[cma-l] Adequate radio coverage

[Ian Hickling]

I posted recently about a case we have with a Client who is licensed to cover two adjacent towns but is only permitted one transmitter to achieve this - which we believe won't produce a viable result.In view of time constraints we've agreed that he should accept the least undesirable option but I suggested that he include the following in his acceptance:
"We applied for and Ofcom has granted a Community Radio Licence to cover (two named towns) and the surrounding areas.We have commissioned coverage predictions which show in our view that it is not possible to achieve commercially adequate coverage of the desired audience from a single transmitter without the use of a large centrally-placed structure and power considerably in excess of Ofcom's 25 + 25W norm for a 5km radius.We have carefully surveyed and assessed the area between the two towns which is the eastern part of the wide alluvial plain of the (river) and its tributaries, lying between 40 and 55m AOD.We find that there are no usable high points or buildings and no existing sites in use by local utilities which would suggest that others have found the same problem with achieving radio coverage.Our most recent proposal to Ofcom was the use of (name of site on edge of larger town) which affords adequate coverage of (larger town) but shows poor results for some parts of (smaller town).As the origination of a new optimal site with its own high structure would appear to be beyond the conventional funding brief of Community Radio we have decided to go ahead with this site initially but would stress that once the station is on air we anticipate that we may receive complaints of the poor coverage we have identified and as a result formally request that Ofcom allow additional means of serving our commercially-vital target audience.From the coverage prediction already submitted to Ofcom we are requesting the allocation of 100W vertical plus 100W horizontal ERP on a frequency without the directional constraint to the West mentioned by Ofcom as this would further restrict the already marginal coverage of (smaller town)."
I hope this approach may be of use to other Applicants/Licensees.

 		 	   		   		 	   		   		 	   		  
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