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16|10|07

Ofcom awards four new community radio licences

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

Community radio services typically 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 in the north and northeast of England

• Hartlepool
• Bishop Auckland
• Catterick Garrison
• South Craven, Yorkshire

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

Radio Hartlepool
Contact: Jason Anderson, Radio Hartlepool, The Broadcasting Suite, The Grand Hotel, Swainson Street, Hartlepool TS24 8AA
Telephone: 01429 275222 Email: jason@radiohartlepool.co.uk Website: www.radiohartlepool.co.uk

Radio Hartlepool will positively promote the communities of Hartlepool, giving people a voice and input on how the service is run.

Bishop FM, Bishop Auckland
Contact: Michael Fryer, 155A Newgate street, Bishop Auckland DL14 7EL,
Telephone: 01388 451 496 Website: www.bishopfm.com

Bishop FM will serve the community of Bishop Auckland and surrounding areas. It will act as a focus for the area and will reflect as closely as possible the interests of the local community.

Catterick Garrison FM
Contact: Arthur McGearey, Catterick Army Radio Limited, NAAFI, Shute Road, Catterick Garrison, N Yorks DL9 4AF
Telephone: 01748 830090 Email: Catterick@garrisonfm.com
Website: www.army.mod.uk/garrisonradio/Catterick/index.htm

A community radio service for soldiers, their families and MoD civilians living and working within the Army community in Catterick Garrison and surrounding area.

Drystone Radio, South Craven, Yorkshire
Contact: David Adams, 82 Keighley Road, Cowling, South Craven, North Yorkshire, BD22 0BA Telephone: 01535 635 392, mobile 07771 622727
Email: email@drystoneradio.com Website: www.drystoneradio.co.uk

Drystone Radio will provide the South Craven area with an independent voice which challenges, enriches, informs, stimulates and entertains by targeted broadcasting to the diverse strands of the whole community.

Licences are awarded for a five-year period.

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

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. In addition to the licence awards detailed above, Ofcom considered five further applications, but has decided not to award a licence to the following groups:
   
   
   • Wharfedale Radio, Wharfedale, Yorkshire
   • Valley Radio, Keighley
   • Asian Community Radio, Bradford
   • Peace Radio, Bradford
   • Radio Paigham, Huddersfield


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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