Ofcom Awards First Community Radio Licence

Media regulator, Ofcom, has announced the award of the first community licence to the Forest of Dean Community Radio, giving them a five-year AM licence with which to serve the needs of their local area.

Community radio is a new sector of radio being introduced in the UK, representing the third tier of radio complementing the mix of services already provided by the BBC and commercial radio sectors.

The new medium covers a small geographical area and is provided on a not-for-profit basis, focusing on the delivery of specific social benefits to enrich a particular geographical community or interest group.

The Forest of Dean currently operates one of the pilot community radio services, which began broadcasting in July 2002 in the Gloucestershire area.

Applicants for the first wave of community radio licences were invited in September 2004, with Ofcom receiving a staggering amount of responses to its proposals. Over 190 applications made by groups wanting to operate small-scale broadcasting services (see Ofcom Inundated With Community Radio Requests).

However, the new licences’ creation has sparked fury amongst some quarters, with several commercial broadcasters and industry bodies claiming that the new advertiser-funded stations could cannibalise revenues of small commercial operations, potentially distorting the local advertising landscape (see Ofcom Inundated With Community Radio Requests).

Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk

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