Ofcom today advertises a new local FM commercial radio licence to cover the town of Ipswich and the surrounding area. Expected applicants include ICRFM and Laser Broadcasting’s ILR.
Ofcom estimates that this licence could achieve coverage of an area with an adult (aged 15+) population of between 200,000 and 250,000. The exact coverage will be determined by the location of the transmission site and other technical characteristics. The proposed frequency for this licence (102.0 MHz) is subject to international agreement on radio spectrum usage.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 3.00 p.m. on Thursday, 1 September 2005. A non-refundable fee of ?5,000 will be payable for each application submitted.
The full details for this licence, including the guidelines and procedures for the submission of applications, can be obtained via the Ofcom website.
The licence will be issued for a twelve year period. All applications for this licence will be published on the Ofcom website as soon as is practicable after the closing date.
Ofcom welcomes the views of the public about the local radio needs of listeners in this area and the types of services required. Opinions on these issues can either be emailed to commercialradio@ofcom.org.uk or posted to Neil Stock, Head of Radio Planning & Licensing, Ofcom, Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA.