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13|02|07

Ofcom awards six new community radio licences

Ofcom today announces the award of six new community radio licences.

Community radio is a new tier of radio which complements the mix of services already provided by the BBC and commercial radio sectors. Community radio services cover a small geographical area and are provided on a not-for-profit basis focusing on the delivery of specific social benefits to enrich a particular geographical community or a community of interest.

Ofcom has awarded community radio licences in the following areas:

• Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent
• Tircoed Forest Village, Swansea
• Totnes, Devon
• Midsomer Norton and Radstock, Somerset
• Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall
• St Austell Bay, Cornwall

The new community radio licensees in each of these areas are:

BRfm (Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent)
Contact: Robert Ball, Lakeside Studios, Unit 23 Blaenau Gwent Workshops, Pond Road, Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent NP23 4BL.
Tel: 01495 313003 or 07812 000971

BRfm will provide a local and inclusive radio service for the residents of Brynmawr and surrounding areas of Blaenau Gwent.

Radio Tircoed (Tircoed Forest Village, Swansea)
Contact: Robert Walker, 14 Derwlas, Tircoed Forest Village, Penllergaer, Swansea SA4 9SF.
Tel: 01792 898628 or 07962 107398
Email: tircoed@btinternet.com Website: www.radiotircoed.com

Radio Tircoed aims to enhance the experience of community living by offering broadcasting opportunities for all sectors of the local community.

Soundart Radio (Dartington and Totnes)
Contact: Helen Harrison, Soundart Radio, Dartington College of Arts, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6EJ.
Tel: 01364-642430 or 07854 183390
Email: soundartradio@dartington.ac.uk

Soundart Radio is an arts-based radio project. Its programming will feature input from individuals and organisations in the locality as well as from students at Dartington College of Arts.

Somer Valley FM (Midsomer Norton and Radstock)
Contact: Chris Watt, Somervale School, Redfield Road, Midsomer Norton, Somerset BA3 2HG.
Tel: 01761 408165 or 07802 695727 Email: chris.watt@efeedback.co.uk

Somer Valley FM aims to create a vibrant and exciting, socially inclusive, training-orientated radio service. It will serve the communities of Midsomer Norton, Radstock and surrounding areas.

A39 Radio (Falmouth and Penryn)
Contact: Russell Clarke, University College Falmouth, Tremough Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ.
Tel: 01326 370407 or 07980 412008 Email: russell@falmouth.ac.uk

A39 Radio is a broadcasting partnership designed to establish a voice, and a forum, for the Falmouth-Penryn community and will target those members of the community who have fewer opportunities to represent their interests and opinions.

Radio St Austell Bay
Contact: Graham Walker, Tregorrick Park, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7AG.
Tel: 01726 63707 or 07834 975504 Email: g@rsab.org Website: www.rsab.org

Radio St Austell Bay will broadcast content about St Austell Bay, its past, present and future, culture and character.

Licences are awarded for a five-year period.

A statement setting out the main determining factors for the award of the six 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 considered one further application, from Lyneham Radio, but has decided not to award a licence to this group.

2. Applications for community radio licences are being invited on a region-by-region basis. Further details can be found on the Ofcom website at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/

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