Kent Messenger Scoops Ashford FM Licence

Ofcom has announced the award of the new FM local radio licence for Ashford, in Kent, selecting Kent Messenger’s Lark FM, broadcasting as KM-FM Ashford, from the six applications it received.

Lark FM is owned by Kent Messenger, Barretts and Hobbs Parker Partnership, with the balance of the shares held by 10 individuals. The new station will provide Ashford Borough with a full service of music and speech for adults of all ages in the area, playing a wide variety of contemporary and classic tracks accompanied by “locally-focused news, comprehensive local and practical information and other speech features relevant to listeners in the Ashford area”.

The new service will cover Ashford and the immediately surrounding area, with a potential adult audience of around 60,000. However, the exact coverage will be determined by the location of the station’s transmission site and other technical characteristics.

The stations’ proposed frequency of 107.6 MHz is also subject to international agreement on radio spectrum usage. Ofcom expects KM-FM Ashford to begin broadcasting at the earliest opportunity, no later than two years from today. The licence is issued for a twelve year period.

Kent Messenger Group: 01622 717 880 www.kentonline.co.uk Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk

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