[CMA R] 10 more community radio licences

[Diane Reid]

++Apologies for cross posting++

Ofcom awards ten more community radio licences

Ofcom has this week awarded community radio licences in the following areas:

• Bradford
• Halifax
• Ardwick, Longsight, Levenshulme and surrounding areas to the south of
central Manchester
• Wythenshawe, south Manchester
• Chorley
• Rochdale
• Norwich
• Aberdeen
• Orkney Islands
• Isles of Scilly

The new community radio licensees in each of these areas are:

• BCB (Bradford)
 BCB aims to serve the diverse inner city communities of Bradford. It is
currently broadcasting a pilot access/community radio service, which
commenced in March 2002.

• Phoenix Radio (Halifax)
Phoenix Radio will provide a community service to Halifax. It will provide a
voice for community groups in the area, highlight issues of concern to local
people, and training in radio skills.

• ALL FM (Ardwick, Longsight, Levenshulme and surrounding areas to the south
of central Manchester)
ALL FM provides a community radio service for the benefit of the inhabitants
of this culturally diverse area of Manchester. ALL FM is one of the pilot
access/community radio services and began broadcasting in June 2002.

• Wythenshawe FM (Wythenshawe, South Manchester)
Wythenshawe FM aims to become a vital part of the life of Wythenshawe,
providing ‘radio for the people, by the people’. This group has been
operating one of the access/community pilot stations and commenced
broadcasts in May 2002.

• Chorley FM (Chorley, Lancashire)
Chorley FM aims to provide a service for Chorley’s youth aged between 15 and
25, and Chorley’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.

• Crescent Radio (Rochdale, Lancashire)
Crescent Radio will provide a community service for the Asian Muslim
audience of Rochdale, with largely talk-based programming in English and
community languages.

• Future Radio (Norwich)
Future Radio will be a community station for West Norwich. It will be
delivered by the NR5 Project, an inclusive arts and education project, and
will reflect the diversity of the communities in the area.

• shmuFM (Aberdeen)
Contact: Murray Dawson, Station House Media Unit, Station Road, Woodside,
Station House Media Unit (shmu) is a community-managed, needs-led
organisation which aims to feature a broad range of programming on schmuFM.
It will broadcast to the Middlefield, Printfield, Ferrier/Sandilands and
Tillydrone areas of Aberdeen.

• The Superstation (Orkney Islands)
The Superstation will be a community-focussed station devoted to the people
of Orkney. It will aim to provide news, views and information as well as
music, to all Orcadians.

• Radio Scilly (Isles of Scilly)
Radio Scilly will target all of the 2,100 residents of the five inhabited
Isles of Scilly, with an ‘open door’ policy that involves and targets all
demographic groups and reflects the distinct culture of the Isles.

Ofcom has under consideration more applications from the Greater Manchester
and West Yorkshire areas. It is unable to make decisions on these
applications at present, pending further work on the availability of
suitable FM frequencies in these areas. Ofcom hopes to be able to make
further awards in both regions in due course.

With the announcement of the ten new community radio awards today, the total
number of community radio licences awarded to date has increased to thirty.
Licences are awarded for a five-year period.

Diane Reid
Director
Community Media Association
Access to the media for people and communities
http://www.commedia.org.uk/
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