Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Partners 2

3. SSDAB 3

4. Community benefit 4

5. Customer demand 5

6. Technical plan 9

7. Governance 11

8. Board of directors 12

9. Finance 13

10. Get involved 14

© Shefcast Digital Limited Company limited by guarantee no. 12923673. Registered in and Wales. Registered address: 15 Paternoster Row, S1 2BX Shefcast Digital

1. Introduction

Shefcast Digital is a consortium of local Rotherham SSDAB service and this is and community-led media organisations the subject of a public consultation from Sheffield and Rotherham. pending a decision on the licence award.

We have come together with an We have established Shefcast Digital as a ambitious plan to launch a new tier of locally-led and locally-owned not-for- local and community digital radio services. profit initiative which seeks to operate for community benefit the SSDAB service for Shefcast Digital brings together, in a new Sheffield and Rotherham and having the partnership, Sheffield Community Media object to promote civic journalism and Limited, a community benefit society community media. supporting community media in Sheffield, together with three established Shefcast Digital will seek to nurture and providers: Commedia support a range of high quality digital Sheffield which operates Sheffield Live! radio services in Sheffield and Rotherham community radio, Pakistan Muslim Centre which respond to the diversity of (Sheffield) which operates Sheffield’s Link interests, cultures and concerns of our FM and Redroad FM of South Rotherham. communities.

We have formed this initiative in response This is the prospectus of Shefcast Digital. to the opportunity to develop a new It sets out the background to our generation of digital community media partnership and the SSDAB opportunity. It and, in particular, to apply for the licence explains the rationale and the community to operate the Small-Scale Digital Audio benefit of the project. It presents our Broadcasting (SSDAB) service for Sheffield evaluation of customer demand and our and Rotherham. preliminary roster of new broadcast services. And it describes our approach to SSDAB represents a new tier of delivery including technical plans, broadcasting in the UK bringing more governance, key persons and finance. choice to digital radio listeners and providing a digital platform for local and This prospectus is supported by a detailed community radio services. business plan and financial forecasts for the pre-start period and the first three The first tranche of SSDAB licences have years of broadcast operations, including been advertised by , the income and expenditure, balance sheet communications regulator and include a projections and cash flow forecasts, licence to operate a service covering the accompanied by explanatory notes. localities of Sheffield and Rotherham. Shefcast Digital has submitted its We invite you to join us on a new application to operate the Sheffield and broadcasting adventure.

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2. Partners

Shefcast Digital brings together leading Commedia Sheffield , is a not-for-profit community media providers in Sheffield company limited by guarantee which and Rotherham in a joint initiative to holds the licence to operate Sheffield secure, under community ownership, the Live! 93.2FM community radio. rights to operate digital audio Commedia Sheffield commenced as a broadcasting infrastructure in Sheffield radio project for a community festival in and Rotherham. Each of the founding the year 2000 and was incorporated in partners already holds Broadcasting Act 2002. It secured substantial start-up licences with Ofcom, the communications funding to build one of the first regulator, to provide community media community media centres in the UK as services in the locality. part of public investment in neighbourhood access to ICTs. It launched Sheffield Community Media Limited is a the first in Sheffield and community benefit society established in was later awarded the licence to operate 2012 and which, through its operating the first full-time community radio service arm Sheffield Local Television Limited, in the city, on air since October 2007. holds the licence to operate the local Commedia Sheffield owns the Sheffield television channel for Sheffield, Sheffield Live! brand and website. Live! TV. Sheffield Community Media (SCM) is a community business set up to Pakistan Muslim Centre (Sheffield) engage people through community media Limited , is a charitable company limited and to establish the local TV channel for by guarantee which holds the licence to Sheffield. It formed Sheffield Local operate Link FM community radio. Link Television Limited, as a wholly owned FM was launched in 2016 providing a subsidiary, to apply for the local digital TV music and speech service with a focus licence advertised by Ofcom in 2012. It primarily on the Pakistani, South Asian was the only locally owned and not-for- and Arabic communities in Sheffield. The profit applicant and it was successful in Pakistan Muslim Centre is a community winning the licence to operate the service hub which hosts a range of projects and despite strong competition from two programmes promoting education, health commercial companies. and well-being, and catering for people of all ages. Following the licence award, SCM launched the first public community Redroad FM Limited , is a not-for-profit shares issue by a community media company limited by guarantee which project in the UK and raised a total of holds the licence to operate Redroad FM £100,000 from 116 community community radio based in Kiveton Park. shareholders matched by a further Redroad FM commenced in 2007 with a £100,000 in social investment loan stock. month long trial broadcast and launched The local TV channel was launched as as a full-time community radio service in Sheffield Live! TV in September 2014 and 2010. Redroad FM is a youth radio station has since achieved six years of for South Rotherham broadcasting local broadcasting success providing a 24/7 information, covering issues relating to platform for local news, community young people and playing a variety of information, creative expression and civic music reflective of young people’s engagement. interests and lifestyles.

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3. SSDAB

Since the 1980s, a new more spectrum media content providers looking to build a efficient technology for sound regional or national audience. broadcasting has been developed, known as Digital Audio Broadcasting, which in Under Ofcom’s planned rollout, 240 2020 overtook FM radio listening for the SSDAB mux operators are to be licensed first time but which has hitherto not been over a five year period, each with non- accessible to community broadcasters for overlapping coverage to provide near to reasons of cost and control by large universal access to SSDAB services across commercial radio groups. the UK. The regulatory framework encourages consortia based proposals That is now about to change. Following a and the inclusion of existing community trial scheme, the government passed the radio service providers. Each SSDAB mux Small-scale Radio Multiplex and must guarantee space for community Community Digital Radio Order 2019 and radio services and must demonstrate fair in April 2020, the communications competition for access to a range of regulator Ofcom set out its plans for the digital radio services. licensing and regulation of Small-scale Digital Audio Broadcasting (SSDAB). In 2018 SCM submitted to Ofcom an expression of interest in operating SSDAB SSDAB has become possible as a result of for Sheffield and Rotherham. With the the lapse of patents on the DAB legislation and regulatory framework now transmission standard and the in place Ofcom has published, in development of software defined radio September 2020, its first call for SSDAB transmitters that can be built on open licence applications with Sheffield and source platforms. Today an SSDAB Rotherham among the first 25 areas to be transmission system can be installed for licensed. around £15k, not much more than the cost of an FM system but capable of The legislative framework does not carrying not just one radio service but 20- require the SSDAB mux operator to be 25 different channels. not-for-profit or community owned entities and there are commercial Locations and communities that have not companies that will seek to acquire this been able to establish community radio in valuable broadcast asset. the past by reason of shortage of frequencies will now have the We are confident, however, that well opportunities to do so on the SSDAB designed community-led proposals will platform. Each SSDAB multiplex (“mux”), have a high chance of success provided managed as a community asset, has the they have sound technical plans, broad potential to generate surplus revenue to community support, involvement of reinvest in civic journalism and existing community radio services, a community media through the sale of viable business model and sufficient spare capacity to commercial and other funding in place.

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4. Community benefit

After over 20 years of lobbying by community radio across Europe has community media practitioners, activists shown its contribution to social cohesion, and academics, UK legislation was community development, intercultural introduced in 2004 to enable licensing of dialogue and inclusion. community radio services to broadcast as a distinct third sector alongside BBC radio Today there are over 300 licensed and private commercial radio. Community community radio services in the UK and radio licences are reserved for not-for- the sector has demonstrated remarkable profit bodies and licensees must resilience. FM spectrum however, on demonstrate a commitment to the which most community radio channels are delivery of “social gain”. licensed, has become increasingly scarce and in many areas there are no longer Within five years of the legislation there frequencies available. In addition, radio were nearly 200 community radio services listening on FM has declined as a licensed to broadcast and serving percentage of total listening hours with communities throughout the UK, an DAB overtaking FM as the leading increase from just 15 trial services in platform for consumers and DAB 2004. In its 2009 Annual Report, Ofcom becoming the radio standard in new cars. described community radio as “one of the great UK broadcasting success stories in In the face of FM spectrum scarcity and the last few years”. encouraged by the lower entry costs and fewer regulatory barriers new and Community radio stations are largely aspirant community broadcasters have volunteer run providing those involved turned to the internet. There are now as with opportunities for creative many internet-only community radio expression, personal development, skills services as there are community radio building, social contact, civic engagement services on FM, however internet and community-level recognition and audiences reflect only 12.5 per cent of achievement. radio listening compared to 41 per cent for DAB and 40 per cent FM. Community radio content has generally focused on interests and communities SSDAB offers an opportunity therefore to that have not been well served by substantially scale-up the impact of mainstream media including Black, Asian community media by adding existing and minority ethnic groups, people with licensed community radio services to the disability, LGBTQ+, disadvantaged young DAB platform, by enabling internet-only people, the elderly and others facing community radio channels to reach wider social isolation, specialist music and other audiences and by providing capacity for niche interests. Comparative studies of the development of many new services.

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5. Customer demand

Operation of a Small-Scale DAB multiplex increasing the range and diversity of is a business-to-business proposition with services in Sheffield and Rotherham; (c) a relatively straightforward business publishing in the trade press our intent to model. Capacity is available on the SSDAB apply for the SSDAB licence and inviting mux for the carriage of digital sound expressions of interest via a website set programme (DSP) services and up for this purpose – viewable online at community digital sound programme (C- https://www.shefcast.org ; (d) consulting DSP) services. with the operators of trial SSDAB services, including in Brighton, and The capacity per SSDAB mux is fixed at a Birmingham, for advice on rate card plans total of 864 capacity units (CU) which is and pricing, potential customers and equivalent to 24 DSP/C-DSP services each business models; and (e) reviewing using 36 CU (generally considered performance of the trial SSDAB services as sufficient for a high quality stereo music reported in evaluation by Ofcom. service using the DAB+ standard). If not all customers require 36 CU this will allow for As a result of these consultations we have more channels to be offered. designed a rate card and have obtained firm expressions of interest from The regulatory framework prescribes that customers sufficient to populate 80 per part of the capacity be reserved for C-DSP cent of capacity. We intend to retain services. C-DSP services must meet similar around 20 per cent capacity for a further not-for-profit and social gain criteria as open call in the event of obtaining the community radio services licensed on FM. licence and for the development and For the Sheffield and Rotherham SSDAB carriage of potential new DSP services licence there is a requirement to reserve that may be established by the partners 252 CUs for C-DSPs which would amount or as new joint ventures. to carriage of 7 C-DSPs each using 36 CU (or potentially more if a lower bitrate is As part of our consultations with potential used). customers we sought to ask how much they would each expect to pay per month In order to assess demand for the service for capacity. From this exercise and from we have undertaken extensive reports of the trial SSDAB services we consultation with regard to potential concluded that the upper price limit customers additional to the founder would be around £350/month but that partners. This has included (a) identifying pricing above £250/month would likely internet-only broadcasters in Sheffield lead to significant drop off in interest. C- and Rotherham and inviting their input to DSP services would expect to pay the planning and design of the service; (b) significantly less. opening dialogue with potential DSP customers from outside the locality, Having designed the rate card plans and based on those that have already taken pricing (Figure 1) we then returned to the space on more than one of the trial SSDAB potential customers to obtain their services and that would contribute to further feedback on the pricing proposed.

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Figure 1 – Rate card plans and pricing

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In the first phase of consultation with Considering the positive responses potential customers we have included a received and the commitments to generous 15 per cent “Pioneer Partner” participation as partners in the SSDAB discount on the rate card price for those licence application we are confident that DSP/C-DSP services that have been the rate card is sufficiently attractive to prepared to sign Heads of Agreement in enable the Shefcast Digital SSDAB mux to support of our SSDAB licence application. achieve at least 90 per cent take-up by DSP and C-DSP services from day one of These are a sample of some of the licensed transmission. comments and responses received in support of our approach to pricing and As our trading experience develops and management of mux capacity: the market evolves we anticipate adjusting future carriage prices by "After reviewing you first rate card, the embedding RPI+ increases and offering pricing looks very competitive and other discount offers while recognizing affordable for new station entrants. Based customers will expect predictable costs on these transmission prices we would be over the medium term. pleased to join your multiplex, should you be successful in the application." Provided Shefcast Digital is successful with its SSDAB licence application we "Looking at the rates they seem fair given would then launch a second phase of the size of the mux and potential consultation and call for expressions of audience. The discounted rate will interest from additional customers. This certainly be a boost to the smaller stations would again be incentivised with a such as ourselves and we’d agree to take discount and a limited window for receipt 32kbps provisionally." of requests. The call would be based on an open and fair selection process "As we stand we would use our current including social value criteria to further DSP licence and go for the gold package." diversify the mix of DSP/C-DSP services available to local audiences and to "We'd be delighted to be part of your contribute to community benefit. application" The following table (Figure 2) provides a "Please sign us up as discussed. would summary of customers that have signed suggest bi-annual payment option with Heads of Agreement to take capacity on same discount as annually." Shefcast Digital. In addition to those listed we have received firm expressions of "Thank you for your message and rate interest from a number of other service card, plus your designation of our channel providers and are therefore confident of as a pioneer station. I am happy for us to reaching our targets for sale of mux be included in your application." capacity.

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Figure 2 – Heads of Agreement in place

Name Category Description Forge Radio C-DSP Student radio from the University of Sheffield currently broadcasting as an internet radio Gumbo FM C-DSP Internet music radio collaboration of Sheffield DJ crews supporting local charities Link FM C-DSP Asian community radio service for Sheffield currently broadcasting on FM and internet Link Islam C-DSP New community radio service carrying special broadcasts for religious festivals Radio ADP C-DSP Music and talk radio for Sheffield with a focus on the African diaspora community Redroad FM C-DSP Youth and community radio for South Rotherham currently on FM and internet Rother Radio C-DSP Community radio for Rotherham currently broadcasting as an internet radio Sheffield Live! C-DSP Community radio service for Sheffield currently broadcasting on FM and internet Sheffield Live! Extra C-DSP New community radio service offering a pop -up platform for festivals and events Sine FM C-DSP Community radio from Doncaster currently broadcasting on FM and internet Mondo Radio C-DSP Sheffield -based internet radio showcasing underground bass music and electronica Angel Radio DSP Nostalgia radio channel for the over 60s broadcasting as a DSP on SSDAB Trials Cosoro Radio DSP Afrobeat channel from Manchester broadcasting as a DSP on SSDAB Trials Gaydio DSP LGBTQ+ channel from Manchester broadcasting as a DSP on SSDAB Trials Its Folk Radio DSP Folk music channel from Sheffield featuring leading musicians from the UK folk scene RB1 Radio DSP Local radio service for Rotherham currently broadcasting as an internet radio Radio Sangam DSP Asian radio channel from Huddersfield broadcasting as a DSP on SSDAB Trials Skylab Radio DSP Chillout music radio from Manchester broadcasting as a DSP on SSDAB Trials The Groove DSP Soul music radio with sounds from 70s, 80s and 90s currently on the internet only Venturadio DSP Business talk radio channel with a focus on ethical business and social enterprise VIBE Yorkshire DSP Dance music radio for Yorkshire currently broadcasting on the internet only

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6. Technical plan

Ofcom has defined each of the SSDAB Sheffield and the metropolitan borough of locations as a polygonal map showing the Rotherham within the constraints of the provisional boundaries of the proposed 40 per cent limit on population overlap coverage area. Coverage plans may with the existing local multiplex for South extend outside the polygon provided Yorkshire; and (c) major transport routes population coverage outside the through and connecting Sheffield and boundaries is no more than 30 per cent of Rotherham, taking account of in-vehicle the total population in the advertised listening and the growing number of DAB area. receivers in cars.

Sheffield has a total adult (15+) In designing the technical plan we have population of 485,259 whilst Rotherham also taken account of the fact that the has a total adult (15+) population of Ofcom technical plan for DAB provides for 216,790, giving a combined total the possibilities that difficult to reach population of 702,049 over a combined areas to the north west of Sheffield may geographical territory of 253 square be better served (from a technical point of miles. Regulatory constraints on SSDAB view) from the planned Barnsley SSDAB limit permissible coverage to 566,795 multiplex and, similarly, that settlements adults 15+ (40 per cent of the coverage to the north east of Rotherham may be area of the existing South Yorkshire DAB served from the Barnsley or Doncaster multiplex). Since radio waves don’t stop at SSDAB multiplexes. Our technical plan administrative boundaries no compliant does however include coverage in South technical plan is likely to achieve more Rotherham outside of the advertised than 75 per cent coverage of the Sheffield licence area but within the 30 per cent and Rotherham populations. limit. This includes settlements around Kiveton Park and Wales which is the The two localities are closely associated location of the long established Redroad having a shared industrial history of steel- FM community radio service, whose making and each being within the travel- location falls outside the footprint of any to-work area of the other and having other advertised SSDAB licence area. good transport links. The M1 motorway forms a rough boundary between the In responding to the opportunity to two. The administrative areas includes a design the SSDAB service for Sheffield and significant number of outlying rural Rotherham we have undertaken detailed settlements with over one third of planning including investigating several Sheffield being within the boundaries of potential transmission sites with a view to the Peak District National Park. The ensuring good coverage in the core urban geography is also topographically areas inside the Ofcom polygon plus the challenging with Sheffield famously built additional coverage into South on seven hills and Rotherham’s urban Rotherham. core lying in the steep-sided Rother Valley. Our approach takes into account that of the three already licenced FM community We have therefore defined the target radio services in Sheffield and Rotherham, coverage objective for the SSDAB service two are located in Sheffield and the third to consist of (a) the core urban areas of in Rotherham. In addition consultations Sheffield and Rotherham; (b) as much as with potential customers have indicated practicable of the local authority interest from new local and community administrative areas of the city of radio services with an editorial focus on

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Rotherham following the closure of local synchronisation which we have therefore radio service, Rother FM, as well as from included in our full technical specification. established internet radio projects in Sheffield seeking to extend audience. Figure 3 provides a coverage prediction map for indoor and outdoor reception Our technical plan is based on a two site showing the administrative boundaries for solution to achieve the above objectives Sheffield and Rotherham and the overlap with one site located in Crosspool to the with the Ofcom polygon. west of Sheffield city centre and the other located in Boston Park near to central Transmission planning support for Rotherham. Provisional agreements have Shefcast Digital has been provided by been reached on site access to install, in John Bibby, broadcast engineer and chief each case, power supply, connectivity, executive of Bitstream Broadcast Limited transmission equipment and a directional a specialist provider of transmission antenna optimised for coverage of the services for FM radio, DAB and digital two localities. television. Bitstream Broadcast is the preferred supplier for the transmission A two site technical solution would system and will provide custom technical require installation as a single frequency specification and management of network with additional equipment for technical compliance matters.

Figure 3 – Coverage prediction map

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7. Governance

Sheffield Community Media Limited Shefcast Digital Limited (SDL) has been (SCM), is a community benefit society established as a new company limited by formed in 2012 and registered with the guarantee under the majority control of Financial Conduct Authority. SCM is a Sheffield Community Media Limited membership organisation with each (SCM) and with the participation of the member having one vote regardless of three other community media shareholding. Membership is open to organisations which operate community persons who live, work or have interests radio services in Sheffield and Rotherham. in Sheffield. SCM rules are based on Co- SDL has been formed to apply for and operatives UK model rules for a charitable operate the DAB multiplex for Sheffield society for the benefit of the community. and Rotherham. SDL has also been These include an asset lock which established to operate for community prevents the distribution of assets among benefit and is asset locked to SCM. members or their transfer to any non- charitable body. SCM currently has 112 SDL is a joint venture in which each of the community shareholders who have licensed community radio services in invested sums from £100 to £25,000. Sheffield and Rotherham is a participant with the right to appoint a director to the SCM has a wholly owned subsidiary, SDL board for so long as they hold a Sheffield Local Television Limited, which licence to broadcast on the SDL platform. holds the licence to operate local digital The remaining board members appointed television in Sheffield and Rotherham and by SCM will be selected to ensure a range which operates as a trading arm of skills and experience relevant to the delivering social enterprise support and business including financial and technical other services. know-how.

Figure 4 – Organisational structure

Pakistan Muslim Commedia Centre (Sheffield) Sheffield Limited (nominates 1 (nominates 1 director) director)

Sheffield Redroad FM Community Limited Media Limited (nominates 1 (nominates up to Board of director) 4 directors) Shefcast Digital Limited

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8. Board of Directors

Steve Buckley (Chair) Association (SADACCA). Rob is a director Steve Buckley is a media policy expert and of Commedia Sheffield and is well known social entrepreneur who has played a to Sheffield Live! listeners as Sunday leading role in the UK and internationally afternoon roots music presenter DJ Skiii. in community media development. Steve has lived and worked in Sheffield for 30 Jaqui Devereux years. He is a founder and former chief Jaqui Devereux is a former chief executive executive of the UK Community Media of the Community Media Association, the Association and former President of the UK sector body for community media. She World Association of Community is a qualified accountant with more than Broadcasters. He is a founder and director 40 years’ experience in the charity and of both Sheffield Community Media and voluntary sector. She is also a long-serving Commedia Sheffield and is managing board member of Sheffield Women’s Aid. director of media and social enterprise support agency Community Media Trevor Grossett Solutions. He is also a board member of Trevor Grossett is founder, director and Comux UK which operates the UK’s local business development manager of television multiplex providing carriage for Redroad FM, the community radio service 34 local TV channels and 4 national video for South Rotherham. He has many years’ streams. experience in youth and community work in Sheffield and Rotherham, promoting Sangita Basudev youth engagement and education through Sangita Basudev has over 35 years’ music and media technology and practice. experience in community media as a manager, producer, trainer and lecturer, Matt Jarvis including work in community radio, video Matt Jarvis is an accomplished creative production and new media. Sangita is technologist who has collaborated with chief executive of both Sheffield Local leading institutions, artists and producers Television (SLTV) and Commedia Sheffield. on complex multi-platform and multi- Sangita has been responsible for the system projects. He brings a deep development and management of understanding of coding and technology Sheffield Live as a media, training and and has designed streaming, podcasting digital enterprise centre, creating a multi- and other digital media solutions for lingual community media platform that Sheffield Live! radio and TV. celebrates the diversity of the local community. She is also a director of Hafeas Rehman Sheffield Community Media. Hafeas Rehman is a director and trustee of Pakistan Muslim Centre (Sheffield) and Rob Cotterell a founder of Link FM community radio. He Rob Cotterell has 35 years’ experience in is a Sheffield business leader with many community development and the public years’ service in the taxi trade including as sector including in youth work, education chair of Sheffield Taxi Trade Association. and in senior positions in the probation He is also a respected community service. He is currently chair of Sheffield organiser in Sheffield’s charity and and District African Caribbean Community voluntary sector.

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9. Finance

Capital costs the establishment of Sheffield Local The costs of the project consist of Television, for which SCM raised an initial the costs of purchase and installation of £200,000 investment and has contributed the transmission system for two sites and a further £300,000 investment over the the multiplex system at the network course of the first five years trading. The operations centre. The network financial requirements for Shefcast Digital operations centre will be co-located with are not anticipated to be at that scale. Sheffield Live! TV and radio. In addition SCM will provide initial investment of the project will require working capital for £80,000 capital and an additional £20,000 the start-up phase. support through its operating subsidiary Sheffield Local Television Limited in the Operating costs form of staff time and overheads for the The operating costs are largely fixed and first two years. consist of transmission site rentals, transmitter maintenance, network Financial projections connectivity, software licences, marketing Detailed financial projections have been costs, Ofcom licences, financing costs, prepared for the pre-start period and the salaries and overheads. Provision has first three years of operations including been included within marketing for income and expenditure and balance payments to the community radio sheet forecasts and three years of partners for advertising on their FM radio monthly cash flow forecasts. The financial services to promote Shefcast Digital and projections indicate that the business to raise audience awareness of DAB. This should be profitable from year one and by is designed in part to compensate their year three will have generated a surplus additional costs of participation in the of just over £50,000 provided the revenue DAB platform and to ensure they are able targets are met. to maintain FM operations. Application of surplus Funding requirement Shefcast Digital is a not-for-profit The total planned funding requirement organisation. Any surplus arising from for the project is £100,000 of which trading operations will be retained to the £80,000 is for capital items and £20,000 is extent that this is required to assure to support start-up and early year sufficient working capital and to replace operating costs and for working capital to the repayable finance. Any additional ensure a healthy cash flow position. surplus will be applied to projects of community benefit and in particular to Investment model support civic journalism and community Sheffield Community Media Limited media content. A medium term goal is to (SCM) will provide the investment vehicle contribute to the costs of a community for the project and will raise funds from radio news service that would offer free community shares, community bonds and local news content for carriage by local social investment loans. The investment and community radio partners in the model has been successfully tested with project.

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10. Get involved

Comment We welcome your comments and your Letters in support of the Shefcast Digital feedback on our proposals and plans. Do licence application can be sent to: you support our general approach as a [email protected] locally-led social enterprise? Tell us what you think of our preliminary roster of Please also send a copy to: services. What would you like to hear [email protected] more of on digital radio in Sheffield and Rotherham? Do you have ideas for new Volunteer radio channels that would improve the Would you like to get more involved in range of services for Sheffield and community radio as a volunteer? Our Rotherham listeners? Do you have a community radio partners provide favourite internet radio that you would volunteering opportunities to contribute like to be available on DAB? Do you agree as producers, presenters, reporters and with our technical planning priorities? back office. You can contact them directly or via the links on our website at Write to us at [email protected] or https://www.shefcast.org/about or you register your comments online at can write to us at [email protected] and https://www.shefcast.org/comments we’ll put you in touch.

Support Invest If you support our initiative please help us Sheffield Community Media Limited is a by writing in support to Ofcom, the community benefit society which is raising communications regulator. The award of funds to support Shefcast Digital and the SSDAB licence for Sheffield and other community media projects through Rotherham is a competitive process in the issue of community shares and which Shefcast Digital is up against two community bonds. These are a form of private commercial applicants. The public social investment with a limited rate of sections of all three SSDAB licence return. applications for Sheffield and Rotherham are available on the Ofcom website and Community shareholders can invest from Ofcom is inviting the public to submit £100 up to £50,000 to support community comments by 31 January 2021. media development in Sheffield and Rotherham. Community shareholders are To view all licence applications visit: members of Sheffield Community Media https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your- Limited each having one vote regardless licence/radio-broadcast-licensing/small- of shareholding. To find out more write scale-DAB-licensing/small-scale-multiplex- to: [email protected] or visit applications http://www.sheffieldlive.org/scm

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