Time 107.5FM, the small Romford-based station that for more than two decades pitched its output at east London and west Essex listeners, was taken off air on 1 August 2025 and replaced on the 107.5FM frequency by Nation Radio London after an acquisition by Nation Broadcasting. According to industry reporting, the handover took place at 2pm that day and marked Nation’s first FM foothold in the capital. The change has prompted dismay among long-standing listeners and former staff who say the move severs a locally rooted service many relied upon for community news and events.

Listeners and presenters described the end as abrupt. Neil Andrews, who had presented the station’s breakfast show for 18 years, told the Romford Recorder that he “didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye” after finishing his programme on the morning of 1 August and learning within hours that FM broadcasting would cease. Industry coverage confirms the station’s final scheduled output concluded that afternoon and was immediately replaced by networked Nation programming.

The companies involved framed the transaction as a straightforward commercial decision. Lyca Media II’s chief executive, Raj Badhan, said the group would continue investing in its south Asian services and that “our time as owners of 107.5 is ending,” while Nation’s founder Jason Bryant described London as an “increasingly important market” and said the FM acquisition offered growth potential for the Nation Player app and wider services. Those statements, published by the buyer and reported by trade press, present the takeover as strategic; Nation has said the move will allow it to broadcast on FM alongside DAB and streaming, but industry sources note that the FM output will largely carry networked shows rather than locally produced programming.

The loss of locally produced shows has already attracted political interest. Romford’s MP Andrew Rosindell has written to media regulator Ofcom to challenge the sale and seek clarification on whether licence conditions protecting local content have been observed, and he has tabled written parliamentary questions. Rosindell told constituents he was concerned that community-focused broadcasting had been “significantly reduced” following the takeover and wants certainty for listeners in Havering and the surrounding area.

Time 107.5’s own archive and schedules underline why the change has cut deep. The station, which billed itself as a Romford-centred service, ran presenter-led shows, local news bulletins and community features for years and kept studios in the town centre. Industry reporting also cited recent RAJAR audience figures in assessing the commercial logic behind the sale, noting that while Time’s reach was modest by London standards it had a loyal local following — a point critics say cannot be measured solely by audience share figures.

In response to the sudden closure of the FM service, a number of former Time presenters have moved quickly to recreate a local outlet. Several, including Neil Andrews alongside presenters such as Dean Kayne and Adam Ravenscroft, have launched All Hit Radio as an independent online station, positioning it as a way to preserve presenter‑led shows and a connection with the local audience left without an FM home.

Local press and community groups have framed the rebrand as a tangible loss for Havering’s civic life. Coverage in the local media documented listeners’ surprise and the sense that a familiar local voice has been replaced by network programming aimed at a broader London audience. Supporters of the old station say the transition highlights wider tensions about consolidation in UK radio and the balance between national efficiency and local public value.

Nation and Lyca were approached for comment in national reporting and both issued brief statements about the transaction; Nation has emphasised the commercial opportunity of an FM presence in London, while Lyca stressed it would continue to invest in its core south Asian services. Where companies describe the move as strategic growth, critics — presenters, local MPs and listeners alike — frame it as the end of an era for a station that built its reputation on community connection rather than network scale.

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Source: Noah Wire Services