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18|03|09

Ofcom awards four new community radio licences

Ofcom today announces the award of four new community radio licences in Norfolk, Cambridge and Essex.
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 to:

• CAM (Cambridge)
• Wayland Radio (Swaffham and Watton, Norfolk)
• Carolina FM (East Braintree, Essex)
• Future Radio (Norwich)

Details of the four new community radio stations are as follows:

Future Radio (Norwich)
Contact: Tom Buckham
Future Radio, NR5 Project, The Neighbourhood Centre, 168B Motum Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 8EG
Phone Number: 01603 250505
E-mail address: t.buckham@futureradio.co.uk
Web-sites: www.futureradio.co.uk, www.nr5project.co.uk

Future Radio is an established community radio station for West Norwich, broadcasting since August 2007.  It applied for a licence to provide a service for the whole of Norwich. Future Radio is committed to social inclusion and diverse programming.  It will offer volunteering opportunities, deliver increased social gain outputs and engage a significant number of deprived communities who are currently unable to access such resources and opportunities.  As a result of being awarded this new licence, Future Radio will be required to surrender its existing community radio licence for West Norwich.

CAM (Cambridge)
Contact: Martin Steers
Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Student Radio, c/o CUR1350, Churchill College, Cambridge CB3 0DS
Phone Number: 07950 967111
E-mail address: communityradio@cur1350.co.uk
Website: www.cur1350.co.uk

Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University Radio (CAM) plans to become the heart of the university community, providing entertaining, educating and engaging radio, but also becoming core to the student experience and academic life for the city of Cambridge. It will provide training and on-air experience as well as broadcasting material that reflects the wide range of interests of the target community.

Wayland Radio (Swaffham and Watton, Norfolk)
Contact: David Hatherly
Address: Wayland Radio, The Stables, Swaffham Road,
Ashill, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 7BT.
Telephone: 01760-441161 (studios), 07769-833868 (mobile).
E-mail: studio@waylandradio.com
Website: www.waylandradio.com     

Wayland Radio will broadcast to Swaffham, Watton and surrounding villages in central Norfolk.  Providing direct access to broadcasting facilities for those living and working within this rural area, the station's output will include programming of specific relevance to young people and the elderly.  Having a focus on social integration and cultural awareness, the station will also broadcast programmes in minority languages, serving the needs of migrant workers in the area.

Carolina FM (East Braintree, Essex)
Contact: Stephen Fleming 24 Priors Way, Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1TW
Telephone: 01376 561001/ 07761 093548
Email: carolinafmradio@aol.com

Carolina FM’s programming will be lively, intelligent and informative with a focus on community motivation, participation and information regarding local entertainment and leisure events. It will offer training in radio production and presentation along with projects for local schools and colleges and encourage partnerships with local organisations offering training in all aspects of drama, music and leisure interests, all of which will entice people to a more energetic, social and rewarding lifestyle.

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. 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/
2. Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.

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