25 March 2020

Ofcom awards six new community radio licences (March 2020)

Ofcom has today announced the award of six new community radio licences in England.

The new stations will serve communities in Chesterfield in Derbyshire; Magna Park and Lutterworth in Leicestershire; Northwich in Cheshire; Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent; and two services for Scarborough in North Yorkshire.

Community radio services are provided on a not-for-profit basis, focusing on the delivery of specific social benefits to a particular area or community.

More than 300 community radio stations are currently on air.

The six new community radio licences have been awarded to:

Cheshire FM (Cheshire Radio Limited), Northwich

Contact name: David Duffy

Website: www.cheshirefm.com

Cheshire FM is a service for people in Northwich, Cheshire. The station has been engaging with the local community via social media to understand what they want from the service and to make sure its programmes cater to their tastes and interests.

Coast and County Radio (Scarborough Radio Limited), Scarborough

Contact name: David MacGregor

Website: www.coastandcountyradio.co.uk

Coast and County Radio will serve the community of Scarborough. Its programmes will feature local charitable and educational organisations, and encourage listeners to participate in local events.

Cross Counties Radio (Cross Counties Radio), Lutterworth

Contact name: David Harris Boulter

Website: www.crosscountiesradio.co.uk

Cross Counties Radio is for people who live and work in Lutterworth and Magna Park. It will be run by volunteers from the local community and will offer broadcast training opportunities.

Elastic FM (Elastic FM Limited), Chesterfield

Contact name: Roger Neale

Website: www.elasticfm.co.uk

Elastic FM will serve the people of Chesterfield. It will bring individuals, communities and organisations together, promoting social cohesion and community dialogue.

Radio Scarborough (Radio Scarborough Limited), Scarborough

Contact name: Richard Pearson

Website: www.radioscarborough.co.uk

Radio Scarborough is for the people of Scarborough. It has established relationships with local organisations and charities, and will work with volunteers from the local community.

West Kent Radio (West Kent Community Radio) Royal Tunbridge Wells

Contact name: Chris Manser

Website: http://www.wkcr.org.uk

West Kent Radio is for people aged 45+ in the Royal Tunbridge Wells area. It will promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of maintaining good personal, mental and physical health.

The licences are awarded for a five-year period. A statement setting out the main determining factors for the award of the licences above can be found on the Ofcom website.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. In addition to the licence awards detailed above, Ofcom considered two further applications, but decided not to award a licence to the following:

  • Radio Chesterfield (Chesterfield Community Radio Group Ltd), Chesterfield, Derbyshire
  • Severn Air Radio (Severn Media Ltd), North Somerset

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