[CMA R] Ten new Radio Stations for Communities across the UK!

[Alan Fransman]

Community Media Association

News Release

8 September, 2005

Ten new Radio Stations for Communities across the UK!

Ofcom announced today that 10 more Community Radio stations have been 
awarded full five year licences in Bradford, Halifax, the Ardwick, 
Longsight, Levenshulme and surrounding areas to the south of central 
Manchester,  Wythenshawe (south Manchester), Chorley, Rochdale, Norwich, 
Aberdeen, the Orkney Islands and the Isles of Scilly.  This brings the 
total number of Community Radio stations licensed to 30.  A list of the 
new stations follows.

Diane Reid, Director of the CMA, said: “Lives are already being changed 
for the better and communities being enriched by this new form of 
broadcasting.  Radio is a powerful medium and it's wonderful to see it 
being used by and for local people for the benefit of their communities."

Following the announcement, Jonathan Pinfield, Broadcast Manager at 
Bradford Community Broadcasting said: “We are absolutely delighted. This 
is an award for all the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of our 200 
volunteer presenters.  We are looking forward to broadcasting our unique 
and diverse range of programmes for people living and working in the 
Bradford area.”

Murray Dawson, Station Co-ordinator of Station House Media Unit (SHMU) 
FM said: “SHMU is delighted to have been successful in gaining our 
license - it brings with it an exciting new era in Community Media 
production in Aberdeen and is a fitting reward for the community members 
who have volunteered their time over the life of our project."

Community stations are a new tier of not-for profit radio stations, 
owned and run by local people, mostly volunteers, which enable 
communities throughout the UK to use the medium of radio to create new 
opportunities for regeneration, employment, learning, social cohesion 
and inclusion as well as cultural and creative expression. For more than 
20 years the CMA and its members have campaigned for community station 
licences, achieving this last year, when the Community Radio Order was 
passed.

Applications for the first wave of full time Community Radio licences 
were invited in September 2004. Ofcom received 194 applications for full 
five year licences to be issued in 2005 and is currently assessing those 
applications and examining frequency availability options.

-ends-

For further information visit the Community Media Association website:
http://www.commedia.org.uk


List Of The New Community Radio Licensees

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

BCB (Bradford)
Contact: Mary Dowson, 2 Forster Square, Bradford, Yorkshire, BD1 1DQ
Tel: 01274 771677
email: mary at bcb.yorks.com
website: www.bcb.yorks.com

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)
Contact: Howard Priestley, DG/G, D Mill, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX
Tel: 01422 365923
email:sales at phoenixfm.co.uk
website: www.phoenixfm.co.uk

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)
Contact: Alex Green, 19 Albert Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2EQ
Tel:0161 2486888
email: alex at allfm.org
website: www.allfm.org

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)
Contact: Phil Korbel, Radio Regen, 12 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1JF
Tel:0161 237 5454
email: phil at radioregen.org
website: www.wfmradio.org

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)
Contact: Nicola Hammerton, 4 Victoria Street, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 2TX
Tel: 07956 256563. email: nicolahammerton at hotmail.com

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)
Contact: Faheem Chisti, 1 Highfield Road, Norden, Rochdale, OL11 5RZ
Tel: 01706 340786
email: faheem at myself.com
website: www.crescentradio.net

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)
Contact: Tom Buckham, The NR5 Project, 561 Earlham Road, Norwich, 
Norfolk, NR4 7TF Tel:01603 250505
email: info at nr5project.co.uk
website: www.futurefmradio.co.uk

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, Aberdeen, AB24 2WB
Tel: 01224 487174
email: stationhouse at freeuk.com
website: www.shmufm.net

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)
Contact: Dave Miller, St Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2SP
Tel: 01856 831332
email: studio at thesuperstation.co.uk
website: www.thesuperstation.co.uk

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)
Contact: Peter Hobson Isles of Scilly Perfumery, St Mary's Porthloo Isle 
of Scilly, TR21 ONE Tel:01720 423304
email: radioscilly at aol.com

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.


-- 
Alan Fransman
Community Media Association
15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
S1 2BX

+44 114 279 5219

Join the CMA now for discounts, networking,
workshops, streaming, information, support
and a voice for community media

www.commedia.org.uk

Access to the media for people and communities