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09|06|05

Ofcom awards new FM commercial radio licence for Manchester

Ofcom today announces the award of the new FM local commercial radio licence for Manchester and surrounding area.

By the closing date of 9 February 2005, Ofcom received nineteen applications for the Manchester licence. After giving careful consideration to each of the applications submitted, the Ofcom Radio Licensing Committee has decided to award the licence to:

Xfm Manchester, GCap Media plc, 30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA
Contact: Jane Wilson. Tel: 020 7766 6863
Email: jane.wilson@gcapmedia.com

Xfm Manchester is wholly-owned by GCap Media plc. It will provide an alternative music format for 15-34 year-olds in the Manchester area, playing generally guitar-led, quality modern and classic “music with attitude” created by artists who challenge mainstream pop aesthetics.

The licence is for a service to cover the city of Manchester and surrounding area which has an adult population (aged 15+) of around 1.3 million. However, the exact coverage will be determined by the location of the transmission site and other technical characteristics. The proposed frequency (97.7 MHz) is subject to international agreement on radio spectrum usage.

Ofcom expects Xfm Manchester to begin broadcasting at the earliest opportunity and no later than two years from this award date.

Ofcom will publish a statement setting out the key determining factors for the award of this licence shortly.

The licence will be issued for a twelve year period.

Ends.

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