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20|05|09

Ofcom awards three new community radio licences

Ofcom today announces the award of three new community radio licences. This takes the number of community radio licences awarded by Ofcom to over 200.

Since community radio was introduced in 2004 Ofcom has received 360 applications in two licensing rounds. 201 groups have been offered licences so far, and of these 135 stations have already commenced broadcasting.

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:

• HCR FM, Huntingdon
• Intobeats, Bedford
• AHBS Community Radio, Ashford, Kent

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

HCR FM (Huntingdon)
Contact: William Hensley
Address: The Chestnuts, 22 High Street, Warboys, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 2RH
Telephone: 01487 823424 or 07767 823424
Email: bill.hensley@hcrfm.co.uk
Website: www.hcrfm.co.uk

HCR FM (Huntingdon Community Radio) will serve the whole community of Huntingdon and the surrounding area with familiar music and local news and information that suits local tastes.

Intobeats (Bedford)
Contact: Nicola Fox
Address: 53 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 2SR
Telephone: 01234 352244
Email: enquiries@intobeats.com
Website: www.intobeats.com

Intobeats will bring an urban music-based community radio service to 14-35 year olds in Bedford. The station will aim to offer opportunities to get involved in the station to people from different backgrounds and to offer training in media and life skills.

AHBS Community Radio (Ashford, Kent)
Contact: Richard Collins
Address: Ashford Hospital Broadcasting Service, William Harvey Hospital,
Ashford, Kent TN24 0LZ
Telephone: 01233 616 226
Email: richard.collins@ahbs.org.uk
Website: www.ahbs.org.uk

AHBS will broadcast a service of entertainment and health information, aimed especially at those directly involved in healthcare, but also encompassing the wider community. As well as health-related output the station will include information from the Council and programmes produced by local schools and the wider 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 one further application, but decided not to award a licence to the following group:

• Black Cat Radio, Huntingdon

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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