Ofcom today advertises a new local FM commercial radio licence to cover the town of Ballymena, in Northern Ireland, and the immediately surrounding area.
Ofcom estimates that this licence could achieve coverage of an area with an adult (aged 15+) population of around 56,000. The exact coverage will be determined by the location of the transmission site and other technical characteristics. One frequency is being made available for this licence.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 6 April 2005. A non-refundable fee of ?1,500 will be payable for each application submitted.
The full details for this licence, including the guidelines and procedures for the submission of applications, are available from ofcom.
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.