Source FM Options

[user23]

It's a shame that there's nothing like Source FM for the Newbury area.

It's run by local volunteers and has a really varied mix with people who seems to be passionate about the area and the music they play.

[Andy Capp]

It's a shame that there's nothing like Source FM for the Newbury area. It's run by local volunteers and has a really varied mix with people who seems to be passionate about the area and the music they play.

Can we expect you to be starting a radio station soon that meets this shortfall?

[Cognosco]

Can we expect you to be starting a radio station soon that meets this shortfall?

Well at least it should have a nice ring to it? WBC Radio?

[Strafin]

It's a shame that there's nothing like Source FM for the Newbury area.

It's run by local volunteers and has a really varied mix with people who seems to be passionate about the area and the music they play.

Well maybe you should set one up? Anytime someone wants something in politics yopu are always the first to jibe that they should do someting themselves, here's your chance to show your community spirit.

[user23]

Can we expect you to be starting a radio station soon that meets this shortfall?

Typically they're run by around 75 volunteers. Shall I sign you all up?

[Simon Kirby]

Are they actually playing vinyl? It sounded like it from the two tracks I listened to. Made me feel very old.

Is there such a thing as hospital radio any more?

[user23]

Are they actually playing vinyl? It sounded like it from the two tracks I listened to. Made me feel very old.

Is there such a thing as hospital radio any more?

I would guess so if it sounded like it. Much of the music is from the volunteers personal collections.

Yes, in fact some community radio stations double up as hospital radio too.

[Dodgys smarter b...]

Floggin' me memory 'ere, but didn't we have some sort of 'Community' radio station some / many years ago?

Wasn't it the original 'Kick FM'?

That only had a short term licence - lasted about 6 months. Then it came back, gets lost in the mists of time and becomes Kick FM proper.

However, the memory lingers of a station with DJ's playing music they didn't understand to an audience who didn't particularly care.

There is still Hosptal Radio. At least there is in Maidstone Hospital and St Heliers in Carshalton. (I know people who work in both)

The trouble is that with any radio station, there will some music you like and much you don't, with the rise of the iphone, ipod and mp3 players ( which hold thousands of tracks ) and internet radio* people can choose the background music to their own lives as and when they want.

All that's left then is the 'community news' type of program. If there's not a lot of news about it all gets a bit strained.

I would suggest that Cornwall is a bit bigger than the 'Newbury area' and just probably might generate a bit more news.


*some stations actually build your own individual record library according to your likes and dislikes.

[user23]

I would suggest that Cornwall is a bit bigger than the 'Newbury area' and just probably might generate a bit more news.

Yes, I'm pretty sure Kick had a community licence to start with however I think their plan was always to turn it into a commercial concern when the licence for West Berkshire came up. If anyone knows better please do feel free to correct me.

Source FM serves roughly 40,000 people in a 5 mile area around Falmouth and Penryn. The same 5 miles area around Newbury would have a higher population.

You can pick up a steady stream of local community news and information from Twitter, if you follow the right people. There's been roughly 20 tweets added today for example on a Sunday, the slowest news day. It's where many local newspapers get their leads from these days, so I can't see why it wouldn't work for a radio station too.

[Richard Garvie]

I love the idea, in fact I recently researched the idea of doing a one month trial for Thatcham to see if it was a viable project on a long term licence like what Source have. Newbury Sound do a fantastic job for the resources they have, obviously their music output is not the taste of everybody. If a community station did happen, it would be great if it was something that complimented what we already have.

If there was a community station, what sort of music would you want, or rather what music policy do you think would work in these parts? I think you would have to aim for the mass market in the day, but certainly there is a scope for specialist programming in the evenings. I think a community radio project could double as a training facility for young people, providing training in different areas such as sales, engineering, administration and presenting (communication skills). It would also be a perfect vehicle for giving young people a sense of community spirit and civic pride.

[On the edge]

I love the idea, in fact I recently researched the idea of doing a one month trial for Thatcham to see if it was a viable project on a long term licence like what Source have. Newbury Sound do a fantastic job for the resources they have, obviously their music output is not the taste of everybody. If a community station did happen, it would be great if it was something that complimented what we already have.

If there was a community station, what sort of music would you want, or rather what music policy do you think would work in these parts? I think you would have to aim for the mass market in the day, but certainly there is a scope for specialist programming in the evenings. I think a community radio project could double as a training facility for young people, providing training in different areas such as sales, engineering, administration and presenting (communication skills). It would also be a perfect vehicle for giving young people a sense of community spirit and civic pride.

A trio of us from this forum did try to set a community station up a time ago. The base idea was just as you suggest in last paragraph. In very simple terms, create a studio in one of the Community centres, where youngsters could 'practice / broadcast' of an evening, tie in with a local school, specially one with a performing arts bias. Try and secure sponsorship in physical equipment / technical advice terms from a local comms. business. Programme schedule designed to appeal to at home Mums and seniors during day (who could also drop into Community Centre studio - participate or observe) and youngsters in evening and weekends. Would have been talk and music - something for everyone. Didn't go much further than a few exploratory talks - but basics all still there. Indeed the 'Community Centre' is still there and actually asking for new ideas! PM me if you want more detail - happy to start again.

[user23]

I would avoid trying to appeal to everyone during the day, there's too many stations that do that already. Music wise could you really tell Heart apart from Newbury Sound during the day?

I agree that you'd probably want to focus on content for older listeners during the day. Here's Source FM's Glenys McMahon for instance who plays music from the 20s to the 50s and then younger people in the evening.

Newbury Sound give Smiley Dave one hour on Sunday night and as far as I can see that's their entire output that isn't mainstream music.

[Richard Garvie]

It depends on funding. If you are permanent, you need to bring in advertising dollars to pay the bills, which is why most station go mainstream during the day. Early evenings would be perfect for younger programming and then from 9pm - 10pm you could run specialist shows every night (rock, soul, country, dance stuff at the weekend, local music etc,).

You can appeal to a larger audience and do things differently. I do think Newbury Sound do a good job for Newbury, and are pretty much a community focussed station. I'd only want to do something that was different to what they do, such as a gold station by day / youth station in the evenings or a 24 / 7 youth station like Takeover Radio or the station in Watford (fresh?). There is actually a market for a youth station, as Heart and Newbury Sound (you could argue even national stations inc Radio 1) all target over 25's. A station for the under 30's would be something new to the market.

[user23]

I wouldn't limit the station's audience by age, just appeal to different ages at different times and try to fill in the gaps that don't like "a better music mix" or "more music variety", which is of course the same oldies and chart tunes played on rotation.

[Richard Garvie]

I wouldn't limit the station's audience by age, just appeal to different ages at different times and try to fill in the gaps that don't like "a better music mix" or "more music variety", which is of course the same oldies and chart tunes played on rotation.

I see your point. Compared to Heart and 2-10 before it, Newbury Sound already does the music bit to a point.

[user23]

I see your point. Compared to Heart and 2-10 before it, Newbury Sound already does the music bit to a point.

Newbury Sound has an AC format and as far as I can see only have one hour of non-mainstream music, what do you mean they do the music bit to a point?

[Richard Garvie]

Newbury Sound has an AC format and as far as I can see only have one hour of non-mainstream music, what do you mean they do the music bit to a point?

What I mean is that Newbury Sound have a much wider playlist than most commercial stations. Non - mainstream music is not viable during the day, as you wouldn't get listeners and no listeners = no advertising revenue. Even community stations need money to pay the bills, and those who do what they like during the day time are usually those who are funded by a sugar daddy etc.

[Jobet]

I am amazed that people still listen to the radio in the daytime. With all the other attractions such as ipod iphone and MP3 players I thought radio had long ago lost its interest for most if us.

[Simon Kirby]

I am amazed that people still listen to the radio in the daytime. With all the other attractions such as ipod iphone and MP3 players I thought radio had long ago lost its interest for most if us.

I don't have any of those things and as I drive a fair bit for work I have the radio on in the truck, and I don't have a TV so the radio is often on at home too, though it's radios 3, and 4 rather than pop.