39/99 4 March 1999
RADIO AUTHORITY DECIDES AWARD OF NEW SMALL-SCALE LOCAL LICENCES WITHIN CAMBRIDGESHIRE
The Radio Authority has decided that, after considering the proposals submitted by the five applicants to provide services within the Cambridgeshire area, it is offering a new small-scale Independent Local Radio (ILR) licence on the FM (VHF) waveband to:
LITE FM (G.P. BROADCASTING LTD.) - Second Floor, 5 Church Street, Peterborough PE1 1XB (contact: Wayne Fitzgerald, 01733 898106); a very local station, playing soft rock music, appealing primarily to people aged 25-44, with a vibrant mixture of friendly, informative, entertaining and cogent speech, catering directly for the tastes and interests of the Peterborough community, including local, national and international news and information.
This licence will come into effect as soon as the successful applicant is ready to begin broadcasting.
The Authority has also conditionally made a licence offer to:
X-CEL FM LTD. - 46 Camel Road, Littleport, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 1EW (contact: Tony Buckingham, 01353 861333); an entirely local radio service combining quality local speech content and a rock/adult contemporary music format reflecting, and relating to, the Fenland region of Cambridgeshire.
The confirmation of a licence award to X-Cel FM will be conditional upon the group's acceptance that, on each of the two frequencies (for transmitters at Littleport and Wisbech) which can be made available for this service, constraints upon coverage due to the levels of incoming interference may be more severe than was anticipated at the time of application.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Following confirmation of the award of both new local radio licences today for services within Cambridgeshire, there will be a total of 801.33 points in the radio ownership system (subject to review once transmission proposals have been finalised).
- 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.
