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Community Radio Announcement
01|09|04
In accordance with the requirements of Section 104 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended by the Communications Act 2003 and as modified by the Community Radio Order 2004), Ofcom invites applications for licences to provide Community Radio services in most parts of the United Kingdom. These licences are being offered for the provision of services on either the FM (VHF) or AM (Medium Wave) wavebands.
In addition to the particular restrictions detailed below, applicants should note that Ofcom cannot guarantee the availability of suitable frequency resources to meet the needs of all applicant groups. This being the case, prospective Community Radio operators should note that applications are made entirely at their own risk.
The Community Radio Order 2004 (SI 2004/1944) contains requirements aimed at ensuring that new Community Radio services do not prejudice unduly the economic viability of other local services. In this regard, two specific tiers of restrictions are included in the Order.
The Schedule of the Community Radio Order modifies Section 105 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, in relation to areas served by commercial radio stations with a measured adult (aged 15+) population of 50,000 or fewer. It states that Ofcom may not license a Community Radio station in any such location if the measured coverage area of either the existing commercial station, or the proposed Community Radio station, overlaps by 50% or more in population terms with the measured coverage area of the other station. Details of the existing station coverage areas to which this restriction applies are contained in Appendix (1).
The Schedule of the Community Radio Order further modifies Section 105 of the Broadcasting Act 1990, in relation to areas served by commercial radio stations with a measured adult (aged 15+) population of between 50,001 and 150,000. If the measured coverage area, of either the commercial service or the Community Radio service, overlaps by 50% or more in population terms with the coverage area of the other service, then Ofcom must include conditions in the Community Radio service licence to prohibit on-air paid-for advertising or the sponsorship of programmes. Details of the existing areas affected by this restriction are contained in Appendix (2). Applicants should note that the obligation to include conditions in Community Radio licences to prohibit on-air paid-for advertising and sponsorship of programmes is a continuing obligation. This means that even if there is no existing overlapping commercial radio station with an adult population of between 50,001 and 150,000 at the time a Community Radio service licence is awarded, the prohibition of on-air paid-for advertising and programme sponsorship would be triggered at a future date were such a commercial service to be licensed. Under the terms of the Community Radio Order, Ofcom has no discretion to disapply this rule. A list of relevant planned licence areas currently included in the commercial radio licensing timetable is contained in Appendix (3). Applicants should note that this timetable will be updated on a quarterly basis. As there is still an on-going commercial radio planning and licensing programme, it is not possible at this time to provide a definitive list of all of the future commercial services that could trigger this restriction.
Ofcom has a general duty under the Community Radio Order to have regard to the need to ensure that any Community Radio service does not prejudice unduly the economic viability of any other local service, when considering whether or to whom to grant a Community Radio licence and the terms on which the licence is granted. In accordance with this duty, Ofcom intends not to license any Community Radio services in areas which are on the current commercial radio licensing timetable and are planned to be served by a commercial service with a predicted adult (aged 15+) population of 50,000 or fewer, where the predicted coverage area of the planned commercial radio service or the proposed Community Radio service overlaps by 50% or more in population terms with the coverage area of the other station. Details of the relevant planned licence areas are contained in Appendix (4). In accordance with this general duty, Ofcom may also decide, on a case-by-case basis, to apply further restrictions when deciding whether to award a Community Radio licence, or to whom to award the licence, or the terms on which the licence is granted (including the amount of income that can be derived from on-air paid-for advertising and programme sponsorship).
Further details, including notes of guidance for applicants, an application form and other supporting documentation may be obtained from the Ofcom web-site (see Related Items); e-mail communityradio@ofcom.org.uk), or on written request, from the Radio Planning & Licensing Team (Community Radio), 3rd Floor, Ofcom, Riverside House, 2A, Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HA.
The closing-date for the submission of completed applications will be Tuesday 23rd November 2004. Applications must be received no later than 5.00PM on that date.
Completed applications and any additional information in electronic form should be e-mailed to: communityradio@ofcom.org.uk
The address for paper-based applications and supporting material is:
Community Radio Licensing
Radio Planning and Licensing Team
3rd Floor
Ofcom
Riverside House
2A Southward Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA.
A non-refundable application fee of £600 will be payable by each applicant. This must be received by Ofcom (i.e. the funds must be present in the Ofcom bank account) by the closing date (above). Applicants may submit their payment by either of the following methods:
- Payment by BACS into the Ofcom bank account (sort code: 30-97-90, account number: 0740372). Please note that any payments made using this method will take at least three working days to reach the Ofcom account.
- Payment by CHAPS into the Ofcom bank account (details as above). Please note that although this is a 'same day' payment method, applicants intending to submit their payment on the closing-date itself should confirm with their bank the deadline for ensuring that it is received by Ofcom on that date.
| Appendix (1) Existing local services with a measured coverage area which contains a population of 50,000 adults (aged 15+) or fewer: | ||
|---|---|---|
| 01) | Arbroath FM | (RNA FM) |
| 02) | Bridgwater FM | (BCR FM) |
| 03) | Bridlington FM | (Yorkshire Coast Radio – Bridlington) |
| 04) | Coleraine FM | (Q97.2 Causeway Coast Radio) |
| 05) | Dumbarton FM | (Your Radio Dumbarton) |
| 06) | Fort William FM | (Nevis Radio) |
| 07) | Gairloch & Loch Ewe FM | (Two Lochs Radio) |
| 08) | Helensburgh FM | (Your Radio Helensburgh) |
| 09) | Kendal & Windermere FM | (Lakeland Radio) |
| 10) | Kintyre, Islay & Jura FM | (Argyll Radio) |
| 11) | North Norfolk FM | (North Norfolk Radio) |
| 12) | Oban FM | (Oban FM) |
| 13) | Peterhead & Fraserburgh FM | (Waves Radio Peterhead) |
| 14) | Pitlochry & Aberfeldy FM | (Heartland FM) |
| 15) | Rutland FM | (Rutland Radio) |
| 16) | Shetland FM | (SIBC) |
| 17) | Skye & Lochalsh FM | (Cuillin FM) |
| 18) | Ullapool FM | (Lochbroom FM) |
| 19) | Warminster FM | (107.5 3TR FM) |
| 20) | West Somerset FM | (Quay West FM) |
| 21) | Western Isles FM | (Isles FM) |
| 22) | Worksop FM | (Trax FM) |
| Appendix (2) Existing local services with a measured coverage area which contains a population of between 50,001 and 150,000 adults (aged 15+): |
||
|---|---|---|
| 01) | Alton & Haslemere FM | (Delta FM) |
| 02) | Aylesbury FM | (Mix 96) |
| 03) | Barnstaple FM | (Lantern FM) |
| 04) | Basingstoke FM | (107.6 Kestrel FM) |
| 05) | Bath FM | (Bath FM) |
| 06) | Bridgend FM | (106.3 Bridge FM) |
| 07) | Burgess Hill & Haywards Heath FM | (Bright 106.4) |
| 08) | Buxton FM | (High Peak Radio) |
| 09) | Caernarfon FM | (Champion FM) |
| 10) | Cambridge FM2 | (Star 107.9) |
| 11) | Canterbury FM | (KM FM Canterbury) |
| 12) | Ceredigion FM | (Radio Ceredigion) |
| 13) | Cheltenham FM | (Star 107.5) |
| 14) | Chester FM | (Dee 106.3) |
| 15) | Colchester FM | (SGR Colchester) |
| 16) | Darlington FM | (Alpha 103.2) |
| 17) | Dover & Folkestone FM | (KM FM Folkestone / Dover) |
| 18) | Dundee FM2 | (Wave 102) |
| 19) | Eastbourne FM | (Sovereign Radio) |
| 20) | Fenland FM | (Fen Radio 107.5 FM) |
| 21) | Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft FM | (103.4 The Beach) |
| 22) | Grimsby FM | (Compass FM) |
| 23) | Guernsey FM | (104.7 Island FM) |
| 24) | Harlow FM | (Ten 17) |
| 25) | Hastings FM | (107.8 Arrow FM) |
| 26) | Hertford FM | (Heartbeat FM) |
| 27) | High Wycombe FM | (Mix 107.4) |
| 28) | Hinckley FM | (Fosseway Radio) |
| 29) | Inverurie FM | (NECR) |
| 30) | Isle of Wight FM | (Isle of Wight Radio) |
| 31) | Jersey FM | (Channel 103 FM) |
| 32) | King's Lynn FM | (KL FM) |
| 33) | Londonderry FM | (Q102.9FM) |
| 34) | Loughborough FM | (107 Oak FM) |
| 35) | Ludlow AM | (Sunshine 855) |
| 36) | Macclesfield FM | (106.9 Silk FM) |
| 37) | Maidstone FM | (CTR 105.6) |
| 38) | Mansfield FM | (Mansfield 103.2) |
| 39) | Mid Ulster FM | (Mid FM) |
| 40) | Montgomeryshire AM | (Radio Maldwyn) |
| 41) | Newbury FM | (Kick FM) |
| 42) | North Wales Coast FM | (Coast FM) |
| 43) | Omagh & Enniskillen FM | (Q101.2 FM West) |
| 44) | Pembrokeshire FM | (Radio Pembrokeshire) |
| 45) | Peterborough FM2 | (Lite FM) |
| 46) | Rugby FM | (107.1 Rugby FM) |
| 47) | Salisbury FM | (Spire FM) |
| 48) | Scarborough FM | (Yorkshire Coast Radio) |
| 49) | Scottish Borders FM | (Radio Borders) |
| 50) | Shaftesbury FM | (97.4 Vale FM) |
| 51) | South Hams FM | (South Hams Radio) |
| 52) | South West Scotland FM | (South West Sound) |
| 53) | Stroud FM | (Star 107) |
| 54) | Telford FM | (107.4 Telford FM) |
| 55) | Tendring FM | (Dream 100 FM) |
| 56) | Thanet FM | (KM FM for Thanet) |
| 57) | West Cumbria FM | (CFM – West Cumbria) |
| 58) | Weston-Super-Mare FM | (Star 107.7 FM) |
| 59) | West Lothian FM | (River FM) |
| 60) | Weymouth & Dorchester FM | (Wessex FM) |
| 61) | Winchester FM | (Win 107.2) |
| 62) | Worthing FM | (Splash FM) |
| 63) | Yeovil FM | (Ivel FM) |
| Appendix (3) Planned local services with a predicted coverage area which contains a population of 50,000 adults (aged 15+) or fewer: |
||
|---|---|---|
| 01) | Ashford | |
| 02) | Barrow in Furness | |
| 03) | Banbury | |
| 04) | Blackburn | |
| 05) | Kidderminster | |
| 06) | Swindon | |
| Appendix (4) Planned local services with a predicted coverage area which contains a population of between 50,001 and 150,000 adults (aged 15+): |
||
|---|---|---|
| 01) | Ballymena | |
| 02) | Northallerton | |