Ofcom has added six new areas to its FM commercial radio licensing timetable for advertisement during the rest of 2005 and early 2006.
The six new areas are: North-East England; Hull; Bristol; Exeter; Andover; Oxford/South Oxfordshire.
North-East England – larger licence
This licence is offered for a service designed to cover the main Tyne & Wear and Teesside conurbations in North-East England . Coverage should include the main population centres of Newcastle-upon-Tyne , Gateshead , Sunderland , Durham , Hartlepool , Middlesbrough , Stockton-on-Tees , Darlington , Bishop Auckland, Consett, Hexham, Alnwick, and other towns in between these.
Hull ? larger licence
This licence is offered for a service designed to cover the city of Kingston-upon-Hull and the surrounding area. Coverage is likely to also include Beverley, Barton-upon-Humber and Goole. This service is not intended to serve either Grimsby or Scunthorpe, and although overspill coverage of these towns is likely to be unavoidable, applicants will be expected to keep any such overspill coverage to a minimum whilst not prejudicing coverage within the licence area. This service is also not intended to serve Gainsborough, Doncaster , York or Bridlington, and Ofcom is unlikely to approve transmission proposals which would deliver signals into any of these population centres.
Bristol ? larger licence
This licence is offered for a service designed to cover the city of Bristol and the surrounding area. Coverage is likely to include Chipping Sodbury and Keynsham, but is not expected to extend any significant distance east of Junction 18 of the M4, south of Dundry Beacon or west of the M5. This service is not designed to serve Bath .
Exeter ? smaller licence
This licence is offered for a service designed to cover the city of Exeter and the surrounding area. Coverage is not expected to reach Crediton, Tiverton, Honiton, Sidmouth or Budleigh Salterton. This licence is not designed to serve Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, or any part of Torbay , and Ofcom is unlikely to approve transmission proposals which would deliver unacceptably strong signals into any of these locations.
Oxford/South Oxfordshire ? smaller licence
This licence is offered for a service designed to cover the city of Oxford and some parts of southern Oxfordshire. Depending on the successful applicant?s choice of transmission sites, coverage may include Kidlington, Abingdon, Wantage, Didcot and Wallingford. Whilst not excluded from the licence area, coverage is not expected to reach Witney, Bicester or Thame. This licence is not designed to serve any areas beyond the Ridgeway or the Chiltern Hills , or the towns of Banbury or Aylesbury, and Ofcom is unlikely to approve transmission proposals which would deliver unacceptably strong signals into any of these areas or population centres.