West Kent Community Radio, the Studios, 23A Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2AH
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
West Kent Radio application 1 Station Name Guidance Notes What is the proposed station name? This is the name you expect to use to identify the station on air. WEST KENT RADIO 2. Community to be served Guidance Notes Define the community or communities you are proposing It is a legislative requirement that a service is intended to serve. Drawing from various sources of data (e.g. from primarily to serve one or more communities (whether or the Office of Population, Census and Survey) and in relation not it also serves other members of the public) and we need to your proposed coverage area, please determine the size to understand who comprises that community or of the population concerned and the make-up of the communities. The target community will also be specified in population as a whole, along with any relevant socio- the licence, if this application is successful. economic information that would support your application. The legislation defines a ‘community’ as: people who live or (Please tell us the sources of the information you provide.) work or undergo education or training in a particular area Answer in fewer than 300 words: or locality, or people who have one or more interests or characteristics in common. West Kent Radio will target the 45+ age group within the transmitter range in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Southborough and immediately surrounding villages, providing entertainment and information, promoting the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining good personal health. The UK Census 2011 for Kent [1] showed the total population in the transmission area as 112,324, of which 48,414 (43%) were in the 45+ group. The ONS Population forecasts 2016 [2] for the transmission area indicate a population increase to 116,524 in 2018, with 54,670 (47%) in the 45+ group, and this trend is predicted to continue with the 45+ group population increasing to 67,161 or approximately 53% of the transmission area population by 2040. Census Year 2011 2018 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Transmission area 112,324 116,524 117,859 120,886 123,133 125,496 127,765 pop. 45+ group 48,414 54,670 56,036 58,844 61,739 64,719 67,161 Percentage 43% 47% 48% 49% 50% 52% 53% The 2011 Census showed that approximately 34,300 people (14.6%) of people of all ages living in the Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Southborough areas had a long-term health problem or disability that limited their day-to-day activity to some degree. POPPI (Projecting Older People Population Information System) figures [3] for these areas (see table below) predict that the 65+ LLTI numbers will increase from 19,900 people in 2018 to 30,192 by 2035 – an increase of over 10,000 people (51.7%) in 17 years. Increase % from Increase Year 2018 2020 2025 2030 2035 2018 from 2018 Day-to-day activities 11,300 11,818 13,420 15,017 16,617 5,287 46.7% limited a little Day-to-day activities 8,570 8,993 10,429 11,861 13,575 5,005 58.4% limited a lot Total 19,900 20,811 23,849 26,878 30,192 10,292 51.7% Percentage of population 8.1% 8.3% 9.3% 10.2% 11.2% References: 1 West Kent Radio application [1] http://www.ukcensusdata.com/kent-e10000016#sthash.oc4h4Dnm.BIRZ15Ia.dpbs [2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationpr ojections/datasets/localauthoritiesinenglandtable2 [3] http://www.poppi.org.uk/ 3. Proposed area Guidance Notes What is the area you propose to serve? Although we believe it is helpful to set guidance that frequency availability may often limit transmission powers to around 25 watts and the coverage radius to around 5km, we are adopting a more flexible approach and will consider applications for wider areas where applicants can demonstrate that the proposed coverage area will better serve the target community, and where it is technically possible. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/1 01459/community-radio-future-licensing-technical-policy- statement.pdf The towns of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Southborough, Langton Green, Speldhurst and related neighbourhoods and villages all of which are within a 6km radius of the transmission site and within the catchment area of the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury and the Tonbridge Cottage hospital. Programmes and programme output: Definitions: Studio location: The studio from which the service will be broadcast should be located within the licensed area. Locally-produced: Locally-produced output is output made and broadcast from within the service’s licensed coverage area. (It is anticipated that most stations will produce the bulk of their output themselves, in the locality. However, for some target communities it may be appropriate for fairly high levels of output to originate from outside the licensed area.) Live output: is that which is produced by a presenter in the studio at the time of broadcast. (The amount of live output may vary between different services depending on the needs or expectations of the target community.) Original output: output that is first produced for and transmitted by the service, and excludes output that was transmitted elsewhere before. Original output can be live or voice-tracked. Repeat broadcasts of original output do not count towards the minimum requirement. Peak time: it may be helpful to state what material will be broadcast in ‘peak time’. If you do, please say what you consider peak time to be for your target community (this may vary from station to station). Automated output/voice-tracked material: most stations will carry automated output at some time. The amount of automated or voice-tracked material does not need to be specified in the Key Commitments. Sustaining service/third party produced material: if you intend to broadcast material produced by a different organisation please state what it is and how much (per day or week as appropriate). 4. Programming output Guidance Notes Please fill-in all three questions below The law requires applicants to state their proposals for Question A asks you to describe your programme service. providing a service that would: 2 West Kent Radio application Question B relates to how your output will serve the tastes (i) cater for the tastes and interests of members of its and interests of your target community. target community or communities (or for any particular Question C is about how your service will broaden the tastes and interests in those communities); range of local (non-BBC) services available in your area. (ii) broaden the range of programmes available on non- Later in this form you will be asked to draft your own ‘key BBC local services (commercial and community commitments’. This will form the basis of your licence and stations) to members of the relevant community or is what Ofcom will judge you against. It should include a communities; summary of your proposed programme output as set out (iii) broaden the overall range of such non-BBC local below and reflect your commitment to cater for relevant services provided in the area concerned; and tastes and interests, to broaden the range of relevant (iv) have a distinct nature, or provide distinct content, from programmes and services and to provide a service with a any non-BBC local services with which it would overlap. distinct nature and content as set out in the Guidance Ofcom is required to consider the extent to which an Notes in the column opposite. applicant’s proposals will cater for the tastes and interests of members of its target community or communities. Ofcom is also required to consider the extent to which proposals for a community radio station would broaden the range of programmes available by way of non-BBC local services (both commercial and community stations) in the area concerned (especially, the extent to which a proposed service would have a distinct nature or provide distinct content from any overlapping non-BBC local services). The information given here should be more detailed than what you set out in your draft key commitments (later in this form), and will help us gain a fuller understanding of how you will serve your target community and what the station will sound like. 4. Programming output A: Please tell us about your programme service. The following questions may help you describe your programme service (but should only be used as a guide): • What will the service sound like? • What music will you play? • What are the main speech elements of the service and how will the social gain/community benefits you propose be reflected on-air? • What is the likely music to speech ratio? • Will this vary at different times of the day or week (or year)? • Do you intend to broadcast live output? If so when and how much do you propose to do? • Will you broadcast in languages other than English (what languages and how much)? • Will your output be original i.e. specifically produced for your service? • Will it be locally produced? • Do you intend to repeat material? Answer in fewer than 1,000 words: • West Kent Radio Our community radio service will grow out of the current Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells station, which has been on-air since 1961. The current hospital radio service will be developed and enhanced with the addition of new elements such as local traffic, travel and weather reports aimed at a wider audience and no longer limited to those in hospital. Our existing hospital request programmes will continue, with the added advantage that friends and relatives at home will be able to call in with requests and dedications and to hear the programme on FM.