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- Radio Broadcast Update December 2009
Radio Broadcast Update December 2009
Published 12|01|10
Commercial Radio
Licences issued in this period
| Licence Type | Licensee | Service Name/description |
|---|---|---|
| Local digital sound programme service (DSP) |
Now Digital Ltd |
Lapland Radio - A Christmas-themed temporary service playing sounds from Santa's grotto (removed early Jan 2010) DABinfo - A barker channel known as DAB Info. The service will provide information about the DAB platform across the UK. |
| National digital sound programme service (DSP) | DX Media Ltd | NME Radio - A presenter-led music intensive service incorporating cutting-edge sub-genres of rock and dance music with an emphasis on emerging talent, live music and UK festivals. Speech content will cover general artist information, what's-on features, reviews, interviews and music related news. |
| Radio Licensable Content Service Licence (RLCS) | Mega Scoop Circle Ltd | Tamil Live Channel (TLC) entertainment - cultural and news programmes catering to the Diaspora Tamils in the UK and other EU countries. Programmes will mostly comprise Tamil film music and cultural programmes from India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. There will be a news broadcast in the morning, afternoon and evening. The service will be primarily delivered in Tamil, however programmes aimed at children and youths will be in English, French and German languages. The service will be live between 6am and 10pm and re-broadcasted through the night. |
Services which have ceased to be licensed (handed back or revoked) in this period
The following services are no longer licensed. The relevant licence is either:
- No longer required by the licensee so has been handed back, or;
- In the case of a licence covering multiple services, has been amended to remove the requirement to provide the specific service; or
- Revoked for breach of a licence condition
| Service Name | Licensee | Location | Type of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Kind of Music | Clarence Edwin Blackwell | Various local DAB multiplexes in South and South West England. | Local DSP* |
| Ranin | World Space UK Ltd | Satellite | RLCS** |
| MinZaman | |||
| UPop | |||
| Top 40 on 40 | |||
| Starpoint | Starpoint Broadcasting Ltd | Satellite | RLCS |
| Laser Radio | Andrew Yeates | Satellite | RLCS |
| Focal Radio | Focal Radio Ltd | Stoke (DAB) | Local DSP |
*Digital Sound Programme service
**Radio Licensable Content Service
Licence re-advertisments
Declarations of intent
Ofcom has today invited declarations of intent to apply for the following FM local commercial radio licences. Please click on the 'area' in the first column for further detail on the pre-advertisement:
| Area/current Licensee | Current expiry | Proposed expiry date following re-award | Closing date for declarations of intent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loughborough/Oak FM Ltd | 13 February 2011 | 13 February 2016 | 3pm Fri 29 Jan 2010 |
| Bolton and Bury/Tower FM Ltd | 19 March 2011 | 19 March 2016 | 3pm Fri 29 Jan 2010 |
Invitiations to apply under fast-track
Ofcom has received one declaration for the following licence from the current licensee. We are therefore inviting the incumbent licensee to re-apply for the licence under the 'fast track' procedure as set out in Ofcom's guidelines:
| Area | Current Licensee |
|---|---|
| Mansfield |
Mansfield & Ashfield Broadcasting Co Ltd (broadcasting as Mansfield 103.2) |
Re-awards
Ofcom has today announced that it has re-awarded the following local FM commercial radio licences to the current licensees. The licences have been re-awarded under Ofcom's 'fast-track' process, as set out in published guidelines, and will be for a period from their current expiry dates to 31 December 2015:
| Area | Current Licensee |
|---|---|
| Arbroath | Radio North Angus Ltd |
| Rutland | Rutland Radio Ltd |
| Caernarfon | Marcher Radio Group Ltd (broadcasting as Heart 103) |
Licence extensions and renewals granted in this period
Four-year extensions have been granted to the following:
| Licensee/Service | New expiry date |
|---|---|
| Capital Gold Birmingham Ltd/Gold Birmingham | 17 February 2015 |
| Birmingham Broadcasting Ltd/ BRMB | 17 February 2015 |
| Smooth Radio Midlands Ltd/Smooth Radio | 10 February 2015 |
| Swansea Sound Ltd/Swansea Sound | 29 September 2015 |
| Swansea Sound Ltd/The Wave | 29 September 2015 |
Analogue station Format Changes
Each station has as part of its licence a 'Format', which outlines the essential nature of the service and details any specific expectations of that service.
Any changes to a Format can only be made by following the correct procedure and with the appropriate permission from Ofcom.
North Norfolk
Published 12|01|10
DAB station Format Changes
The following multiplex Format changes were agreed in this period:
| Change | Multiplex |
|---|---|
| Replacement of UCB UK with UCB Inspirational | London II and Stoke |
| Replacement of UCB UK with UCB Gospel | North East, North West, West Midlands, Yorkshire, South Wales and Severn Estuary |
| Addition of Lapland Radio | Wolverhampton, Coventry, Cardiff and Newport, Bristol and Bath, Southend and Chelmsford, Ayr, Bournemouth, Exeter and Torbay, Peterborough, Swindon and West Wilts, South Hampshire, Leicester, Norwich, Sussex Coast, Kent, Nottingham, Reading and Basingstoke, Cambridge, Plymouth. |
| Addition of DABinfo (to replace Lapland Radio when it comes off in January 2010) | As above |
| Addition of UCB Gospel | London II |
| Addition of NME Radio | National multiplex |
Change of Control Reviews
Whenever a local radio licence undergoes a 'change of control' (for example, when it is sold), Ofcom is required under section 355 of the Communications Act 2003 to undertake a review of its programme output.
Specifically, Ofcom must review the likely effect of the change of control on:
- the quality and range of programmes included in the service;
- the character of the service; and,
- the extent to which local material and locally-made programmes are included in the service.
When the review has been completed, Ofcom may amend the content requirements of the licence.
There were no Change of Control Reviews in this period.
Community Radio
Licences issued in this period
| Service Name | Licensee | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Dunoon Community Radio | Dunoon Radio Ltd | Dunoon, Argyll |
| Corby Radio | Corby FM Limited | Corby, Northamptonshire |
| Speysound Radio | Speysound Radio Limited | Badenoch & Strathspey, Inverness-shire |
| TMCR FM | TMCRFM Limited | Thorne & Moorends, Doncaster |
| Flame CCR | Wirral Christian Media Limited | Irby, Wirral |
Licences awarded in this period and reasons for the awards
Ofcom has published the reasons for the award of one community radio licence in the southeast of England:
| Service Name | Area |
|---|---|
| OX4 FM | The OX4 postcode area in the south-east of Oxford |
Services which have ceased to be licensed (handed back or revoked) in this period
The following services are no longer licensed:
| Service Name | Licensee | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe FM | Vibe FM Community Radio Ltd | Enniskillen, Northern Ireland |
| Radio Umma | Radio Umma Limited | Redbridge, London |
| Forest of Dean Community Radio | Forest Community Media | Forest of Dean |