Community station wants Time 106.6 licence

Ofcom has announced a full re-advertisement of the FM local radio licence covering Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead.

It follows a declaration of intent to apply for it from the people behind Slough’s community radio station, Asian Star Radio.

The licence is currently officially held by Tristar Broadcasting Ltd, which is owned by Sunrise Radio owners Litt Corporation, and broadcasts as Time 106.6. It has been known as Time FM since 2006 – before then was Star FM and at one time owned by UKRD. It launched in 1993, originally on the 101.6 frequency now used by Asian Star Radio, with a breakfast show presented by the now world-famous voiceover man Peter Dickson! It was based in Slough’s Observatory Shopping Centre, where the community radio station is now based following Time 106.6’s move to Sunrise Radio’s HQ in Southall in 2008.

Asian Star Radio Ltd has responded to Ofcom’s request for declarations of intent along with the current licensee, meaning a full application process has now started instead of a ‘fast track’ renewal for Time 106.6. Any company or group can now apply for the licence for when the current licence period expires. The closing date for applications is 3pm on Tuesday 3rd July 2012 with a non-refundable fee of £5,000 payable.

Radio Today understands that Asian Star Radio Ltd would not be able to hold both a community radio licence and a commercial radio licence under current legislation. An Ofcom spokesman told us: “Asian Star Radio Ltd currently operates a community radio station. At the moment they have declared their intent to apply, but the applications have only just opened so we haven’t yet received one from them. As you say, a company can’t hold both a community and a commercial radio licence.”

Asian Star Radio was awarded a community radio licence in 2006 – one of its founders, Ray Siddique, formerly worked for the commercial station Star 106.6.