Radio Fyneside - Ofcom Licensing

Public Version 2.0 [14th August 2006].
SECTION FOUR: Ability to Maintain Service.
Section 105(1)(a) of the 1990 Broadcasting Act requires that, when considering a
licence application, Ofcom takes into account the applicant's ability to maintain the
proposed service. This means that we need to know about the experience and
expertise of your group, its structure and the management and staffing it would have
if your application was to be successful. In addition, we also need to know about
your financial position, assets and proposals for funding the operation of your
intended service.
4.1 Please provide us with a brief history of your group, including when it
was formed, its links with other community organisations and membership.
Radio Fyneside at speed
This initiative was born in August 2006. Ofcom opened invitations for Community Radio
applications from Scotland on 25 th October. Applications close on 16 th January 2007. It has
been an intensive operation.
Community need is the driver. The widespread response can only be described as a hunger
to engage with the sort of service collectively devised.
The project launched at a Community Conference on 9 th September, attended by 35
delegates from all parts of the upper Loch Fyne area and beyond. 29 of these delegates
represented a variety of community councils, business organisations, marketing groups,
individual businesses, statutory and voluntary organisations - and clubs and associations
with interests from traditional music, to the arts, local history and shinty.
These initial supporters made nominations on that day, producing the Board members, with
two co-options, representative geographically and of the spectrum of key interests.
From this conference and subsequent recruiting has come a panel of 26 volunteers who
form initial action teams according to their interests: technical, programming, news, music,
website, admin etc.
There is a continuing process of information, consultation and exchange with all of the
community councils and a range of business, statutory and voluntary organisations.
The station became an Associate Member of the Bute and Cowal Community Planning
Partnership (which brings together all of the statutory and voluntary bodies with
responsibilities for the area); and an Associate Member of both the Inveraray and Cowal
Marketing Groups – as a gesture of support for their activities and of the station’s intent to
work alongside all groups engaged in community and economic development.
Other current partnerships in discussion include:
• the new Mid-Argyll hospital at Lochgilphead - on collaboration to provide scheduled
broadcasting for patients which we are extending to Care Home residents
• Argyll College at Cairndow, (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands) - to
explore collaborative delivery of qualified courses in radio broadcasting
• Argyll and Bute Council Education Department – to explore the use of the station to
enhance the educational opportunities available to children in their care
• ‘Determined to Broadcast’, a Scottish executive initiative aimed at S3 / S4 pupils – to
explore the provision of continuous opportunity to develop broadcasting skills
• ‘Wild Biscuit’ – a professional music recording studio – joint support for new bands
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