[cma-l] Four community radio licence awards: July 2008

[CMA-L]

In July Ofcom's Radio Licensing Committee ('RLC') made licence awards
to the following applicants in locations in the east and west Midlands
(in no particular order):

    * Hermitage FM (Coalville, Ibstock and Ashby-de-la-Zouch)
    * Cross Rhythms Coventry
    * The Hillz Radio (Coventry)
    * Inspiration FM (Northampton)

Each of these services will be licensed for a period of five years
from the date of their launch.

Hermitage FM

Hermitage FM will serve the people of Coalville, Ibstock and
Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The parent company has extensive experience in
hospital radio and a sizeable volunteer and asset base (1a). The
station's programming will include material for the wider community
and also specialist shows for minorities (1b). The station has a good
level of support in its area, with proposals for collaborative
programming with community groups (1d). The station's social gain
proposals include providing work experience opportunities and
disseminating information on local services (1e). The parent group has
a strong track record on providing access to the service, and proposed
feeder studios in each of the three towns it proposes to serve will
help to strengthen this ethos (1g).

Cross Rhythms Coventry

Serving the Christian population of Coventry, this applicant has
useful broadcasting skills and experience at board level and will also
collaborate with an established community radio licensee which will
provide assistance in developing this service (1a). Programming
proposals containing distinctly Christian content will be relevant to
members of the target community (1b) and offer increased content
choice locally (1c). This applicant also provided wide ranging
evidence of demand and support for its service (1d). Social gain
proposals, although primarily focusing on supporting the station's
core Christian community, will, in some respects, also be relevant to
sections of the wider general community of Coventry (1e) Measures to
ensure this station's accountability to members of its target
community were diverse and appropriately structured (1f), whilst the
group's approach to the provision of access to its facilities and
training in their use were also felt to meet the legislative
requirements of the Community Radio Order 2004 (1g).

The Hillz Radio (Coventry)

Focussing on the Hillfields area of north central Coventry, this group
is part of a larger community development organisation which has been
operating in the locality for some 10 years. As a result, it was felt
to be well resourced, both financially and in terms of relevant
available expertise (1a). The group has previously completed a number
of short-term Restricted Service Licence (RSL) radio broadcasts, which
it has used to develop programming proposals that are considered to be
both relevant to members of the target community (1b) and likely to
broaden the choice of content available locally (1c). With adequate
evidence of demand and support being provided (1e), this group's
social gain proposals where felt to be particularly strong, most
notably in relation to the provision of a broad range of education and
training opportunities (1e). Accountability measures (1f), along with
proposals relating to the provision of access to facilities and
training in their use, were also considered to meet the legislative
requirements of the Community Radio Order 2004 (1g).

Inspiration FM

Inspiration FM will serve the people of Northampton, with a particular
focus on minority ethnic groups and the socio-economically
disadvantaged. The station has a long-standing presence within its
target community, as well as much radio experience, both gained
through many RSL broadcasts (1a). The station's programming is based
on its years of experience in serving the tastes and interests of its
diverse target community (1b) and would broaden choice locally (1c).
The station has much support from within the community (1d) and has a
track record of delivering social gain, such as through promoting
discussion and the expression of opinion in its programming, and via
its experience in providing training (1e).

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/awards/jul08/