[CMA R] Ofcom awards 9 Community Radio Licences

[Alan Fransman]

+Apologies for Cross posting+

Ofcom awards 9 Community Radio Licences

Ofcom today announces the award of a further 9 new Community Radio 
licences, bringing the total number of Community Radio licences awarded 
to date to 93.

The Regulator has awarded Community Radio licences in the following areas:

     * Dorset
     * West Yorkshire
     * Suffolk
     * Lincolnshire
     * Bedfordshire
     * Salisbury Plain
     * Hertfordshire
     * North East Wales

The new community radio licensees in each of these areas are:
Hope FM ( Bournemouth)

Contact: Blair Crawford, Bournemouth YMCA, Delta House, 56 Westover 
Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 2BS.
Tel: 01202 780396 email: bmouthymca at aol.com website: 
www.bournemouthymca.org.uk

A faith-based group, linked to the local YMCA, Hope FM will provide 
programming intended to be of interest to the Christian population and 
members of the wider community within the Bournemouth area.
Branch FM (Dewsbury)

Contact: Stephen Hodgson, 17 Halifax Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, 
WF13 2JH.
Tel: 01924 454750 email: studio at branchfm.co.uk website: www.branchfm.co.uk

Branch FM is a Christian group which will provide programming intended 
to be relevant to members of its faith-based community of interest as 
well as members of the wider community in the town of Dewsbury.
Ipswich Community Radio

Contact: Nick Greenland, Ipswich Community Radio, CSV Media Clubhouse, 
120 Princes Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1RS. Tel: 01473 418022
email: info at icrfm.co.uk website: www.icrfm.co.uk

Ipswich Community Radio will serve a number of different groups within 
Ipswich; in particular residents in south east Ipswich, minority ethnic 
communities, asylum seekers and refugees, young people, and those whose 
musical tastes are non-commercial.
Siren FM (Lincoln)

Contact: Nikki Dillon, Faculty of Media & Humanities, University of 
Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 7TS. Tel: 01522 886270
email: ndillon at lincoln.ac.uk website: www.sirenonline.co.uk

A university-based group, Siren FM will provide a service intended to be 
of interest to students, school children and other young people in the 
City of Lincoln.
Diverse FM ( Luton)

Contact: Ashuk Ahmed, Bury Park Community Resource Centre, 161-161b 
Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 1BW. Tel: 01582 400 906 / 01582 
654445
email: diversefm at hotmail.com website: www.diversefm.com

This group intends to provide a service containing output of relevance 
to the various ethnic groups which comprise the population of Luton.
Castledown Radio (Salisbury Plain)

Contact: Steve Lawton, Tidworth Development Trust, 3 Melsham House, 
Wylye Road, Tidworth, Wiltshire, SP9 7QQ. Tel: 01980 842117
email: steve at tidworthtrust.co.uk website: www.castledownradio.info

Founded by an established local community-based organisation, Castledown 
Radio intends to provide a service for both the civilian and resident 
military populations in and around the town of Tidworth and surrounding 
villages.
Salisbury Plain Army Radio

Contact: Phil Gill, Salisbury Plain Army Radio, NAAFI Financial, 
Tidworth, Wiltshire, SP9 7NR.
Tel: 01980 602277 email: salisburyplainarmyradio at garrisonradio.com

Salisbury Plain Army Radio will provide a service for military personnel 
living and working at Bulford Camp and other nearby military 
establishments on Salisbury Plain.
Radio Verulam ( St. Albans)

Contact: Clive Glover, PO Box 396, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6NE.

Tel: 015827 64530 email: clive.glover at lineone.net website: 
www.radioverulam.com

A long-established community broadcasting organisation, Radio Verulam 
will provide a service for those living and working in the St. Albans area.
Calon FM (Wrexham, North East Wales)

Contact: Michael Wright, North East Wales Institute of Higher Education 
(NEWI), Plas Coch, Mold Road, Wrexham, LL11 2AW. Tel: 01978 293373
email: info at calonfm.com website: www.calonfm.com

Calon FM’s target community is the population of Wrexham and in 
particular the large number of students in the area.

Applications for the first wave of community radio licences were invited 
in September 2004. Ofcom received 194 applications and is now nearing 
the end of the process of assessing those applications and examining 
frequency availability options. The applications can be viewed at: 
www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/applications/

Licences are awarded for a five-year period.

A statement setting out the main determining factors for the award of 
the nine community radio licences set out above will be available 
shortly from the Ofcom website.

Ends.
NOTES FOR EDITORS AND CSEs

1. In addition to the licence awards detailed above, Ofcom has decided 
not to award licences to the following three applicants:

     * Nerve Radio, Bournemouth
     * Wrexham FM
     * Lindum Radio, Lincoln

In the case of a fourth applicant, Lyon Radio in Stevenage, Ofcom would 
have liked to award a licence. However, this was not possible as Ofcom’s 
engineers have been unable to identify a suitable frequency on the FM 
waveband that will deliver a sustainable service in Stevenage (either in 
stereo or mono).

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Alan Fransman
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