Significant changes to Key Commitments approved for Radio Faza

Ofcom has agreed a Key Commitment change request for Nottingham community radio station Radio Faza.

The changes constitute a significant departure from the description of the character of service, so the was subject to public consultation.

The station’s remit will change from “Radio Faza is for the South Asian community of Nottingham” to, “Radio Faza is for the South Asian and Eastern European Communities of Nottingham.”

It will also add several Eastern European languages and Bengali to the languages in which it broadcasts over the course of each week, and will also add ‘Eastern European’ to the type of music it broadcasts each week.

In its Key Commitments change request, Radio Fiza stated: “There are no community radio stations catering for the needs of the Eastern European Communities” and that the proposed changes “would not substantially alter the character of service, because we are still targeting the South Asian community of Nottingham which is part of the ethnic and minority communities.”

Two consultation responses were received – one from the Community Media Association in support and one which was against the proposed changes, which was anonymous. The objector did not reference the preliminary view or any of the statutory criteria to be considered. Instead, expressed opinion that all radio broadcasting in the UK should be in the English language to promote community cohesion.