A COMMUNITY radio station is hoping to get approval to site a new relay transmitter in Lochwinnoch to boost its reception to villages across Renfrewshire.

Paisley FM, which listeners can tune into at 107.5 FM, plans to expand its broadcast range to include more communities to the west of the region.

Councillor Andy Doig, who represents Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch, is backing the radio station’s bid to reach more residents in his ward.

He said: “At the end of last year, Paisley FM wrote to Lochwinnoch Community Council seeking to find a local site for their new FM relay transmitter, which is designed to boost their signal so it reaches out not only to Lochwinnoch but to other west Renfrewshire villages like Howwood and Kilbarchan.

“They have now found a local business willing to site the mast, so Paisley FM are all tuned in and ready to go.

“Early in the summer, I wrote a letter of support for Paisley FM to Ofcom, backing their endeavour to become a broad-based Renfrewshire radio station, rather than simply one for Paisley, and this is a conscious move on the part of Paisley FM, who are also thinking about changing their name to reflect their new Renfrewshire-wide remit.”

Councillor Doig, who was a radio journalist in the early 1990s, said local radio stations play a “fantastic role” in bringing communities together.

He added: “I am aware that Bob McWilliam, the director of Paisley FM, is very keen to see the radio station expand and serve the needs of our west Renfrewshire villages, and I totally support him in this.

“Bob is a former journalist who worked for both The Gazette for a decade, and the Evening Times, and also had BBC experience, so he really understands the need to give our communities a voice on air.”