Its official. The two applications for the Community license for Swindon are Community Radio Swindon and Swindon FM.
Swindon FM (The station I used to work for) is now known as Swindon FM Community Radio.
It's going to be exiting to find out who wins!
The orignal Swindon FM has had a number of sucsessfull Trial broadcasts. They launced a service on DAB digital Radio For Swindon (Which i was on). Last year they went for an FM commercial Licence, but last september it was announced that Brunel FM had won the licence.
During my time at Swindon FM i met up with 3 people, Greg, Ian and Rich. Ian had told me that he was thinking about launching a community radio project and we helped him get the ball rolling. He got in touch with some of our contacts and it all took shape. We started broadcasting our Trial in september 2005 and discovered that Swindon fm didnt get the licence during our trial.
This morning i had an email from ofcom saying that they had recived both licence application forms for a community Radio Licence.
Good luck to them both (Especially the one i'm with)
4 comments:
you know whats funny though (apart from the spelling mistakes and missing punctuation and '.' in domain names in the CRS application) there is no real mention or plans to include a lot of comunnities in their programmes, although I know the Swindon FM team does plan do include and has contacts within the many of the missed out parts of the community.
(Does that make sense? - it's been a very long and busy day cleaning, painting and cabling a building)
i don't see whats wrong with any of them. Just that crs is more thought out and seams more stable than the other one.
note for mr robinson
you sould put something abot this on you website and make otions for people to vote on this subject.
I Cannot find any spelling mistakes on the application.
The application form does include who they would like to involve in the project and Lots, and lots of information inside it and seems to have more people wanting to be involved.
Although as you say "No real Mention" of communities in their programming, reading the whole application gives you the idea as that the door is open to everybody, and also mentions organisations involved within communities. This may be clearer in the Swindon FM Community Radio application as they discribe this in more detail. I'm sure ofcom will read both and consider all that is on the applications.
What i find rather amusing is how both stations discribed the two near by commercial stations. The most honest discription of the local stations are in the CRS application. I have heard GWR blasting out for many years on the FM radio, Mostly at work. Both stations lack locality and a connection with the community. Seem to be aimed at audiences between 10-35, and mums. GWR is just Music, Music, Music, which leaves little space for connecting with their audience. I have spoken plenty of people older than this and would rather stick it on radio 2 or local BBC as it is informitave and can connect with their audience.
Brunel FM is clearly aimed at age groups between 35-50, Theres no banging dance, no rap and it seems to play mostly 80's & 90's with bits of 60's,70's and now. From a younger persons point of view, they see it as a boreing station that plays depressing music or nothing fun. Again, they don't seem to have a connection with their listeners, they just want to back announce their songs, Tell you about a bake sale happening next week, who's on tomorrow at 6 and play more music.
The Days of propper radio have been thrown out of the window... Why? Why not talk a bit more and connect with the audience? why is it Music Music Music? you used to be able to have fun, be hooked on listening, and the new people who do a bit more than "That was, This is" find it harder, because all the stations want "Thit was, This is". All radio is abotu now is play a song and when you've had enough of the music turn it off and go and watch TV.
I want a radio station that brings the fun, the connectivity and originality back into their listeners, and their community, Aimed at everybody and not music for old fogies.
Yep, makes sence but you do see that CRS have worded it that they would intend on members from all communities to be involved. I think they spell checkd it first! I havnt seen anything misspelt on the form. A fair few people have read it before it was sent (Including a professional in that sort of thing).
I've listened to both local stations, honestly in my opinion they could both do better. They are doing the same thing but adapting it for their audience. If it works then why change it?
They are both part of big companys, give it time and most of the evening programs on brunel will probably be networked like on GWR. Looking at the swindon FM application, Brunel play from the 60's, I Don't know many 20 year olds that listen to brunel or have even heard of it!! (My dad's not even heard of brunel FM)
Westlea is not on the outskirts of swindon, However it is West Swindon which is a bit like a different town. Swindon's housing and business have expanding to that area over the last 20 years. None of the stations seem to be focused on the town area it's self, and would be great to have a station with a studio in town, or in one of the lesser known or unexpected areas. More people are now aware of the walcot and parks area which has benifited in result of the RSL (Others just now know where it is and try and avoid it).
I did notice Swindon FM used the feedback from it's RSL's it had, so MP Michal Wills is mentioned on Both forms. And the Good old Pie Charts, I have the Swindon FM style book hanging around somewhere (Its grafitied by other people, but its still readable) and the charts there, and the ones that were placed around the studio.
That is a good suggestion about a public poll, on who people think will get it, and who they want.
Think i should wrap up the glunk poll b4 i get first place.
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