Ofcom have awarded the new licence for Rotherham to Rother FM, owned by Lincs FM Plc. This was a particular interesting milestone for Ofcom licence awards as all three applications ‘ticked the right boxes’ as far as previous licence awards for smaller stations are concerned. All three applicants, TLRC, UTV and Lincs FM own and operate stations nearby so could all benefit from having a local neighbour.
?We?re delighted and honoured to be given the opportunity to provide Rotherham with its very own radio station,? said Michael Betton, Rother FM?s Chairman and Chief Executive. ?We want to create a radio station that Rotherham people turn to first for great music, entertainment, information and news. It is all hands to the pump now as we start the exciting prospect of bringing Rother FM to life.?
It will provide ‘a truly local radio station for Rotherham with a high quality news and information service that puts Rotherham first, and a popular and distinctive blend of music- a station designed to appeal to adults and children alike.’
The adult (aged 15+) population of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councilarea is around 200,000; however due to the limited frequency resource availablefor this service, it will not be possible to serve the entire borough. The exact
coverage will be determined by the location of the transmission site and other technical characteristics. The proposed frequency, 96.1 MHz, for this licence is subject to international agreement on radio spectrum usage.
Ofcom expects Rother FM to begin broadcasting at the earliest opportunity and no later than two years from this award date.
The licence will be issued for a twelve year period.