Ofcom today advertises a new local FM commercial radio licence to cover Rotherham – with an expected coverage area of 200,000.
Known bidders at this stage include Rother FM which is backed by the Lincs FM Group who operate other radio stations in the area. The proposed frequency is 96.1 MHz FM, subject to international agreement on radio spectrum usage.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday 8 February 2006. 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 from the Ofcom website at:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commer/ar/lapr/advts/rotherham/
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.