Ofcom has announced the latest batch of community radio stations to secure a five year broadcast licence. Out of the 12 considered, five were not granted. The seven new stations will cover Bristol, Glastonbury, Exeter, Swindon, Barry and Poole (two licences).
Community radio is a new tier of radio which complements the mix of services already provided by the BBC and commercial radio sectors. Community radio services cover a small geographical area and are provided on a not-for-profit basis focusing on the delivery of specific social benefits to enrich a particular geographical community or a community of interest.
[b]Ujima Radio[/b] (Bristol) will feature local voices and aims to inform, represent, educate, entertain, communicate and celebrate culture, heritage and diversity within black and minority ethnic communities, particularly those living in the St Paul’s and Easton areas of Bristol.
[b]Glastonbury FM[/b] (Glastonbury) aims to provide a quality service to the whole community. Featuring a wide range of locally produced musical and spoken output Glastonbury FM aims to challenge, educate, entertain, inspire and inform and will empower community members by involving them in all aspects of the running of the station.
[b]ECFM[/b] (Exeter) will broadcast a range of arts and community-based programming to the residents of Exeter. The station will help promote cultural vibrancy and strengthen community links, as well as offering training opportunities.
[b]Community Radio Swindon[/b] will provide an accessible community service for the citizens of Swindon, including underserved and deprived communities. It aims to promote the cultural, spiritual, social and economic life of the town.
[b]The Bay[/b] (Poole) will provide a distinct community service that will have broad appeal and enrich the lives of its listeners throughout Poole.
[b]Aspire FM[/b] (Poole) will support learners at the college, and encourage participation in education and lifelong learning in the local community, through information, advice and support on educational issues and coursework, as well as more general community-based output.
[b]Bro Radio[/b] (Barry) will broadcast a mixture of locally-relevant speech and music to the target community of Barry and the surrounding area, with an emphasis on output provided by and for those within the coverage area.
A statement setting out the main determining factors for the award of the seven community radio licences set out above will be available shortly from the Ofcom website.
The five unsuccusful applicants are Culm Valley FM in Cullompton, Devon, Bay FM in Exmouth, Devon – PCRFM in Plymouth, Devon – Swindon FM Community Radio in Wiltshire and Flame Radio at Pontypool, Torfaen.
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