|
ESTUARY FM'S PROUD LEGACY
- Estuary-fm's high profile 10-year campaign persuaded the regulator to allow Southend a local commercial radio station
- Despite there being 3 other applicants for the Southend commercial radio licence advertised at the beginning of 2006, Estuary-fm was the only group which had formally registered its intention to apply and which had any previous public involvement in the community
- Estuary-fm's long and well publicised campaign focused on research, awareness building and supporting the local community, and included:
 |
- active involvement at over 50 local carnivals, displays and other events with the hugely popular Estuary-fm Roadshow
- two highly successful trial broadcasts for south east Essex, helping to understand what local people wanted from a full time station, featuring some of the top names in radio
- discussions with hundreds of local individuals, voluntary organisations, businesses and public bodies, to build the depth of understanding, local support and contacts needed to run a radio station truly in touch with the people it sought to serve
|
- Estuary-fm also spent many years thoroughly researching the commercial radio industry, including discussions with many potential partner investors for the Southend licence, leading to the decision to join forces with London Media Company
- Radio regulator Ofcom announced the award of the Southend licence in April 2006, stating that it expected the successful applicant to commence broadcasting at the earliest opportunity. Many people inside and outside the industry expressed their shock and dismay that Estuary-fm's thoroughly researched and locally supported proposals, which were second to none in meeting the statutory requirements on which Ofcom has a duty to issue radio licences, failed to win through
- Shortly after announcing its decision on the Southend licence Ofcom published a statement which it said was to help the public understand its reasons. We were dismayed that some of the points put forward contained serious anomalies and factual inaccuracies, which Ofcom has refused to explain
- Tim Murphy, presenter at stations including Essex FM and Invicta FM, voiced the disappointment of many of his radio colleagues. “I think that Estuary-fm would have been a great station,” said Tim. “Radio is a people business, and I believe one of the reasons Essex FM is consistently number one is that the people running it at a local level understand that and try to give people what they want – and that’s something that the guys behind Estuary-fm took on board. Their application to run a station for Southend wasn’t written by a consultant with virtually no knowledge of the area, but was based on years of getting to the very heart of what makes Southend and its people unique,” Tim added. “From a professional point of view I think Estuary-fm could have given other stations a real run for their money, and from a personal one I was really disappointed, not only for Estuary-fm but also for the people of Southend, who missed out on having a truly first class radio station.”
- Alex Bish, who at the time of the Southend licence
award was in charge of news at Essex FM and who now
heads up the news output at one of the country's most
successful BBC stations, was disappointed that Estuary
wasn't successful in its bid for the Southend radio
licence.
"I'm passionate about this industry, and Estuary-fm
had a similar passion as well as the commitment and
professionalism to run Southend's radio station," Alex
commented. "I was really excited about Estuary-fm's
plans for the station - their application set out
unequivocally and honestly how they were going to help
play a role in shaping a positive future for my home
town through their involvement in local life and, of
course, genuinely balanced, professional and
entertaining news and speech output.
"I'll always be proud that it was Estuary-fm who
launched my radio career, and priviliged that I worked
with the professionals whose dedicated campaigning
led directly to Southend finally getting its own
radio licence."
- Since the award of the Southend radio licence Estuary Media, the company behind Estuary-fm, has focussed its attention on campaigning for quality in local commercial radio, particularly through taking part in numerous public consultations by the regulator. Through our wealth of insight, experience and understanding we believe that Estuary Media it is well placed to put forward the perspective of the listener and those working at the front line of the industry, and we are particularly concerned about issues such as:
| |
- fakery in commercial radio
- a loss of localness
- the regulator's failure to take on board consumer demands and the negative social consequences resulting from the sort of homogenisation which has already all but destroyed local radio in the USA.
|
Links
Press release issued in response to Ofcom's award of the Southend radio licence
|
