[cma-l] New grant for Forest of Dean Radio

[Salvatore Scifo]

Source:
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/latestnews/New-grant-local-radio/article-418533-detail/article.html

New grant for local radio

COMMUNITY groups in the Forest of Dean will be hitting the airwaves soon
thanks to a National Lottery grant.

Forest of Dean Radio has been awarded £4,990 in the Awards for All programme
and hopes to bring the local community closer together.

Richard Simpkin, programme production manager, said the scheme is designed
to get more people involved in the Forest community.

He said: "The whole point is bringing people and groups in the community
closer together.

"There is lots of expertise hidden away in the Forest.

"With this grant, we will find it."

People will be trained in various technical areas including recording skills
to enable them to record their own sections for the station themselves.

Alternatively people can arrange a time to visit one of the studios at
Cinderford, Coleford, Lydney, Sedbury, Mitcheldean and Newent.

Mr Simpkin said: "We really want to get community groups involved so that
they can come on the radio and tell people all about what they do, and about
what they have coming up in the future."

Forest of Dean Radio started in 1995 with a three-day broadcast to
Cinderford.

In the next few years the project completed 16 weekend broadcasts all over
the forest in Cinderford, Coleford, Lydney, Sedbury, Mitcheldean and Newent.

After five years of broadcasting as a pilot station, the station was awarded
the very first full-time Community Radio Station License in the UK when new
laws enabling a new tier of radio were passed in 2004. Now, the station is
online and on air 24 hours a day.

Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has congratulated Forest of Dean
Community Radio on the award.

He said: "I hope this extra funding really helps the community station and I
look forward to hearing what the reporters and local people have to say
about politics in the area!"

You can tune in to the station on 1521/1503 medium wave/am or at
www.fodradio.org.