Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 1 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
COMMUNITY RADIO APPLICATION ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
Application number:
CA059/2006
Location:
Barnsley
Target community:
Our target audience is people of al ages located in and
around the town of Barnsley and within the administrative
area of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. We
particularly aim to serve people who face various forms of
social and economic deprivation.
This document is intended to provide a fair and accurate summary of the ful community radio licence
application form submitted to Ofcom, to assist the RLC in deciding whether, and to whom, to grant a
community radio licence. The RLC should consider whether it would prefer to have the ful application
form (or part thereof) before it prior to taking a decision in respect of any application.
Applicant's opening statement
Radio Barnsley is a community-based organisation and social enterprise that is
proposing to establish the first ful -time community radio service for Barnsley.
Radio Barnsley has been established by Barnsley YMCA, which has promoted
sound recording and broadcast initiatives in Barnsley for over 50 years. Radio
Barnsley aims to provide a voice for the local community and to serve al of
Barnsley’s communities and neighbourhoods particularly those - from disaffected
young people to the elderly and housebound - who are not wel catered for by the
mainstream media. Radio Barnsley’s programming builds on a strong track
record. We have operated 15 successful 28 day RSL broadcasts, from 1995 to
2006, gaining a large audience, demonstrating local support, gathering extensive
feedback from listeners and volunteers, and working closely with community
groups and local information providers. We have developed music and speech
programming designed to appeal to al age groups and to serve specialist
interests. Our programme output is supported by training activities that cater to a
diverse volunteer base and encourage participation and skil s development for
people from the local community.
Assessor's summary of assessment
[Redacted s36]
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 2 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
Note: Quotes from the application are in
Italics. Assessor's comments on proposals are given in
square brackets.
Selection criteria
Score
Broadcasting Act 1990 Section 105(1)(a) to (g)
(0-10)
(a) "The ability of each of the applicants for the licence to maintain, through the
period for which the licence would be in force, the service which he proposes to
[s36]
provide."
Background, management and staffing of the proposed service:
Radio Barnsley Ltd is a company limited by guarantee; Barnsley Young Men’s
Christian Association is the sole voting member of the company. The application
states that it
“has powers to appoint and to remove the Directors of Radio Barnsley,
however it wil not be involved in day to day operations or editorial decision-making.”
The Board of Directors of Radio Barnsley Ltd wil have four Directors elected by the
Board of Barnsley YMCA. Three have been elected and the fourth position is
currently vacant. In addition the Board of Directors of Radio Barnsley Ltd may
nominate up to three further Directors from the community and/or the Radio Barnsley
membership. One such person has been appointed and two more wil be invited to
join at a later date.
Three of the four current named directors hold senior posts within Barnsley YMCA,
including David Richardson who has been with the radio station since 1968 and is
credited as
“the driving force behind its accredited training course…”. The fourth
director, Janet Townsend, is the Chief Executive of Priory Campus,
“a major centre
and community company in Barnsley dedicated to providing community, education
and enterprise support.”
The group suggests it is
“possibly the oldest community radio project in the UK. It
started in 1958 as a tape recording club.” It has conducted regular RSLs since 1995,
and suggests that
“the build up of audience and local interest helped to persuade the
Radio Authority to put Barnsley on its working list for smal scale licences, however,
as a Charity, the YMCA was unable to apply for a commercial radio licence. At this
time some members left to form their own commercial company.”
The 15 RSL broadcasts have al owed it to create training courses and gain
experience of fundraising, as wel as develop a strong volunteer base and range of
community links. The group proposes three staff for the ful -time service – station
manager, administrator and part-time technical assistant.
Financial information:
The group already holds £38k of assets: including £3k in cash and £23k in studio and
OB equipment. Proposed pre-launch expenditure is generous at £145k; this includes
2 FM transmitters and processors (presumably for redundancy) and ISDNs for studio
to transmitter links, despite elsewhere noting that the transmitter site has line-of-sight
to the studios which would suggest the use of a microwave link or similar. A further
£7.5k in OB equipment and £9k on office equipment again appears comparatively
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 3 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
generous. Pre-launch expenditure totals £145k.
The group has no secured funding in place, but expects £85k from the European
Regional Development Fund, £30k from the South Yorkshire Key Fund and £20k
from the Big Lottery; with other unspecified grants, this matches expenditure at
£145k. While this is an ambitious amount, the group has experience in this area,
noting that
“Radio Barnsley has received financial support from, among others,
Barnsley MBC, South Yorkshire Key Fund, Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Big
Lottery, European Social Fund, Rotherham Col ege for which evidence can be
provided.”
First year operational expenditure appears realistic, at £104k; the majority of this is
£63k on the three staff, and £12k on establishment and overheads (detailed as post,
stationery and printing, insurance and software). Appropriate provision has been
made for programming and sales costs.
Again, no funding has been secured, but grants would be sought from Big Lottery
(£40k), European Regional Development Fund (£20k), and Ofcom’s Community
Radio Fund (£20k). 20% of income would come from sale of advertising and
sponsorship; for example, the group expects to sel 48 advertising contracts in the
first year at £250 each. It notes that
“we consider the figures for commercial revenue
are pessimistic and wil seek to increase contribution from these sources.” Elsewhere
in its application, it notes that from its business survey, ten businesses stated that
they
“wil support Radio Barnsley in either Advertising or Sponsorship”. Total income
amounts to £125k.
Transmission and coverage issues:
The proposed transmission site is The Kingstone School. This has been used for
previous RSL broadcasts and an agreement is in place for use of the site.
[Redacted s36] The group does note that
“The terrain is such that we don’t expect to
achieve 100 per cent of the urban area population and we predict an adult (16+)
population coverage of around 60,000 people, primarily located in the fol owing
wards: Central, Monk Bretton, Kingston and Old Town. Transmission surveys also
indicate coverage should reach parts of Worsborough, Rockingham, Darton West,
Darton East, Dodworth, Royston, Cudworth, Stairfoot and Wombwel .”
(b) "The extent to which any such proposed service would cater for the tastes
and interests of persons comprising the relevant community, and, where it is
proposed to cater for any particular tastes and interests of such persons, the
[s36]
extent to which the service would cater for those tastes and interests."
Programme proposals appear broadly “ful service” by day, with
“mainly magazine
type programmes” and
“a wide range of music, mainly from outside of the current
popular music charts and ranging from the sixties to the present day.” While the
applicant notes that
“air time would be given during daytime and evening to
community groups to get involved and to produce programmes on topics for which
they have particular expertise such as health, environment, social enterprise,
education and employment”, the application does not convey a strong sense that the
programming would specifical y target those who
“face various forms of social and
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 4 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
economic deprivation”.
Radio Barnsley also states that
“Our research and audience feedback indicates that
those who are over the age of fifty want a wider choice of music and speech. The
50+ audience is a growing part of the local demographic and Radio Barnsley wil
include a variety of music and speech that appeals to this demographic group. Our
audience research indicates that young people are also not wel catered for by local
radio services. Radio Barnsley wil particularly aim to involve disadvantaged and
disaffected young people…” [Redacted s36]
The group also proposes that “
Specialist programmes would mainly be carried in
the evening and sometimes in the afternoon. These would range from
programmes covering sport and the arts to specialist music genres such as jazz
and folk… General music programming would make up a significant part of non-
peak output in both the daytime and evenings and would be mainly music that is
not in the current popular music charts and would be drawn from the 60s to the
present.”
The group has plans to broadcast local y produced material from 0700 to 2300.
While some of this may be pre-recorded, it states that its existing volunteer base
means that
“Radio Barnsley already has sufficient broadcasters to provide live al
day broadcasting (0700-1800) and live weekend broadcasting from breakfast until
late (0700-2300).”
The group shows that it has considered ethnic programming, noting that Barnsley
is the
“least ethnical y diverse local authority area in Yorkshire” at around 4% in
the urban area, and therefore it notes that
“we do not expect non-English
programming to be a significant proportion of output.”
(c) "The extent to which any proposed service would broaden the range of
programmes available by way of local services to persons living in the area or
locality in which it would be provided, and, in particular, the extent to which the
service would be of a nature or have a content distinct from that of any other
[s36]
local service the licence for which would overlap with the licence for the
proposed service."
[Redacted s36]
It states that
“during peak listening times we wil offer mainly magazine type
programmes...” Daytime music wil range from the sixties to the present day –
although it does commit to
“not more than 15 per cent [of total output]
being
mainstream chart and classic hits.”
[Redacted s36]
The applicant makes a somewhat stronger case that
Dearne FM broadcasts to most
of the Barnsley MBC area covering many smal towns and vil ages across an area
which is substantial y rural in nature and with an adult population of around 190,000.
Radio Barnsley wil have a more limited coverage and wil focus on the core urban
area of the town of Barnsley and surrounding communities with population coverage
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 5 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
of about 60,000 adults. Its editorial wil be distinctly focused on the town of Barnsley.
(d) "The extent to which there is evidence that, amongst persons living in that
area or locality, there is a demand for, or support for, the provision of the
[s36]
proposed service."
The group appears to have a good level of local backing, attaching over 20 letters of
support, including one from Eric Il sley, MP for Barnsley Central. The group
conducted audience research in January 2006, which showed 20% of respondents
had listened to one of the RSL broadcasts; of those, 95% said they were very likely
or fairly likely to listen in the future (sample size was 129). A business survey found
10% of respondents would take advertising or sponsorship on Radio Barnsley. The
group held local public consultation meetings in September 2006 and June 2007 to
gauge interest from community groups and “interested individuals”. The group also
lists more than 20 local organisations that participated in its last RSL.
(e) "The extent to which the provision of any such proposed service would result
in the delivery of social gain to the public or relevant community."
In addition, the Community Radio Order 2004, paragraph 2 says: “In relation to a
community radio service, "social gain" means the achievement, in respect of
[s36]
individuals or groups of individuals in the community that the service is
intended to serve, or in respect of other members of the public, of the following
objectives.” (These four mandatory social gain objectives are set out below.)
"The provision of sound broadcasting services to individuals who are otherwise
underserved by such services."
[s36]
Radio Barnsley has identified its audience as people who live and work in Barnsley
and surrounding areas and especial y those that face various forms of deprivation or
are disadvantaged and those that are underserved by existing radio services.
We wil cater for people of al ages but our independent research as wel as
listener feedback to our broadcasts indicates that older people (50+) and young
disadvantaged people (15-25) are particularly not wel served by existing local and
other broadcasting services. We wil therefore make particular effort to involve
young disadvantaged people and to provide a variety of speech and music
programming that caters for the tastes and interests of people of al ages.
[Redacted s36]
"The facilitation of discussion and expression of opinion."
[s36]
The applicant’s proposed magazine format programming wil lend itself to discussion,
and it proposes to
“use a mixture of studio discussion, live guests and listener phone-
in on issues of local concern. Our programming wil build on our strong links with
local voluntary and community organisations and with local public agencies to ensure
a variety of opinions are heard including local experts and decision makers.
We wil work closely with organisations like the Barnsley Association of Community
Partnerships to build links with the different communities and to encourage people to
get involved as community correspondents and volunteer reporters and producers.”
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 6 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
"The provision (whether by means of programmes included in the
service or otherwise) of education or training to individuals not
[s36]
employed by the person providing the service."
Radio Barnsley has a track record in successful delivery in radio skil s training
providing accredited courses in partnership with Rotherham Col ege. With a ful
time community radio licence we intend to build on this by establishing an annual
programming of short taster courses and accredited radio training to support the
involvement of volunteers in the running of the services, to assure the quality of
programme making and to contribute to personal and career development.
We are currently in discussion with Barnsley Col ege to amalgamate our
‘Community Radio Broadcast Skil s’ qualification with those offered within the
media department. This would offer students at the col ege a real life work
experience in a ful y functional radio station that would provide a vocational aspect
to their theoretical studies.
The group also outlines other proposals, such as mentoring for its volunteers, and
partnerships with schools. It notes that some schools have already purchased
radio equipment to enable them to produce material for broadcast.
"The better understanding of the particular community and
strengthening of links within it."
[s36]
For most people in the area Barnsley town is the only location where there is local
interaction and Radio Barnsley wil reflect the town’s role as a focal point for the
wider area. Radio Barnsley wil promote local understanding through its speech
programming and coverage of local news and topical issues, local heritage and local
events and activities. We wil aim to strengthen links within the community by
outreaching to and involving community organisations as wel as public bodies such
as schools and further educational establishments and we wil aim to have a
presence at a wide range of local events and festivals.
Additional social gain objectives:
[s36]
The applicant notes a range of additional objectives in particular around social
enterprises – it notes that it has
“worked closely with the social enterprise unit of
Barnsley Development Agency” – and training and work experience. It also states
that
“Radio Barnsley is committed to social inclusion and particularly to supporting
the involvement of and meeting the needs of people facing various forms of
disadvantage. We wil undertake community outreach with a particular focus on the
more deprived communities in our coverage area. We wil provide training courses
that are free for unemployed people and, in our training and volunteer support, we
wil take account of and, as far as possible remove, barriers to participation such as
carer responsibilities, mobility access, visual impairment and other factors.”
(f) "The provision that each of the applicants proposes to make in order to
render himself accountable to the relevant community in respect of the provision
[s36]
of the proposed service."
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 7 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
Radio Barnsley has reasonable accountability measures in place, including a formal
complaints procedure, membership scheme for listeners and volunteers, and an
outreach consultation with community organisations and public bodies. Listener
feedback would be gathered through attendance at events and contact with the
station through usual channels such as email and the website. An annual open
meeting is also planned, although no plans for any further formal listener research
are listed. [Redacted s36]
(g) "The provision each of the applicants proposes to make to allow for access
by members of the relevant community to the facilities to be used for the
[s36]
provision of the service and for their training in the use of those facilities."
The applicant has strong proposals in this area, utilising the YMCA’s facilities and its
own experience from previous broadcasts. It notes that it has “
a comprehensive in
house training programme which we have built up since we commenced RSL
broadcasts in 1995 and which wil be available to people of al ages and backgrounds
who wish to get involved. The training programme is tailored to the needs of the
learner and includes formal qualifications accredited by the Open Col ege Network
(OCN) in “Community Radio Broadcast Skil s”
We wil particularly encourage and assist local community partnerships to develop
their own in house production facilities to support community correspondents.
Barnsley YMCA also has a Centre that supports disaffected students, mainstream
students and potential volunteers within the YMCA. This area would be utilised to
deliver complementary training to back up Radio Barnsley’s commitments to the
people of Barnsley.
Applicant group:
RBFM (Radio Barnsley)
Page 8 of 8
RE: RLC PAPER 45(07)
Additional requirements
Broadcasting Act 1990
(Not
Scored)
Sc 105(2) No more than 50% of income pa proposed from one source.
No more than 50% of income pa is proposed from one source (59% of pre-launch
income is anticipated to come from the European Regional Development Fund,
however this is considered compliant with the funding rules).
Sc 105(3) Regard to the need to ensure the proposed service does not prejudice
unduly the economic viability of any other local licence.
The possible impact on Dearne FM of a community based service broadcasting to
Barnsley was considered by finance col eagues on the basis of the commercial
station’s MCA (173k). An economic impact assessment wil therefore be presented to
the RLC.
Sc 105(4) Does the proposed service overlap with a local licence with an adult
population of a) fewer than 50,000 adults, or b) 50,001-150,000 adults? (If so
restrictions apply.)
No.
Sc 105(6) Maximum of 50% of proposed relevant income pa is from the sale of
advertising or programme sponsorship.
No apparent issues.
Ownership matters: Proposed licensee should be a body corporate, non-profit-
distributing, and not conflict with ownership restrictions.
The applicant is a Company Limited by Guarantee and non-profit-distributing, and
additional y has community radio objectives.
As a body whose objects are whol y or mainly of a religious nature, col eagues
conducted a religious determination in respect of Radio Barnsley and have
determined that it should not be disqualified from holding a community radio licence.
[Redacted s40] 17/10/07
- ENDS -
