[CMA R] Community Radio licensing - Round Two

[Alan Fransman]

Community Media Association

News Release

13 July 2006

Community Radio licensing - Round Two

Ofcom today published its plans for the next round of Community Radio 
licensing.  The regulator completed the first round of Community Radio 
licensing on 17 May when it announced the award of a further eight 
Community Radio licences, bringing the total number of licences awarded 
to 107.

Ofcom has decided that it would be more appropriate to invite 
applications for the second round of licensing for Community Radio on a 
region-by-region basis.  It is believed that this approach would enable 
the regulator to deal with a large volume of applications in a timely 
manner.

Alan Fransman, Deputy Director of the Community Media Association said: 
“We welcome the second round of licensing for what has proved to be a 
highly successful innovation in UK broadcasting, Community Radio!  The 
CMA lobbied for better communications and shorter lead times between 
applications and response. We are pleased to note that this has been 
taken into account by Ofcom in their planning of the next round.”

In its statement Ofcom published a draft timetable which sets out the 
regions, and the order in which it proposes to invite applications.  An 
updated timetable will be published by the end of 2006.  For each 
region, the period between the invitation of applications and 
closing-date will be 12 weeks:


1. Southwest England and South Wales - Applications invited (16 August) 
- deadline for applications (7 November)

2. Scotland and Northern Ireland - Applications invited    (25 October) 
- deadline for applications - deadline for applications (16 January 2007)

3. North and North East England (incl North Yorkshire) - applications 
invited (3 January 2007) - deadline for applications (27 March 2007)

4. West and South Yorkshire and the Humber - To be decided

5. North Wales and Northwest England - To be decided

6. West Midlands, East Midlands and Lincolnshire - To be decided

7. East and Southeast England - To be decided

The revised application form and accompanying notes of guidance will be 
published, alongside the first invitation for applications, on 16 August 
2006.

The full statement about the next round is available on the Ofcom website:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/secondround/

Alan Fransman added: “The CMA will be doing more of its highly popular 
courses on 'How to apply for a Community Radio Licence', working with 
Ofcom and experienced Community Radio stations' so that we can share 
knowledge and experience, both in running a radio
station and in applying for a licence.”

The CMA’s first Community Radio Licence Application workshop will be in 
the South West and others will follow.  E mail workshops at commedia.org.uk 
to be kept informed. The courses will be discounted for CMA members.'

Ofcom states that it had serious difficulty in identifying suitable FM 
frequencies in some areas in the first round.  The regulator expects 
that frequency availability will be a bigger issue in the second round. 
  Ofcom has identified a number of areas where it is unlikely that 
suitable frequency resources remain available for further community 
stations to be licensed on FM (VHF Band II) spectrum (even taking into 
consideration the possibility of licensing some services for mono-only 
broadcasting, for example) in this round.

As a result, Ofcom will not accept applications proposing to serve on FM 
localities in certain areas of the UK, in this round.  The list of areas 
where Ofcom cannot consider applications for FM services follows.

Ofcom invited groups interested in applying for a Community Radio 
licence to send a ‘letter of intent’ to help plan prepare for the next 
round.  The demand and enthusiasm for Community Radio continues to be 
high and by the closing date in April the regulator had received over 
180 such letters from all over the United Kingdom.

-ends-

For further information please contact Alan Fransman on 0114 279 5219 or 
email alan.fransman at commedia.org.uk

Notes to editors
1.    The Community Media Association (CMA) is the UK membership 
association for community media.  Its mission is to enable people to 
establish and develop communications media for cultural and creative 
expression, community development and entertainment.  The CMA membership 
consists of 300 community media organisations plus 300 individuals and 
associate organisations. CMA members work throughout the UK in sound and 
radio, television, video and new media.  The CMA’s head office is 
located in Sheffield.
2.    Community Radio is a third tier of radio distinct from Public and 
Commercial Radio.  Community Radio stations are locally owned and 
accountable to their audience.  They operate on public service 
principles for community benefit and are non-profit distributing.

Further information on the CMA can be found at http://www.commedia.org.uk


The list of areas where Ofcom cannot consider applications for FM services

Scotland and Northern Ireland

•    City of Edinburgh Unitary Authority
•    Glasgow City Unitary Authority

West and South Yorkshire and the Humber

•    Leeds Metropolitan District

North Wales and northwest England

•    Cheshire – Vale Royal District
•    Lancashire – Chorley District
•    Oldham Metropolitan District
•    Tameside District
•    Wirral Metropolitan District

West Midlands, east Midlands and Lincolnshire

•    Birmingham Metropolitan District
•    City of Nottingham
•    Nottinghamshire – Gedling District
•    Telford & Wrekin Unitary Authority
•    City of Wolverhampton Metropolitan District

East and southeast England, including London

•    Harlow District
•    London (Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, 
Camden, City of London, City of Westminster, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, 
Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, 
Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, 
Redbridge, Richmond Upon Thames, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, 
Wandsworth.)*
•    Stevenage District

*(N.B. The London Boroughs of Harrow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, 
Sutton, Croydon and Bromley are not on this list.  There remains the 
possibility that suitable frequencies may be identified in these areas.)

-- 
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