Join the Observer and back the Save Spirit FM campaign by putting this front page in your window and by signing the petition

Business organisations have joined the fight to save Spirit FM, with spokesmen from the Chichester BID and the Chamber of Commerce calling for others to show support for the campaign.

At a time when local businesses are dealing with the challenges that Covid-19 brings, the organisations have championed the radio station, with one calling its output ‘sacrosanct’.

Owner of Cathedral Wealth Management and Chamber of Commerce board member Brad Ainsworth said there are ‘more positives to saving Spirit FM than negatives’.

He said: “For the past 20 years every local news story tied with the city and its community and their Heroes Awards has been run through Spirit FM – even more so during Covid-19 with news on the community throughout the pandemic, that will all disappear.

“We will be left with ‘Greatest Hits Radio’ and it will have lost that local feel.

“The Chamber of Commerce, of which Spirit is a member, have spoken about this and we all agreed that Spirit and the local feel that they bring is absolutely sacrosanct.

“I don’t undesrstand why this would be a positive move for West Sussex.

“It is really important that as locals we all get behind our local businesses and this is another example of that.”

Jeanette Hockley is operations manager at Chichester BID. She said: “Spirit FM have been part of our local air waves for 24 years and so we were sad to hear the station’s new owners plan to broadcast the show from Manchester.

“This will mean Spirit FM will no longer have the local interaction and heart which has made it such a part of our community.

“Therefore we are backing a petition to keep Spirit FM local.”

A message sent from the BID to local businesses also called on their suport.