Air 107.2 confirmed that the platform would cease to operate at the end of the month and thanked listeners who have supported them for over ten years.
It was confirmed that financial difficulties were at the heart of the difficult decision, which have made continuing unviable for the volunteer-run station.
READ MORE Popular Weymouth and Portland radio station to cease broadcasting | Dorset Echo
It launched as a student project in 2011 at Westfield Arts College, with the name standing for ‘all inclusive radio’.
It was soon endorsed by the likes of Jonathan Ross, Chris Evans and Carol Vorderman and officially launched as an FM station in 2013.
Over the years it has served as a hub for the community and was a platform for many aspiring media personalities to gain local experience.
Many listeners expressed their sadness of the closure, with one person describing it as ‘heart-breaking’ in a post online.
Mayor of Portland, Cllr Charlie Flack, said: “It is a sad thing. They have served Weymouth and Portland for quite some time and unfortunately rising costs forced them out of business.
“It seems to follow the trend, Wessex FM was first lost, and the loss of local services is a big concern. It’s the local stories that are what interest people the most.”
Concerns were previously raised around the station’s future, after its former studio was sold. It was however saved after securing its permanent home in Castletown, Portland.
Director Marc Eyre said in a statement that their future ‘had been in the balance for a while’ as revenue from advertising had become increasingly difficult to secure.
He said: “It has been our absolute pleasure to be able to share and promote community news and events for all these years. A big thank you to our presenters past and present, our advertisers, particularly Remarkable Carpets who have been an ever-present advertiser, and of course most of all you our listeners.”
Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Caroline Nickinson, said: “From coming along to broadcast from the Council’s Community Expo events to soundtracking this year’s summer firework displays, it’s sad to learn that Air 107.2 will no longer be broadcasting to communities from the end of this month. I’d like to wish everyone at the station the very best for the future.”
Councillor Louie O’Leary, representing Littlemoor and Preston, added: “It’s a big loss. It’s more about the bigger organisations these days. It is a shame.”
Plans are underway to celebrate the station’s time serving the community on their last day of broadcasting before officially ceasing to operate on Sunday, November 30.