Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator, has handed out temporary licenses to ten applicants for the agency’s experiment with “small scale DAB.” These winners will receive licenses to a “digital multiplex” area—”discrete chunks of the airwaves,” to use Ofcom’s language, allowing them to stream a more affordable version of “digital audio broadcast” (DAB) technology. The […]
Tag Archives | Ofcom
UK to Lancashire community radio station: stay with LGBT format
An interesting response from United Kingdom broadcast regulator to Chorley.fm of Lancashire’s petition to modify its LGBT oriented format. Ofcom has turned the request down. Chorley had asked that it be allowed to change its “communities to be served” description from “The young people (15-25 years of age) and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender […]
UK runs YouTube draw for short term radio licenses for Ramadan
Ramadan is coming, and various broadcasters in the United Kingdom want short term radio licenses for the month of fasting, which begins on Wednesday June 17 and ends on Friday July 17. So how is the UK’s telecom regulator allocating them? As the YouTube video below indicates, Ofcom got itself a bunch of lottery-style balls […]
Dozens of UK community radio stations apply for digital experiment
The news from Norway is that the country plans to dump FM and go all digital by 2017. The United Kingdom isn’t quite ready to do the same, but over fifty radio outlets have responded to the UK’s invitation to apply for a digital experiment for smaller broadcasters. Ofcom, Britain’s broadcast regulator, has announced trials to […]
UK to community radio: sign up for a digital experiment
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator has announced trials to help smaller, community based radio stations access the UK’s digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system. According to Ofcom, nearly half of adults in the UK (48.9 percent) say they own a DAB radio set. But getting access to a DAB “digital multiplex” service area is expensive; most […]
UK LGBT community radio station seeks mission overhaul
LGBT listener oriented Chorley.fm of Lancashire county is having a bit of an identity crisis. The community radio station, located in the market town of Chorley in the United Kingdom’s northwest, says it still wants to serve young and LGBT listeners, but within the context of service to a broader audience. In the UK, radio […]
Despite the Internet, the UK will still regulate radio formats
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator Ofcom is running a consultation about the state of analog radio formats in that country. In the UK radio licensees must file a “character of service” description that defines the kind of content they promise to provide. This includes the music associated with the station. These formats can be described […]
Belfast’s Blast 106 proposes more music, more variety for students
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator Ofcom has opened a consultation for community radio station Blast 106 of Belfast, which wants to change some of its “key commitments.” These boil down to the signal’s basic audience objectives and character. The volunteer run music oriented operation is presently tasked to serve “the student and youth community” of […]
Lincolnshire, UK gets festival oriented community radio station
Ofcom has been busy of late, giving permanent community radio licenses to three United Kingdom media operations. One goes to Endeavor Radio of the Boston/Lincolnshire area. Endeavor started out with a temporary license in 2006 (its name was Stump Radio back in those days). Then it toggled between Internet broadcasting alone and Internet/FM service, covering […]
East and West Midlands, UK: community radio signals available
The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator, Ofcom, just put out an invitation to apply for community radio licenses in West and East Midlands. These are official regions situated (as you might guess) right in the middle of England. What caught my eye, however, is this codicil in the announcement; “Applicants should note that there are currently […]