A new pop-up service, Overton Radio 2, is being launched to give residents live coverage of community events taking place across the village. The new stream will run alongside Overton Radio and is designed mainly for outside broadcasts from local events, festivals and community activities. When there is no live broadcast taking place, the stream will simply carry the normal Overton Radio output. The first test broadcast is planned for Friday 13 March, with live coverage from the village Comedy Night at the Community, marking the first time the station will run a dedicated second stream focused entirely on live local events.
Station manager Rob Francis said the new service is a practical step forward for the station and reflects how community radio is changing in small towns and villages. “For a long time we’ve wanted a proper way to take the station out into the village,” he said. “Overton Radio 2 gives us that. It lets us broadcast live from events and share what is happening while it is actually happening, rather than just talking about it afterwards.” He said the idea grew from the station’s regular involvement in community events, where presenters often record interviews or short features for later broadcast. “This takes it a step further,” he said. “We can now bring people the real atmosphere, the voices and the moments as they happen, which makes a big difference to how connected listeners feel.”
Rob said the new stream is also aimed at residents who cannot always attend events in person. “Not everyone can get out in the evenings or at weekends, and some people simply find it harder to be part of busy events,” he said. “With this service, people can still feel involved from home and still hear what’s going on in the village.” He added that keeping the new stream simple and familiar for listeners has been a key part of the planning. “When Overton Radio 2 launches fully, it will be available on smart devices in exactly the same way as the main station,” he said. “We don’t want people to have to hunt around or learn something new. It should feel easy and familiar, just like tuning in to Overton Radio.”
He said the station will only use the second stream when it genuinely adds something for listeners and for local organisers. “This is not about replacing our normal programmes,” he said. “It’s about giving local events their own space when they deserve it and giving community groups a proper platform to reach people across the village.” He added that the new service will make it easier for the station to respond to requests from organisers and to support a wider range of activities. “If a local group is putting on something special, we want to hear about it,” he said. “Overton Radio 2 gives us the flexibility to turn up, plug in and go live. Community radio works best when it is part of everyday village life, and this new stream helps us put local life straight on air.”
