72/02

6 June 2002

ALL FM has a licence to broadcast for one year as part of the experiment which aims to explore how Access Radio - a new tier of not-for-profit radio which will have social and educational benefits - might work in practice. The Government's draft Communications Bill, published on 7 May, states that "the decision to introduce Access Radio will depend largely on the experience of the Radio Authority's current pilot study." (The Draft Communications Bill - The Policy, paragraph 8.4.2.2).

Details of the station are as follows:

ALL FM, SOUTH-CENTRAL MANCHESTER, 96.9 FM

ALL FM is the twelfth Access Radio station to launch within the UK and is the sister project of Wythenshawe FM which commenced broadcasting in early May, also in Manchester.

• Angel Community Radio, Havant, Hampshire
• Awaz FM, central Glasgow
• Bradford Community Broadcasting, Bradford inner city
• Cross Rhythms City Radio, Stoke-on-Trent
• Desi Radio, Southall, West London
• Radio Faza, Nottingham
• GTFM, Pontypridd
• Northern Visions Radio, Belfast
• Resonance FM, Southbank & Bankside in London
• Takeover Radio, Leicester
• Wythenshawe FM, Greater Manchester

2. The draft Communications Bill - The Policy (published 7 May jointly by the DCMS and the DTI), referring to the Authority's pilot scheme, states:

• demonstrate evidence of social gain and/or public service aims;
• are small-scale neighbourhood schemes, or are designed to serve a community of interest;
• are funded either through non-commercial funding or by a mixture of commercial and non-commercial funding;
• are not-for-profit or non-profit distributing;
• are ring-fenced in terms of ownership and operation from Independent Local Radio, and distinct from Independent Local Radio (ILR) (i.e. ILR licensees are proscribed from equity participation to any extent in an Access Radio Licensee);
• provide opportunities to allow access among those within the target group to the operation of the service." (paragraph 8.4.2.2).

3. Fifteen groups were selected by the Authority from a field of two hundred that submitted letters of intent. The remaining projects will be on-air within the next month, with the exception of Shine FM in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, which will broadcast for just a few months from the autumn.

4. Access Radio was initially suggested to Government by the Authority (Radio Regulation for the 21^st Century Submission to DCMS/DTI, June 2000 as an initiative to provide opportunities for a new tier of radio services to be used in innovative, creative and socially and educationally constructive ways. This project aims to evaluate different approaches to the concept and to inform the future radio regulator how Access Radio, should it be introduced in the future, might be licensed, regulated, funded, promoted and organised.

5. The Radio Authority is responsible for licensing and regulating Independent Radio in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996. It plans frequencies, awards licences, regulates programming and advertising, and plays an active role in the discussion and formulation of policies which affect the Independent Radio industry and its listeners.