old, and in order to derive the maximum benefit from our increased power allowance it would first be necessary to replace that ageing transmitting aerial with a new one providing mixed polarisation.

In August 2026 specialist contractors were employed to install the new aerial which has been in full-time use since then. At first we ran our existing 25 Watt transmitter into that new aerial and had not expected any significant difference in our coverage, but actually there was, which was very encouraging.

The final and critical stage of the work was to replace our old transmitter with a new, more powerful unit and this was finally completed on 15 September. The new transmitter was subject to many careful measurements and tests before finally being switched on unleashing our full power into the ether! The results have met our most optimistic expectations and, most significantly the reception black-spots in the city centre have all been eliminated. Further afield we are now reaching a good deal of mid Cornwall with our coverage area reaching both the north and south coasts, almost to Redruth in the West and to Victoria to the East.

Overseeing the project, CHBN presenter and assistant programme co-ordinator Mike Brown said "This upgrade has been a long time coming but now we’ve completed the work we’re absolutely delighted by the results. Not only is our coverage much improved but with advances in audio and signal processing the sound quality is also very much better. We promised a bigger, better, clearer CHBN on 100.8 FM and now, at last, we’re delivering on that promise. Anyone tuning in to us as they drive around Truro and mid-Cornwall will certainly notice a big difference."

CHBN is also available in Truro and around the world on smart speakers, on the station's free CHBN Radio mobile app, and online at chbnradio.org