[CMA] FYI: Vale FM Birmingham

[grant goddard]

press cutting from Community Newswire:

COMMUNITY STATION RETURNS TO AIRWAVES 
By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire 
BROADCAST Radio Birmingham, Yesterday, 10:25am

Organisers behind one of Birmingham's
longest-established community radio stations have
today revealed it will once again return to the
airwaves this summer.The station, 87.7 Vale fm, serves
the Castle Vale area of Birmingham and will celebrate
its 10-year anniversary when it returns to the
airwaves, operating on a Restricted Service Licence
for a month between June 1 and 28.The broadcast will
be the 16th staged since 1995 when the station was
formed by local residents.Since then the station has
clocked up more than 7,000 hours of music and 3,000
hours of community-orientated speech programming to
improve local communication and give the community a
greater voice.Formerly one of Birmingham's most
deprived neighbourhoods, Castle Vale has undergone a
renaissance in the past few years, recently completing
a highly successful 12-year, £300m regeneration
programme.The station, which will broadcast on 87.7FM
and simultaneously on the internet at www.valefm.com,
will take to the airwaves part-funded by a grant from
Castle Vale Community Fund.Programmes will be
presented and produced by a team of 45 students and
local volunteers from Castle Vale and the surrounding
areas. The station will provide an entertaining mix of
music and discussion aimed at raising awareness of
important community issues.The students, currently
studying on a 21-week radio broadcasting and
production training course run in partnership with
Sutton Coldfield College, have acquired skills in
programme production and presentation, news and
interviewing to boost their personal and career skills
and get them on air.The station has ambitious plans to
expand and hopes to be on air full time within a year.
Later this summer it expects to hear on the outcome of
a 5-year licence application from Ofcom.If successful
the new station, re-branded and re-launched, will aim
to serve a population of 178,000 in north east
Birmingham and north Solihull.Neil Hollins, station
manager, said: "Over the past 10 years the station has
supported the dramatic transformation of Castle Vale,
encouraging a positive sense of community identity and
providing a place for local people to bring in their
own stories and life experiences, both as programme
makers and listeners."We very much intend to continue
in the same vein."For information about advertising
and sponsorship on 87.7 Vale fm, contact Neil on 0121
749 1343.

http://services.press.net/pressnet/communitynewswire/index.jsp?story_id=913393&setStyle=mlStory&returnStyle=heading.cnw#

cut & pasted by:
Grant Goddard
Radio Development International
http://www.radiodevelopment.co.uk


		
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