[comradio-l] Small stations bring big benefits for local communities

[CMA-L]

Source: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2010/11/18/small-stations-bring-big-benefits-for-local-communities/

Around 11 million people are now able to tune into community radio
stations across the UK. This figure is up 17% year-on-year and an
increase of more than a third (36%) since 2008, according to a new
report by Ofcom.

The Community Radio Annual Report provides a snapshot of community
radio in the UK, which reveals a flourishing sector. Since the first
station went live five years ago, a new community radio station has
launched, on average, every 10 days. Today, a record 181 community
stations are broadcasting and another 30 are preparing to take to the
airwaves.

Community radio stations typically cover a small geographical area
with a coverage radius of up to 5km and are run on a not-for-profit
basis. They serve a wide range of communities, targeting diverse
audiences from rural to inner city areas with content ranging from
community news and information to religious issues to experimental
music and RnB, for example.

Ofcom Chief Executive, Ed Richards, said: “The Community Radio Annual
Report provides an encouraging picture of the state of community radio
in the UK. In general, it’s been a challenging few years for the radio
sector. Community radio has shared these challenges. Despite this, it
continues to deliver local content and other community benefits. It is
a genuine success story, and a great credit to the thousands of
volunteers and enthusiasts that make it happen.”
2 million hours of volunteering

All stations involve volunteers in various jobs, including as
presenters. The average station reports the involvement of around 75
volunteers over a year. Across the industry more than 40,000 volunteer
hours are spent each week producing more than 15,000 hours of original
radio output. Ofcom estimates that, with over 180 stations on air,
volunteers currently contribute more than 2 million hours per year to
community radio.

Chris Jones from Harborough FM in Market Harborough said: “One of the
most satisfying achievements is watching people who initially came to
us with little or no broadcasting experience being transformed into
very competent community radio broadcasters.”
Diverse audiences

A large number of community radio stations provide services for minority groups.

For example, Diverse FM in Luton broadcasts in community languages
such as Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Pahari, Polish, Arabic,
Swahili and Patwa.

Ashuk Ahmed at Diverse FM said: “Communities are offered radio slots
to broadcast dedicated programmes, enabling them to ‘have a voice’ by
raising issues that are relevant to them and promote better
understanding of each other’s culture, religion and issues … this has
brought about better community cohesion, enabling celebration of
cultural diversity and understanding.”

Several stations also provide services for rural communities, such as
Tempo FM in Wetherby (West Yorkshire). “The station provides a much
appreciated “Voice for Wetherby” to the considerable benefit of the
community, on a very limited budget,” said Stuart Robinson from Tempo
FM. “Creating a new focus for the area through the medium of radio, by
linking the various communities within the associated towns has been a
great achievement.”
Social gain

In addition to providing unique content, community radio stations
deliver wide benefits to people in the areas in which they broadcast.
This includes offering training and work experience opportunities,
contributions to local education and providing a voice to those, such
as older people or speakers of minority languages, who may find it
harder to access the media.

Rob Green from Halton Community Radio in Runcorn (Cheshire) said: “Our
station reaches parts of the community that other stations and
community groups cannot reach; for example the house-bound and
severely disabled. Without the station they would not be able to
participate in local discussions and debate. This was the main aim of
the station and we are proud that we have managed to achieve this.”

shmuFM in Aberdeen has worked with a range of partners to create a
full-time training programme for prison inmates including the
production of programmes for broadcast on the community radio station.
Murray Dawson from shmuFM said: “The scheme has provided
encouragement, motivation and support to prisoners who continue to
develop their skills, post release, which has contributed towards a
break in their cycle of re-offending.”

The full report is available here:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/community/annual-reports/09-10/

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