RadioReverb, the community radio station for Brighton and Hove, says it may have to close by the end of 2026 unless it finds a new home. The station blames rising rent and service charges at its studio in Brighton Open Market.
RadioReverb posted the warning on its website on 26 October and on its Facebook page on 1 November. The station is run entirely by volunteers and says it operates on less than £20,000 a year.
What RadioReverb has said
RadioReverb’s Melita Dennett and Geoffrey Bowden said the station is approaching 20 years of full-time broadcasting, but that with spiralling rent and service charges at Brighton Open Market its future is “in jeopardy”.
They said the station has stayed a proudly independent voice for Brighton and Hove for nearly two decades, thanks to its volunteers and supporters. Unless it can find an alternative home, they said, it expects to close by the end of the year.
The station says it is determined to ride this through and is confident its supporters will rally round to take it into 2027 and beyond. It is asking people to help, and its website, radioreverb.com, takes donations and carries its contact form.
Who is on the air
RadioReverb says around 60 local volunteer programme makers, all from Brighton and Hove, produce its shows. It broadcasts on 97.2FM, on DAB+ and online.
The station lists a monthly show made by and for people with learning disabilities from the charity Carousel, and coverage of the city’s cultural festivals through the year. Other shows are made by refugees and asylum seekers, by the Italian community and by people living with HIV. There is also a programme on sustainable local food and drink, a dedicated Brighton and Hove Albion show, and plenty of local music.
How long it has been on air
RadioReverb says it first broadcast on a trial licence during the Brighton Festival in 2004. It won a full-time community licence in 2007 for 97.2FM, DAB+ and online. It describes itself as 100 per cent independent and ad-free.
The regulator Ofcom lists the licence, held by RadioReverb Limited, as running from 26 March 2007 to 25 March 2027. The station says it relies on listener donations and micro-sponsorship from local businesses, and its website names Wave Community Bank as its station sponsor.
What people are saying
The news has prompted a reaction online. One post on the r/brighton forum on Reddit called it sad news, describing RadioReverb as a genuinely independent voice for the city for nearly two decades. The poster said it was disappointing that a much-loved volunteer-run institution could be forced out by rising rents and service charges, and said it would be a shame for Brighton to lose another of the things that make it distinctive.
Where the Open Market comes in
Brighton Open Market is on Marshalls Row, off London Road, and is home to market stalls, independent traders and the RadioReverb studio. ImJustBrighton has put questions to Brighton Open Market and to RadioReverb, including how much the rent and service charges have risen and what talks have taken place. This article will be updated with their answers.
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